# Poll: Does Romney's Mormonism bother you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 8, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768 "2011-06-08T19:15:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/41 "2011-06-09T06:08:42Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > Yes, meet charming sociopath Chris Buttars: [Chris Buttars - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Buttars) Sociopath for sure, but if he was a minority of the Utah Legislature, you can’t blame the Mormons for what his positions are. The most disturbing thing about the link was that he got a Silver Beaver. My father got one of those, before the Boy Scouts became a division of Hitler Youth that is. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/42 "2011-06-09T06:24:58Z")
I would not vote for Mitt Romney if he sat next to me in the pews at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church each Sunday morning. However, I chose “I wouldn’t vote for a devout Mormon” for the office of President or any other. My opinion is that most Mormons are pretty nice, decent, honest people, and that the leadership of the LDS Church is a bunch of scumbags. By supporting the Church with his money, time, and effort, Romney helps keep those scumbags in business. > [@Voyager](#): > > the Boy Scouts became a division of Hitler Youth I must have missed that announcement. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/43 "2011-06-09T06:31:59Z")
Not in the least. Mormons are okay with me. It is his Republicanism that bothers me. If it turns out that he is less Republican than Obama, maybe I’ll vote for my first Republican. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/44 "2011-06-09T07:49:15Z")
I answered “Some, but not enough…” since there are a few old-timey LDS practices & positions that do make me wonder, like the vow to avenge the murder of Joseph Smith upon the US & blood atonement. I’m only slightly more moderate than most modern LDS social-political positions. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/45 "2011-06-09T08:13:16Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > That’s been my impression, too, but can a (former) Mormon here tell us how “light” he is? > > Really, most presidents tend to be pretty “light” about their religion–my gut tells me that the majority of politicians know they have to have some kind of religion to get elected, so they usually just find a token association with a church. As a person who grew up in Utah, I’ve seen there’s no such thing as a “Mormon lite” with politicians. Virtually all politicians in Utah are Mormon and they all follow lockstep what the Prophet tells them to do. For this reason alone I would never vote for him for anything. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/46 "2011-06-09T08:45:39Z")
So I’m wondering if the liberals in this room don’t take Obama’s ‘Christianity’ seriously…? I care about someone’s politics. Not their religious beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/47 "2011-06-09T13:03:59Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > So I’m wondering if the liberals in this room don’t take Obama’s ‘Christianity’ seriously…? > > I care about someone’s politics. Not their religious beliefs. My feeling is that Obama is not particularly religious. But if he is, I respect that he keeps it to himself for the most part. I look forward to the day when we can have an out and proud agnostic/atheist as president. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/48 "2011-06-09T13:42:48Z")
Yes it bothers me, due to magical underpants. I am jealous of them and want a pair. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/49 "2011-06-09T14:57:04Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > So I’m wondering if the liberals in this room don’t take Obama’s ‘Christianity’ seriously…? I’m a liberal, and I have no doubts that Obama is pretty areligious. Politics requires politicians to pay religion lipservice. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/50 "2011-06-09T15:46:15Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I’m a liberal, and I have no doubts that Obama is pretty areligious. Politics requires politicians to pay religion lipservice. In his book, it’s quite clear that Obama is not just a Christian, but a “born again” Christian. He’s given more than just lip service, although its true he keeps it mostly to himself, and doesn’t flaunt it in the way that, say, W. did. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/51 "2011-06-09T16:39:47Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > I must have missed that announcement. It happened when they moved from New Jersey to New Mexico. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/52 "2011-06-09T16:44:34Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > In his book, it’s quite clear that Obama is not just a Christian, but a “born again” Christian. He’s given more than just lip service, although its true he keeps it mostly to himself, and doesn’t flaunt it in the way that, say, W. did. I agree with this. The difference is not between strong belief and weak belief, but between those who believe but think that other people should have the right to believe other things and act on them, and those with strong belief who are offended when people with other beliefs do things that go against the beliefs of the strong believer. (Hope that is slightly clear.) Kerry was another good example - he personally was against abortion, but thought those with other views should be allowed to act on them. I haven’t seen any evidence that Romney is a politician of the second class. He may wear the magic underpants, but he isn’t going to require that we do. ---
**Author:** ![anya\_marie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@anya\_marie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anya_marie)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/53 "2011-06-09T17:08:08Z")
What little I know about Mormonism doesn’t incline me to dislike Mitt Romney but it’s that the man strikes me as a spineless noodle-kneed flip-flopping clown that would have a Cheneyesque overlord to do all his thinking, And LOOK how well that worked out with Cheney and W. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/54 "2011-06-09T17:10:51Z")
The hell of it is that he’s still a lot less scary than the rest of the GOP field. ---
**Author:** ![Yaxche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8dc957/32.png) [@Yaxche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yaxche)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/55 "2011-06-09T18:57:18Z")
Atheist here, not an issue, because I live in Utah and have seen real crazy mormon politicians (like the aforementioned Buttars). Mormon Lite was a great way of labeling him, he barely registers for me. > [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > If it turns out that he is less Republican than Obama, maybe I’ll vote for my first Republican. The mormon you are looking for is Jon Huntsman Jr… ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/56 "2011-06-09T18:59:02Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > In his book, it’s quite clear that Obama is not just a Christian, but a “born again” Christian. He’s given more than just lip service, although its true he keeps it mostly to himself, and doesn’t flaunt it in the way that, say, W. did. Interesting. Which book? I haven’t read either of them. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/57 "2011-06-09T19:05:28Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > So far as I know, members of _all_ religions are expected to live their whole lives in holiness as defined in that religion. Your religion isn’t just something you put on and take off for an hour a week with your Sunday clothes. > … > Heck, the Catholic church opposes gay marriage, too, and that doesn’t stop me from supporting it: I just disagree with my church on that point. Some people would find a conflict between these two parts of your post. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/58 "2011-06-09T19:11:31Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Interesting. Which book? I haven’t read either of them. _Dreams from My Father_. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/59 "2011-06-09T20:27:27Z")
I have issues with Romney’s dishonesty, his flip-flopping, his namby-pamby approach to everything I hold important, his animal cruelty, his horrible hair and his smarmy smile. His religion, however, is irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768/60 "2011-06-09T20:38:03Z")
Really? 60 people here (the largest # of votes so far) wouldn’t vote for Romney because of his religion? I always thought it bizarre that JFK’s Catholicism was an issue, but I brushed it off thinking “different times, different culture”, but sadly it seems that things really aren’t _that_ different. ☹ I wonder what the results would be to the question “Would you vote for a Muslim for President?” I wonder how many of the 60 would berate those who said “No” as being bigots, etc? I am not a Mormon, though I have been accused of being a moron. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-does-romneys-mormonism-bother-you/584768.md?page=4)