Perry Backer Accuses Romney of Belonging to a Mormon 'Cult'

[jefferson_dem]

:popcorn:

Perry Backer Accuses Romney of Belonging to a Mormon 'Cult'
Elspeth Reeve 4:14 PM ET26 ViewsComment (1)



Rick Perry was introduced at the Values Voters Summit -- a conference of social conservatives in Washington, D.C. this weekend -- by Dr. Robert Jeffress, a pastor at the Dallas megachurch First Baptist, who asked the crowd, "Do we want someone who is a conservative out of convenience, or one who is a conservative out of conviction? Do we want a candidate who is a good, moral person, or one who is a born-again follower of Jesus Christ? I believe that in Rick Perry we have a candidate who is a proven leader, a true conservative and a committed follower of Christ," according to The Hill.

The statement could be read as a veiled shot at Mormons. But just to make his point clear, after he was finished, Jeffress took questions from reporters. “As evangelical Christians, we understand that Mormonism isn’t Christianity and thus the difference between someone who is good and moral like Mitt Romney and a true follower of Christ ,” Jeffress said, again according to The Hill. “I think the decision for conservative evangelical Christians right now is going to be, do we prefer somebody who is truly a believer in Jesus Christ or somebody who is a good moral person but is a member of a cult? And it’s not politically correct to say but it is true: Mormonism is a cult.”

Political reporters and commentators are agog. Time's Mark Halperin says, "Candidates can't and shouldn't be held responsible for every past statement their supporters (or introducers) have made. But Jeffress rhetoric with Perry waiting in the wings are words of a different color." Politico's Ben Smith tweets, "And here goes another day in which Perry's message is going to be ... reaction to a mini-scandal."

Jeffress says he's "not insinuating that the governor shares those at all," Talking Points Memo reports, but that Perry welcomed his endorsement. As for Perry's speech, which is getting lost in the whole Jeffress brouhaha, the candidate told the crowd Friday, "America is going to be guided by some set of values. The question is, whose values?"

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2011/10/perry-backer-accuses-romney-belonging-mormon-cult/43473/

VIDEO of Jeffress' spew here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4mht8Vq8aDs#!

[Tarheel_Dem]

1. We knew someone would eventually go there. I'm surprised it's taken this long. (nt)

[FSogol]

2. Please pass the popcorn.

Thanks,

:popcorn:

[bigdarryl]

3. Romney should question Perry's ties to the racist in Texas

[JoePhilly]

4. GOP Debate question ... "Gov Perry (refer to quote above) ... do you agree ...

that Mormons are not true Christians?"

Follow up ... "What about Catholics? Is the pope a true religious leader, or an agent of the Anti-Christ?".

And after Perry's head explodes ...

Follow up with "Pizza guy, ooops Mr Cain ... same questions?"

Boom!!! exploding head.

Moderator ... "Ok, one last try, Michelle Bachmann, same questions?" ..... tick, tick, tick ... BOOM!!!!

Santorium ... BOOM.

And suddenly ... its a 3 man race ... Romney, Huntsman, and Ron Paul.

[efhmc]

5. Every evangelical Christian I know states this.

It is considered to be a cult because of the LDS idolization of Joseph Smith, who is said to be put on an equal footing with Christ. BTW, did you know he was once a candidate for president. "In early 1844, Smith announced his candidacy for President of the United States." He really was a freaky bit of work.

[Enrique]

6. it's a pattern for this piece of shit

he's a professional Christianist thug

http://www.ethicsdaily.com/southern-baptist-pastor-fox-host-get-facts-wrong-cms-17980-printer

A Southern Baptist megachurch pastor appeared on a Fox News program last month and used falsehoods and innuendo to challenge the president's faith.


Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, appeared on the program "Fox and Friends" just two days after Easter to try to link Obama to Islam.

When host Steve Doocy asked Jeffress what he thought about Obama not issuing a proclamation recognizing Easter, Jeffress began questioning Obama's faith.

"Steve, let's look at what's really going on here," Jeffress replied. "On the one hand, we have a president who never met a Muslim holiday he didn't like, or at least wasn't willing to issue a proclamation for, and on the other hand, here he is refusing to acknowledge publicly the most important event in Christian faith, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and yet the White House is wondering why do 20 percent of Americans believe the president is a Muslim? Well, as my kids would say, 'Duh.' I mean, it's actions like these that really make people wonder what it is the president really believes."

Neither Doocy nor Jeffress pointed out that no president has issued an official proclamation recognizing Easter. Obama was merely following precedent.

(...)

[tanyev]

7. Heh. The GOP primary is shaping up to be everything I hoped it would.

:popcorn:

[Ikonoklast]

18. I love the smell of heretics burning in the morning.

Romney will be the Republican nominee, but HE WILL NEVER WIN THE SOUTH.

Embracing the religiously insane as a tool to divide this country will be the downfall of the Right Wing.

[efhmc]

8. Religious bigotry, racism and sexism. The big 3 for the

repugs.

[Permanut]

9. As opposed to Perry, who is not a member of a cult.

Okay, I get it now.

[treestar]

10. Cult:

cult |kəlt|
noun
a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object: the cult of St. Olaf.
• a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister: a network of Satan-worshiping cults.
• a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing: a cult of personality surrounding the leaders.
• < usu. as modifier > a person or thing that is popular or fashionable, esp. among a particular section of society: a cult film.


Mormons have enough in numbers to escape the label, IMO. And it's not necessarily a bad thing. It's taken on a negative meaning due to Jonestown, etc., but small religious groups have a right to exist, too.

IMO it's only small enough if the members aren't allowed to work independently and never go out alone, etc.

[awoke_in_2003]

11. second definition of a cult...

(from Merriam Webster):

"a system of religious beliefs and ritual"

I will let the readers take that to its natural conclusion.

[backscatter712]

16. What's the difference between a mainstream religion and a cult?

The mainstream religion owns much more real-estate...

[awoke_in_2003]

19. "mainstream religion owns much more real-estate"

and more politicians.

[jenmito]

12. They're already covering this on MSNBC and CNN. n/t

[jenmito]

13. Perry's campaign already put out a statement saying Perry doesn't consider Mormonism a cult. n/t

[LiberalFighter]

14. the values of the Southern Baptists are superior to other earthlings?

If they didn't have any human failures then there might be a point.

But I'm sure we have had plenty of American leaders that were not baptists and have been better leaders than most baptists.

[ellisonz]

15. Too bad there's not a Scientologist in the race.

:popcorn:

[Mr Deltoid]

17. Perry calls the Texas Governorship, 'my ministry.'

Perry belongs to the RW money worship cult. Pay no mind to their hypocrisy.