Will You Make Government Your God? The Case Against Mormons Supporting Obama

The election is less than a week away and it’s time that we address the abominable Harry Reid. There are a few reasons this is necessary.

First, Gregory A. Prince wrote an article in which he bragged about how little he knows about Mormonism. One of his claims is that Romney has somehow “sullied” Mormonism. When Reid was asked about this comment he just had to agree. I’m not sure why Reid thinks he’s any kind of authority on Mormonism. This is the same Harry Reid who bore false witness against Romney at least twice (God should make a law against that or something). He is now lying about Romney and claiming some kind of technicality to make himself feel better about. This is clearly a man who has sold his soul for a fleeting moment of earthly power.

Second, there was a rash of blog articles and news stories several weeks back that proclaimed, “I’m Democrat because I’m a Mormon, not in spite of it!” Go ahead, say whatever you have to to make yourself feel better.

Third, I’ve had several friends from church come out in open support of Obama. Let’s say you take away the obvious things like Obama’s sociopathic lying and despicable stance on abortion (“I don’t want them punished with a baby!”). You are indeed supporting these positions when you vote for the O, but can you make the case that supporting Obama makes you more compassionate? That voting for welfare and “insurance” for all outweighs everything else?

The answer is easy: no.

In a philosophical sense, this is where people like Gregory A. Prince (Ph.D.!) stumble. He states that we have a “sacred obligation to assist the less able.” In the next sentence, he almost touches on a key tenet of the church, which is this: “Work is a guiding principle in the Church’s welfare program.” Our president views government welfare as a vote-harvesting system instead of as a hand-up.

Even this misses the more important point. Welfare is not the responsibility of the government! As Prince brags about the church’s welfare system he conveniently forgets about another tenet of the church: self-reliance and preparedness. We should be prepared for circumstances that might place us in need. Should you not have sufficient resources, then you turn to your family. Should your family have insufficient resources then you turn to church welfare. Should the church not be able to take care of you, then turn to the community. The federal government should provide a safety net as a last resort.

Some may disagree and that’s okay. But consider this:

  • When giving to the government, it is estimated only about .30 of every dollar is used for its intended purpose
  • When donating to LDS Charities, 100% of your donation goes to the cause
  • Most other reputable charities keep their operating costs below 10%

Why would you want to trust a bloated federal bureaucracy when people are in need? What’s more, shouldn’t you have a say in how your money is used?

Mormons believe that for each of God’s “institutions”, there is likely a sinister knock-off. This particular issue is a great example. God has a system to provide for His people, but the government provides an alternate system that replaces God with the government. This does not mean that the government programs are inherently evil. It does not mean that those who implement the programs are ill-intentioned. In the case of government welfare it seems clear that it’s being used to obtain power. This is certainly evil. Either way, it cannot ever work as well as God’s program.

Theologically, this is where the argument falls apart for well-intentioned Mormons voting for Obama. A great read concerning this is Marion G. Romney’s conference talk titled “Socialism and the United Order Compared“.

I believe that Mitt Romney understands the plan. I believe that most Americans understand the plan. Your government seeks to enslave you through taxes, which will be collected with a gun to your head if you don’t comply. The government enslaves the welfare recipients by giving them handouts in exchange for votes. God’s plan allows us to choose for ourselves. As George Albert Smith said, “… I believe our Heavenly Father is giving us our opportunity for development. … We will discover now whether the love the Savior said should be in our hearts is among us.”

So, will you make government your god? If you’re Harry Reid then that’s an easy answer: yes.

Reid Fundamentally Disconnected from LDS church and Nevada

Congratulations, Harry Reid. You’ve gone from being a lawyer to being a politician to being a really bad politician to being veritable scum of the earth.

Interestingly, Harry Reid recently decided that, as self-elected mouthpiece for the Mormon church, he has the obligation to spread lies and bear false witness against Mitt Romney. He also has declared that his understanding of the Gospel is superior to Mitt Romney’s understanding. According to Reid, Romney has “sullied the religion.”

This coming from the man involved in real estate and other scandals. Plus, remember when the voting machines in Southern Nevada already had his name checked as people were voting? And then the unions used questionable tactics to boost the vote in Reid’s favor on election day?

Harry Reid is a bad person and is fundamentally disconnected from the people he is supposed to represent. Why do we keep electing him?

What’s more, where is the scandal with Mitt Romney? His scandals are all manufactured, unless you count the “47%” gaffe. His big scandal is that he dared to tell the truth? Surely an unpardonable sin in Washington. Reid knows he is lying when he continues to slander Romney, who is a decent man. Reid’s actions are disgusting.

Now that I’ve gotten the ranting off my chest, I would like to attempt to explain what Mormons really believe. I believe a convincing argument can be made in favor of Romney’s politics. The same argument will be damning to Reid’s tired old politics.

I’ve been trying to put some thoughts together on this topic for quite a while and Reid’s ongoing tantrum gives me an excuse. Watch for part II…

It’s Tuesday and It’s Super

It’s Super Tuesday and today will be the day that defines several people’s futures. In a way, the whole process is maddening. But at the same time it’s like a really good Super Bowl. At least I image that’s what it’s like. I don’t watch much sports.

Some of the things I’ve been wondering during this election year…

  • Why do so many people hate Romney so much?
  • Why do Tea Party people seemingly support the other candidates over Romney?
  • Why do other candidates like to compare Romney to John McCain?
  • Does Newt think he can successfully paint Romney as the establishment candidate?
  • Why is Gingrich still in the race?
  • Why are people like Sarah Palin, Laura Ingraham and Lars Larson supporting Newt Gingrich?

As much as the other candidates want to paint Romney as “McCain 2012”, it just doesn’t fit. If you remember, the media selected John McCain as the GOP candidate early in the election. He was a maverick! As soon as McCain had the nomination buttoned-up the media reversed course.

On the other hand, Romney has been fighting not only the other candidates, but also a hostile media. I have not heard anyone on the radio or TV support Romney, although I’m sure there are some supporters out there. How is it that Romney is doing so well? He is a successful person who is devoted to his family. I believe people see that he has integrity, even though they may not agree with everything he says or does.

Speaking of not agreeing, why would Tea Party people be opposed to Romney? Santorum is no Tea Party conservative when it comes to government or spending. Maybe a little bit, but not any more so than Romney. The same goes for Gingrich. Ron Paul has great ideas when it comes to spending and the size of government, but then he starts talking about something else and everyone starts looking for the white van with the padded walls to show up.

The pro-Newt “Winning Our Future” super PAC runs commercials comparing Romney to McCain and Bob Dole. They insist that Romney is the establishment candidate. I can’t tell if they’re being serious or not. I’m assuming they are because I can’t imagine spending that much money on a gag campaign. Gingrich has been entrenched in politics forever, including time working as a lobbyist. He has support from a lot of big names. If anyone is the “establishment candidate” it’s Newt Gingrich. And he still doesn’t have a chance.

Does anyone remember when Gingrich stood next to Hillary Clinton to take up the cause of healthcare legislation? Or when he sat next to Nancy Pelosi to talk about global warming? And what about the affairs? And Freddie Mac? When Newt Gingrich led the charge to impeach Bill Clinton, the Republicans stood up and declared that character matters. From that point on, it’s been a defining attribute of the party. It’s why Republicans resign when they have affairs and Democrats who have affairs get talk shows. Because character matters, I can support Santorum and Romney, but not Newt Gingrich.

I’m hoping that Newt drops out after today. I hope that Newt’s supporters will get behind Romney. There’s too much on the line to be dickering the way we have been.