"There's compelling evidence that the Mormon Church leaders knowingly and wilfully misrepresent the historical truth of their origins and of the Church for the purpose of deceiving their members into a state of mind that renders them exploitable," says Park.
Such accusations are rarely heard in the US, a nation founded on the principle of freedom of religion.
"It's not something you're supposed to talk about," says Prof Robert Putnam of Harvard Kennedy School.
"Whenever the issue of Romney's Mormonism has come to the surface, there's been lots of condemnation across the political spectrum for raising the issue of his religion," says Putnam.
"I'm not saying it's not relevant, but it's not talked about in polite company."
Well, polite or not, Mormonism will be in play right up to election night this November. It's why, for example, a Catholic like Santorum has readily captured the evangelical fundamentalist vote in the Deep South. Americans may just not be willing to accept a man who lives and sleeps in magic underwear.
4 comments:
The irony, of course, is that all religions are cults.
Sorry but I don't see the difference between Mormonism, Catholicism, Scientology and worshiping the great potato. They're all cults in my book and as soon as civilization realizes this the sooner we can get on with rational improvement of our species.
I understand the argument that all religions are cults in a sense. That said I think Romney was using the word in the sense of oppressive and predatory. By no means are all faiths oppressive or predatory.
What I find remarkable is when radical religions, fundamentalists of any persuasion (Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, brand others "cults."
I wonder if we can conjugate "religion"?
I belong to a religion.
You subscribe to a belief system.
He/she belongs to a cult.
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