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Obama campaign condemns Bill Maher’s Romney ‘cult’ remark
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-campaign-condemns-bill-maher-romney-cult-remark-212707660.htmlBy Olivier Knox | The Ticket – Mon, May 21, 2012
President Barack Obama's reelection campaign on Monday repudiated comic Bill Maher's description of Mitt Romney's religion, Mormonism, as a "cult."
Maher, a major donor to a super PAC backing Obama, had tweeted "Why even listen to #MittRomney on foreign policy? His entire FP experience is 2 yrs trying to brow-beat Frenchmen into joining his cult." The former Massachusetts governor spent two years in France as a missionary.
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= new reply since forum marked as read
So the teabaggers can be reminded again of Romney's "frenchyness" 
Just stay home tools 
After all, if Obama condemns the "cult" remark, then they must support the remark. Because they have to support whatever Obama is against and vice versa.
The Obama campaign should come out every week or two and "condemn" those that think Mormonism is a "cult". No doubt, this will drive them insane... 
I agree with Bill Maher. And several relatively apolitical acquaintances, one of whom is a staunch republican, have told me that they would never vote for a Mormon for President.
In defense of Bill Maher's position...
If a candidate's religion involved the sacrament of drinking the warm fresh blood of sacrificed puppies as a daily morning ritual, would that be fair game?
Where do we draw the line between what is considered acceptable religious dogma and practice, and what dogma and practice define a cult?
Cult
Origins in sociology
Main article: sociological classifications of religious movements
The concept of "cult" was introduced into sociological classification in 1932 by American sociologist Howard P. Becker as an expansion of German theologian Ernst Troeltsch's church-sect typology. Troeltsch's aim was to distinguish between three main types of religious behavior: churchly, sectarian and mystical. Becker created four categories out of Troeltsch's first two by splitting church into "ecclesia" and "denomination", and sect into "sect" and "cult".[2] Like Troeltsch's "mystical religion", Becker's cults were small religious groups lacking in organization and emphasizing the private nature of personal beliefs.[3] Later formulations built on these characteristics while placing an additional emphasis on cults as deviant religious groups "deriving their inspiration from outside of the predominant religious culture".[4] This deviation is often thought to lead to a high degree of tension between the group and the more mainstream culture surrounding it, a characteristic shared with religious sects.[5] Sociologists still maintain that unlike sects, which are products of religious schism and therefore maintain a continuity with traditional beliefs and practices, "cults" arise spontaneously around novel beliefs and practices.[6]
Main article: sociological classifications of religious movements
The concept of "cult" was introduced into sociological classification in 1932 by American sociologist Howard P. Becker as an expansion of German theologian Ernst Troeltsch's church-sect typology. Troeltsch's aim was to distinguish between three main types of religious behavior: churchly, sectarian and mystical. Becker created four categories out of Troeltsch's first two by splitting church into "ecclesia" and "denomination", and sect into "sect" and "cult".[2] Like Troeltsch's "mystical religion", Becker's cults were small religious groups lacking in organization and emphasizing the private nature of personal beliefs.[3] Later formulations built on these characteristics while placing an additional emphasis on cults as deviant religious groups "deriving their inspiration from outside of the predominant religious culture".[4] This deviation is often thought to lead to a high degree of tension between the group and the more mainstream culture surrounding it, a characteristic shared with religious sects.[5] Sociologists still maintain that unlike sects, which are products of religious schism and therefore maintain a continuity with traditional beliefs and practices, "cults" arise spontaneously around novel beliefs and practices.[6]
If candidate is a sincere practicing member of a church, and this church has a long standing stated doctrine that certain members (let's call them prophets here for convenience sake) of that Church get marching orders directly from some omnipotent omniscient intangible mythical being, and that following the marching orders supposedly given to these prophets by the mythical being takes precedence over all else, then the candidate's allegiances are to her/his church and prophets and whatever else, and not to the people the candidate is supposed to serve.
Now, if elected, if said candidate would actually believe that s/he is actually serving the people s/he is elected to serve by following the will of the prophets, then the prophets would be the de facto unelected leaders of the country.
I definitely would not this candidate, or, rather, her/his church/prophets, to hold the highest office in our country.
I want a leader that I know has my/our best interests fully foremost as her/his agenda, and not the best interests of a mythical being, prophets, self described saints, and their church.
"I have had men come to me and offer their lives to atone for their sins.
"It is true that the blood of the Son of God was shed for sins through the fall and those committed by men, yet men can commit sins which it can never remit.... There are sins that can be atoned for by an offering upon an altar, as in ancient days; and there are sins that the blood of a lamb, or a calf, or of turtle dove, cannot remit, but they must be atoned for by the blood of the man." (Sermon by Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, pages 53-54); also published in the Mormon Church's Deseret News, 1856, page 235)"
The Mountain Meadows massacre was a series of attacks on the Baker–Fancher emigrant wagon train, at Mountain Meadows in southern Utah. The attacks culminated on September 11, 1857 with the mass slaughter of the emigrant party by the Iron County district of the Utah Territorial Militia and some local Native Americans.
The wagon train—composed almost entirely of families from Arkansas—was bound for California on a route that passed through the Utah Territory during a turbulent period later known as the Utah War. After arriving in Salt Lake City, the Baker–Fancher party made their way south, eventually stopping to rest at Mountain Meadows. While the emigrants were camped in the meadow, nearby militia leaders including Isaac C. Haight and John D. Lee made plans to attack the wagon train. Intending to give the appearance of Native American aggression, their plan was to arm some Southern Paiute Native Americans and persuade them to join with a larger party of militiamen—disguised as Native Americans—in an attack.
During the initial assault on the wagon train, the emigrants fought back and a five-day siege ensued. Eventually fear spread among the militia's leaders that some emigrants had caught sight of white men, and had probably discovered who their attackers really were. This resulted in an order by militia commander William H. Dame for the emigrants' annihilation. Running low on water and provisions, the emigrants allowed a party of militiamen to enter their camp, who assured them of their safety and escorted them out of their hasty fortification. After walking a distance from the camp, the militiamen, with the help of auxiliary forces hiding nearby, attacked the emigrants. Intending to leave no witnesses of complicity by Mormons (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS Church) in the attacks, and to prevent reprisals that would further complicate the Utah War, the perpetrators killed all the adults and older children (totaling about 120 men, women, and children). Seventeen children, all younger than seven, were spared.
Following the massacre the perpetrators hastily buried the victims, leaving their bodies vulnerable to wild animals and the climate. Local families took in the surviving children, and many of the victims' possessions were auctioned off. Investigations, temporarily interrupted by the American Civil War, resulted in nine indictments during 1874. Of the men indicted, only John D. Lee was tried in a court of law. After two trials in the Utah Territory, Lee was convicted by a jury and executed. Today historians attribute the massacre to a combination of factors including both war hysteria and strident Mormon teachings. Scholars still debate whether senior Mormon leadership, including Brigham Young, directly instigated the massacre or if responsibility lies with the local leaders of southern Utah.
The wagon train—composed almost entirely of families from Arkansas—was bound for California on a route that passed through the Utah Territory during a turbulent period later known as the Utah War. After arriving in Salt Lake City, the Baker–Fancher party made their way south, eventually stopping to rest at Mountain Meadows. While the emigrants were camped in the meadow, nearby militia leaders including Isaac C. Haight and John D. Lee made plans to attack the wagon train. Intending to give the appearance of Native American aggression, their plan was to arm some Southern Paiute Native Americans and persuade them to join with a larger party of militiamen—disguised as Native Americans—in an attack.
During the initial assault on the wagon train, the emigrants fought back and a five-day siege ensued. Eventually fear spread among the militia's leaders that some emigrants had caught sight of white men, and had probably discovered who their attackers really were. This resulted in an order by militia commander William H. Dame for the emigrants' annihilation. Running low on water and provisions, the emigrants allowed a party of militiamen to enter their camp, who assured them of their safety and escorted them out of their hasty fortification. After walking a distance from the camp, the militiamen, with the help of auxiliary forces hiding nearby, attacked the emigrants. Intending to leave no witnesses of complicity by Mormons (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS Church) in the attacks, and to prevent reprisals that would further complicate the Utah War, the perpetrators killed all the adults and older children (totaling about 120 men, women, and children). Seventeen children, all younger than seven, were spared.
Following the massacre the perpetrators hastily buried the victims, leaving their bodies vulnerable to wild animals and the climate. Local families took in the surviving children, and many of the victims' possessions were auctioned off. Investigations, temporarily interrupted by the American Civil War, resulted in nine indictments during 1874. Of the men indicted, only John D. Lee was tried in a court of law. After two trials in the Utah Territory, Lee was convicted by a jury and executed. Today historians attribute the massacre to a combination of factors including both war hysteria and strident Mormon teachings. Scholars still debate whether senior Mormon leadership, including Brigham Young, directly instigated the massacre or if responsibility lies with the local leaders of southern Utah.
Paraphrased: "It's for your own good, it is the will of my god as expressed through the prophets. Now you gentiles must convert, or you must drink this kool-aid. We can baptize you after you're dead, and you will be saved. So relax, don't worry, this is much more important than your physical life. You will live forever and share eternal life with the saints and the prophets.
Maybe Obama is playing good cop, bad cop.
That would actually be very prudent on his part.
Fine. I'll collaborate with Bill Maher as one of the "bad" cops.
And all I have to do is present written excerpts, events, and expository film.
Don't Tread On Me.
