Holy Crap? Mormons Plan To Fast For Romney (so he will do well in the debates)

[trailmonkee]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppins/mormons-plan-to-fast-for-romney

Mormon supporters of Mitt Romney are promoting a day of mass fasting and prayer to seek divine help for the Republican candidate in the debates.

The plan — which is not endorsed by the politically neutral Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — is laid out in an email inviting like-minded Mormons to fast on September 30th with the purpose of bringing God's blessings to Romney as he heads into the presidential debates.

The name of the original author of the e-mail was redacted in both versions sent to BuzzFeed, but sources who have received it said it has reached Latter-day Saints in Utah, California, Nevada, and Colorado at least.

"I am asking you to join me and my family on Sunday Sept. 30 by fasting and praying for Mitt Romney," the author writes. "That he will be blessed in the debates, which will be held starting Oct. 3rd. I know that seems like such a small thing, but I believe 'from small things, great things can come about.'"

In Mormonism, believers often participate in fasts — which consist of 24 hours without food or water — to show gratitude, and ask God for special blessings, though they generally aren't political. The Church also encourages congregants to donate the money they would have spent on food during their fasts to a fund for the needy.

Some of the people forwarding the e-mail have done so politely, with a recognition that not everyone in their faith supports Romney.
One wrote, "As I said, this is just an idea. You can do this or not and you can send this to others or not."

Others were more forceful: One Mormon wrote, "This is from one of our Sister Service Missionaries in our ward. I have been concerned that Obama, with his fast talking and lies, will appear to be better in the debates. It is true, his only redeeming quality seems to be his ability to confound those who would speak the truth."

more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppins/mormons-plan-to-fast-for-romney

[oswaldactedalone]

1. That ought to make a significant difference...

NOT!!!

[BSUbluNorange]

17. FROM A MORMON FOR OBAMA:

This is not a church wide thing, this is stuff only the loony, uneducated, members will probably do. In fact a sample majority on Cougarboard.com (the ultimate BYU/Romney fan board) agrees this is inappropriate: http://www.cougarboard.com/board/message.html?id=9163668

As an active Mormon I think it's incredibly inappropriate to hold a public fasting campaign for something that is clearly more "our ways" rather than "God's ways" and I would imagine there were a lot of Romney campaign folks that feel the same way. I'm all for fasting that this country continues to improve and that our leaders be guided in their decisions but taking a specific candidate is flat out arrogant.

[Laurajr]

2. That should help

[Liberal Veteran]

3. 24 hours isn't enough. I suggest 60 days.

Everyone knows the magic doesn't really start to work until day 59.

[Daemonaquila]

13. Dude, AWESOME idea!

[backscatter712]

35. You read my mind!

24 hours of fasting doesn't do much of anything - everyone knows you have to go at least a month without food to be effective!

[onehandle]

4. One of my pals at Drinking Liberally was fasting last night.

For Yom Kippur.

Very little chance he would stop drinking beer for even one night, for Rmoney.

[Panasonic]

34. I'm fasting too.

In between services... and 4 hours till chow time...

[nc4bo]

5. Didn't the Fundies try that in '08? nm

[Laurajr]

6. I want a bumper sticker

with your sign Obama 2012 Romney 1040....really it needs to be a bumer sticker!

[MotherPetrie]

7. LOL, knock yourselves out.

[C_U_L8R]

8. Preventative Fasting

So they don't barf when Mittens botches it up again

[Smilo]

9. On Sunday, think I may do a drive by of the nearest Temple

with KFC in one hand, Carl's Jnr in the other and tied to the roof - bbq everything and spill water everywhere.

[librechik]

10. Is Romney fasting too?

lol--yeah, right. He is very very religious.

[slumdoggandu]

11. fast away morons...

[Daemonaquila]

12. So if he fails, does that mean god doesn't exist? Or...

Or does it mean that god likes Obama better? Or that a different, more powerful god is backing Obama?

Just curious, ya know.

Are they fasting for the debate versus the election because they can rationalize away Mitt doing badly at the debate, versus the black and white loss if RMoney loses?

[BSUbluNorange]

19. I've thought the same thing

It will be interesting to talk to some of these members of the church after the election and see what they think. I believe they'll have a hard time reconciling that Obama was better for this country and to be honest, I don't think it's appropriate to say God will help him even though I'm an Obama supporter and very religious.

[LiberalAndProud]

14. I suggest at least a week of fasting.

Hallucinations rarely occur at the 24-hour mark.

[JaneQPublic]

15. Can we cancel out their fasting by feasting? (nt)

[Blue Idaho]

16. Tax the LDS Church.

No one in the LDS church does anything without the approval of their Bishop, Stake presidency, and the assumed approval of the church President and his Council of Twelve Apostles.

If the LDS church is hell bent on entering the political realm I say tax the fuckers.

It always has been more of a business then a religion anyway.

[mangermerdeRWfreaks]

18. Tax em ALL

Exempt no church, temple, mosque or storefront place of religion.

If the religious group does soup kitchen,foodbank,etc... then it needs to be a seperate non profit with thier books open to public scrunity.

[BSUbluNorange]

20. Not true, there are all kinds of fringe things

An apostle had to tell members to stop joining paramilitary groups a couple weeks ago.

[Blue Idaho]

22. And once the Apostle spoke - the church members fell in line or faced a "Court of Love."

If you want to be temple worthy member of the flock - you do what you are told which includes regularly paying tithing on all gross income including investment income, maintaining positive daily behaviors to wards other church members, avoiding alcohol and some forms of caffeine, and accepting all callings to church positions.

There are two truths the LDS church doesn't want anyone to know. 1. there are more ex-Mormons than Mormons and 2. the Mormon church owns more real estate, shopping malls, and condos than any other church.

[BSUbluNorange]

24. Again, some non-truth in there

You can say no to callings and still have a temple recommend. You could also be part of paramilitary groups even though an apostle counseled not to and have a temple recommend.

What part of Idaho are you in? I'm in Boise, there are several of us vocal and obnoxious Mormons for Obama and LDS Dems in the area

[pangaia]

31. Keep up the good work

I appreciate your vocalizations and obnoxiousness. :&gt )

[BSUbluNorange]

32. Thanks

[Blue Idaho]

36. I'm way up north... There are no Mormons for Obama in this neck of the woods.

I seriously doubt you can hold a temple recommend while violating the direct orders a church official - its far more likely that the leadership approves of membership in a paramilitary group but publicly says otherwise to deflect any attention from this thorny issue.

Its part of the "lying for the lord" philosophy of the church. Lying to non-members is perfectly fine since the church views all non-members as un-saved souls.

[BSUbluNorange]

40. I think you misunderstand church officials because there are very few "direct orders"

Not drinking caffeine is not a direct order
Supporting Prop 8 is not a direct order
Not affiliating with paramilitary groups is not a direct order

You could go against all of this because its considered counsel, go against all this counsel and you would still be accepted in full fellowship to the church. This is what we consider counsel, we choose for ourselves whether we go with it or not. I personally believe in marriage equality and think the government should not be involved in this at all. While I have this opinion, I still hold a temple recommend and visit the temple as often as I can (the Boise Temple has been closed for a year for remodel so the next closest is Twin Falls).

[Blue Idaho]

41. When I attended that church

Not obeying the Word of Wisdom was a deal breaker for temple recommends. The same was true of not paying a full tithe or of being a modern day polygamist. Perhaps the Church finds those behaviors totally acceptable today - but I seriously doubt that. Finally, if membership in a paramilitary group is not a temple recommend deal breaker then its safe to say the church has no specific doctrine against such membership. That in and of itself is not too surprising since Mormon paramilitary groups have existed since the churches earliest days. The Mountain Meadows Massacre of non-Mormon settlers being just one example. Other examples include the Thomas Coleman Murder, The Missouri Mormon War of 1838, the Illinois Mormon War of 1844, and the Utah War of 1857.

[BSUbluNorange]

42. So thats the difference between a commandment and counsel

The word of wisdom, paying tithing, the law of chastity are commandments and so yes they're deal breakers.

Counsel like, don't drink caffeine, accept church callings, etc are not deal breakers. It was your comment that if you don't fall in step with everything the leaders say you can't go to the the temple that I was trying to clarify. Sorry, I probably could have explained that better.

[Zorra]

47. Is the information that it is acceptable for Mormons to lie for the Mormon Church

accurate?

There was an OP here about a week ago about a young woman, apparently a member of the Latter Day Saints Church, who was registering voters, except that she stated that it was her intention to only register people who supported Mitt Romney. When a woman (a Democrat) confronted her and asked her who she was working for, she replied that she was working for he County Clerks Office. The County Clerks Office denied that the young woman was working for them. At that time, it was revealed that the young woman was in reality a volunteer for the Romney campaign.

I have several friends who are ex-Mormons and have talked with them about the Latter Day Saints Church, and even spent a few nights jamming and drinking with Jerry Joseph (of Jerry Joseph and the Jack Mormons). We spoke some about the Mormon Church.

These folks believed that the Mormon Church was not a totally up front, upstanding organization.

And Willard Romney was a Bishop in the Latter Day Saints Church, and does not always speak the truth. In fact, he often "flip flops" on positions as the moment may dictate, contradicting earlier statements and positions indicating that he is not suitable in any way whatsoever to be Commander in Chief of the United States.

Could he be lying for the Mormon Church hierarchy?

So, anyway, in response to the aforementioned OP, I posted this response, which contains some information that contends that it is perfectly acceptable for Mormons to lie to non-Mormons, and that "lying for the Lord" - lying for the Mormon Church, is called for when necessary.

My question to you is, is what my acquaintances said to me true, and are the links that I posted in my response at the link below accurate?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1404967

Thanks!

[Blue Idaho]

48. No Problem!

I likely was confusing counsel with commandments. Personally I could no longer continue being a part of that church knowing my tithing dollars were used to bankroll Prop 8 and limit the civil rights of a whole group of American citizens. that was the last straw. There was no way around it - unwitting or not - I was a part of the problem, not part of the solution. When the church bosses were finally forced to tell the truth and admit they had lied about their financial support for Prop 8 - I was left with absolutely no respect for them at all. They created a cover-up to hide what they were doing - probably because they feared the financial implications of their actions. Hardly the actions of honorable men.

Keep fighting the good fight but don't expect to see me back in "the Ward" anytime soon.

[BSUbluNorange]

49. Totally understand!

I still don't know why in the world they got invested in prop 8 but i know we'll get past that as a church eventually and I hope to be on the front lines fighting for marriage equality. I'm very much an active member and read the whole Book of Mormon through recently looking for what their theocracy did in relation to the law of chastity. There was never a mention of laws against those with more than one wife, same sex, adulterers, etc. They let them do their thing and taught the gospel and some people believed in it and some didn't and that's ok.

Appreciate the encouragement, hit me up if you're ever in Boise and want to chat.

[Indpndnt]

21. Brilliant! This way, when Willard loses, everyone will ask, "Why does God hate Willard?"

Or is it, "Why does God hate Willard's supporters?"

Eh, both.

[porphyrian]

23. Anyone have a food truck in Utah? n/t

[tanyev]

25. Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.

[elleng]

26. Because fasting is so invigorating, I suppose!

[99th_Monkey]

27. Harry Reid too?

I think not.

[trailmonkee]

28. he will go on an eating binge tell help counteract the fast

[99th_Monkey]

39. LOL perfect. Pig out Harry!! ~nt

[Lint Head]

29. Maybe we need to create a fund to feed the starving Mormons after the November 6th elections.

[pangaia]

30. The purpose of fasting, to my understanding,

is a way of helping to bring about even a small particle of consciousness in oneself.

Such a totally ignorant and destructive understanding of fasting is...well. not a surprise at all by these people.

[Panasonic]

33. Mormons - begin your fast now. The fast has to last until next Wednesday.

No drinking, no eating.

Nothing in your stomach from now until October 3rd at 11:59pm. Any violation would construe violation of Mormon laws and excommunicated and forced to vote for Obama!!11111

[backscatter712]

37. "the politically neutral Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints"

[spanone]

38. do they think God want's mitt to be President?

[gollygee]

43. Um, OK

Some good could come of it - like maybe they'll lose a little weight or something. But I'm afraid this won't help Mitt. Sorry, folks!

I have a close friend who is Mormon and voting for Mitt, but I don't think she's stupid enough to think fasting is going to help him. Of course, she is voting for Mitt. I will be interested in hearing if she does this. She probably wouldn't tell me.

[snooper2]

45. LOL, fasting..why do people deprive themselves of food based on what books written 1000's of years

ago say

Well, in the case of Mormons 150 or so right

[n2doc]

46. Cult of Personality n/t