Report: Romney converted his athiest father-in-law after death

[book_worm]

Gawker: "Two readers have sent us confirmation that Edward Davies, Mitt Romney's militantly atheist father-in-law, was indeed posthumously converted to Mormonism by his family, despite the fact that when he was alive he regarded all religions as 'hogwash.'"

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2012/01/27/romney_converted_his_father-in-law_after_he_died.html

[rhiannon55]

1. Baptism for the Dead

is one of Mormonism's most arrogant practices. My mother was furious when she found out that my brother (who, at 18, had a doorstep Mormon conversion experience) got himself baptized as a proxy for her devout Southern Baptist parents.

[Moonwalk]

2. Well, Luckily for his father-in-law, it was all hogwash....

Meaning so far as dad was concerned (while alive), dead is dead, and son-in-law couldn't do anything to him. In fact, son-in-law probably could have "converted" him without his permission while he was alive and dad-in-law would have said Mittens didn't do a thing to him. It's like a little kid saying to you, "I'm waving my wand and making you a unicorn." The kid can now believe you're a unicorn, but does it make any difference to you? Now, of course, that does't mean Dad-in-Law's family is happy about this, but dad is dead. Beyond caring.

However! This news could make others uneasy. If dad-in-law had belonged to a religion, this sort of post-death conversion would have really bothered his family as it would say, to them, that he'd been removed from the faith he had faith in and into one he'd never consented to be in. If one believe in heaven and hell, and that one can only go to heaven if one belongs to a certain faith, being converted after death to another is an alarming thought.

I don't, by the way, think that as many folk will find it alarming that Mittens converted an atheist--but they might be uneasy by the idea of a mormon possibly doing it to them or someone they care about.

[Phlem]

4. your hitting close to home here.

To me the church is despicable but just because I'm married to a non practicing Mormon....anyway I can't begin to express how much this P!ss!s me off.

-p

[Moonwalk]

5. I really do understand. Atheist or not, it's just unconscionably rude....

because if one *does* believe (as a Mormon) in god and all the rest, then one should also believe that people have a right to make decisions in life that were theirs to make and it's not up to you to interfere with that. It was between them and god. None of anyone else's business. After all, THEY wouldn't like it if someone post converted one of their dead relations to Catholicism or any other religion (assuming other religions suddenly decided they could do that). Nor would they like the idea of someone doing it to them after they die. They really should be careful or other religions will start to do this and then what will they do? Say it's wrong?

On the other hand, I do understand the idea of "converting" people who were living prior to Mormonism's existence on the idea that they would have belonged to it or would have wanted to belong to it had it existed when they were alive. That's a way of getting around the old, troubling question: why should those who didn't believe in Jesus before Jesus was around should go to hell? How can you see the light and be saved if what will let you see the light and be saved wasn't around in your lifetime?

I can see why believers would be troubled by that and want to find a way around it, but if the person had a choice and made it, one should respect their choice.

[provis99]

3. imagine if a Muslim Imam could do this to Romney's dad...

Presto, George Romney! You are a Muslim now that you are dead!