APOLOGIES....this is the 2nd new thread I've created in one day. NO...I don't want to hog the space.. but one has to run with events as they happen, and while they are fresh.

WHAT do Mormons believe......and how could this impact the security of the world.... if Mitt Romney is elected president ?

Considering Romney would have the fingers which can press 'The buttons' of world annihilation, I feel some scrutiny of Mormon beliefs is quite appropriate.

http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/ldsleadersconceptofjesus.htm

SATAN/LUCIFER is our Brother. Yep....it appears they really believe this.

JESUS was conceived by God..having "real sex" with Mary.

WE can become GODS as God is to our world now. (this one worries me a bit)

God..has 1000s of celestial wives..godesses.

Now.. I don't mean to mock, or ridicule..but think about it... if you believed that
a) You can become a God....
b) You can have 1000s of wives
c) You hold the trigger of a superpower.......

Hmmmm..might his beliefs not impact his decisions ?

Personally, I consider even the thought of him becoming el presidente more scary than Osama Bin ladin

I guess I'm also asking the question about whether ANY leaders personal beliefs should be considered by the electorate.. including the lack of belief...
Consider this. If you don't believe in anything..except 'here, now until death' it might tempt a person in great power to think of maximizing his enjoyment and pleasure during the short time he is alive..and at the expense of all other meaningless blobs around him.

Perhaps the 'nature' of the God our leaders believe in... really does 'matter' ?

the world survived nixon, romney is no worse. probably no better, either. the problem is not any particular individual, but the structure of society wherein one person controls national military capabilities.

democracy is not only more efficient,it's safer.

Demos.. indeed..but considering that a Muslim radical suicide bomber is 'comforted' at least by the thought of going to paradise and being 'entertained' by continuously recycled virgins.. 72 in number...

I contend that a persons 'beliefs' do impact their view of the world and their decisions about the utilization of military resources.

Nixon.. was more of an opportunistic politician with pretty 'standard' beliefs.. a protestant I can not see how they might have had much influence on him in a dangerous way. It was his survival instinct which drove him I think.

All thoughts and angles welcome on this.

Boazy, I agree with your central premise but once again you have neglected to consider the impacts of the beliefs of your own faith on the argument.

- Some christains believe that their God will destroy the earth in the near future and create a new and better one. That could have some impact on the priority placed on environmental issues.
- Some believe that this life is just the forerunner to an eternal one. That might have some impact on a willingness to engage in unnecessary conflicts which destroy human lives.
- Some see conflicts with other parts of the world (Russsia/china etc) as fullfilling biblical prophecy. That might have some impact about choices they make about resolving differences or provoking them.
- Some believe that individuals sexual orientation is an offense to their god or that a woman right to choose does not exist. That might have some impact on how they treat others.

The list could go on and on but those who are willing to see the point will have seen it by now.

R0bert

I take it then Boaz, that you're just as concerned about Bush's strident evangelicalism?

What if there were a president supporting Zionism in an effort to bring around the reckoning?

Well, Massachusetts didn't seem to go to Hell during his recent term as Governor there.

Dear oh dear, Boazy. I think with you it's a case of it takes one to know one. As a particularly credulous fundamentalist Christian, you repeatedly project your own warped view of religion on to others - in this case, Mormons.

Same tactic as usual, attack the guy for his silly religious beliefs, while stridently and hypocritically asserting that your own weird religious ideas are the right ones. You know, the ones about the Flood and the Rapture and all that stuff.

By the way, how did your green triangle go down at your APEC demo?

CJ..no apec demo.

ROBERT.. points well made.. and fair comment.

In my case.. my own faith makes me very reluctant to involve myself in any 'man made' war..unless it is abundantly clear that it is defense of our freedom.

Bush.. I honestly don't know what makes that man tick. His evangelicalism.. is more a 'suit' he wears.. he says that after spending time with Billy Graham he stopped drinking... who knows.
Zionism ? yes..a strong view of premillenialism would DEFinitely impact his thinking, if not his actions...
He has done zilch about border protection... lots on 'oil' protection.
He does not impress me as a 'great and principled leader'.

I don't see any others clearly on the horizon either.. the good ones will be rejected by the vested interest lobbies who fear they won't get their way..

But I do believe our understanding of "God" will effect our approach to life. If our God is loving.. we should also love. If he is hateful...then that might characterize us..(CJ.. please clean up that mess on your keyboard now...)

The US government was at war with the Mormons until they abandoned Polygamy.. if Mormon is president... might he re-consider that ?

Yes, I believe its important BOAZ_David that we carefully scrutinise ALL leaders on their beliefs. I liked John Howard because he had a strong Christian ethic. I watched him and generally he stuck to his moral guns, which must be difficult in todays parliaments. As for Kevin Rudd and all his talk about being a christian I seriously question him. My thought is that somewhere, in a dusty old backroom, the old communist flag flyers (father Gough and father Hawke etc) got together and decided it would be good to encourage committed christians to believe that Labor folk were committed christians so they could get our vote. As for a mormon in power anywhere. NO! The mormons are a cult that has perverted the Holy Bible quite substantially with their little book of Mormon shifting Gods Word around. The Holy Bible at the end of John's Revelation says dont take anything out and dont put anything in. The mormons didnt listen. Gives me the freaks to think of a cult in charge of that red button.