Monday, December 03, 2007
Republicans attacking Republicans
How sweet it is to a Democrat like me to see Republicans attacking Mitt Romney because of his religion. Conservative fundamentalist Christians assert that the Morman or Latter Day Saints cult is not Christian! Talk about pots and kettles calling each other black!
Actually, that is a bad metaphor. I've not heard of any Mormon who claims that conservative bible-belt fundamentalist Christianity is not Christian. The accusations seem to go only one way.
You may have gathered by now that this old geezer (I'll be 85 next March) doesn't take any religious claim very seriously. All religions that amount to anything require a belief in miracles. In some cases the miracles occurred 2000 years ago or more. Muslims believe in miracles that occurred about 1400 years ago. Mormons believe in miracles that occurred less than 200 years ago. The only miracle that grabs my respect is the existence of the universe and its development into its present form from the big bang that occurred about 15 billion years ago.
No religion has a monopoly on truth or virtue. If you are inclined to be religious, you have a big choice. If you want my advice (you don't, of course) choose one that is tolerant of the others. Faith should be tempered with doubt. You can never be sure that the things you believe in are actually true in any sense other than what is sometimes called "poetic truth."
Actually, that is a bad metaphor. I've not heard of any Mormon who claims that conservative bible-belt fundamentalist Christianity is not Christian. The accusations seem to go only one way.
You may have gathered by now that this old geezer (I'll be 85 next March) doesn't take any religious claim very seriously. All religions that amount to anything require a belief in miracles. In some cases the miracles occurred 2000 years ago or more. Muslims believe in miracles that occurred about 1400 years ago. Mormons believe in miracles that occurred less than 200 years ago. The only miracle that grabs my respect is the existence of the universe and its development into its present form from the big bang that occurred about 15 billion years ago.
No religion has a monopoly on truth or virtue. If you are inclined to be religious, you have a big choice. If you want my advice (you don't, of course) choose one that is tolerant of the others. Faith should be tempered with doubt. You can never be sure that the things you believe in are actually true in any sense other than what is sometimes called "poetic truth."
Labels: comparison of religions, miracles, Mitt Romney, Mormonism
