Would you vote for a Mormon, or Scientologist?

I am weary of the Mormons, being from the lightening rod city Dearborn Michigan I have less issue with voting for a muslim then I do a mormon. I like to think of myself as rather open minded so it bothers me that I am close minded to voting for a mormon, but I am weary of a "cult" that thinks Jesus lived in St Louis, wears sacred underwear, and DOESNT DRINK, or smoke.

For all you righties out there that would jump me for not being true to my liberal leanings in precluding mormons... I ask would you vote for a scientologist?

Having said all that I probably vote Huntsman over a dem like John Kerry, or Al Gore.... truthfully I go 3rd party on that choice, but Huntsman seems to be the best republican candidate IMO.

 

The funniest thing is Huntsman is at the bottom of the pack! Conservatives aren't huge fans of education.

But as a Democrat and a Christian, I would vote Republican before I voted a Mormon or Scientologist in to office.

 

I try to respect all religions... but honestly... Scientology just isn't respectable. It's a religion, written in modern history by a sci-fi writer who said specifically he could make up his own religion and people would believe him. It's a cult with one purpose: To make the higher ups rich.

 

If the Mormon's or Scientologist's ideas were right for the time, I would vote for them. Most likely I will be voting 3rd party, although Huntsman is a credible Republican.

 

In my fine opinion, it is all made up nonsense. I don't see how Scientology is any less valid than Christianity. It simply has not been around as long.

That being said, as an atheist, i am stuck voting for folks who pander to a demographic with a claim of being religious. Mormon versus Scientologist? That seems like a battle of the bat (*)(*)(*)(*) crazy to me. However, I am leaning towards sacrificing my principles and voting for a Mormon next year.

 

Agreed, I have the same feelings about Mormons.... only minus the sci-fi.

I just kinda feel that mormons are pretty much only going to run conservative candidates, and maybe if scientologists ran they would run liberal candidates? So both sides can get the same feeling I feel as a progressive trying to wrap my skull around the Mormon belief system in les body politik.

 

Within the Westminster system of Parliamentary Democracy, we vote for a party - based upon its known political platform - and not for an individual man. Each successful party consists of a number of MPs who are led by a PM, and we neither know nor care about their religious beliefs. The cult of personality is not part of our system, and I believe this to be more healthy.

 

I give christians some leeway over scientologists because 2000 years ago people were seeking answers and weren't sophisticated, couldn't read, freely travel, turn on the TV, etc so they were susceptible to the smooth talking gods child (we're all gods children it was already in scripture) Jesus... same holds with the worlds other old religions.

Now Mormonism was revealed to Joe Smith when railroads, typesetting, the telegraph, breach loading firearms, etc were around.

In as much as validity I respect a superstitious cavemans beliefs more than I do of Tom Cruse born in a time of so much information available.

 

I have a serious issue with religion being considered when it comes to voting. America is a corporation that needs to be brought out of the red. Seldom do you hear of fortune 500 companies declaring if their CEO is a Christian or Atheist etc. It doesn't matter, what matters is our survival and ability to get into the black. Also, are we so stupid as a nation to buy into what they say they are, when we really know in our hearts it doesn't matter. Moral issues are personal issues, they have nothing to do with business except for people who want to bring those issues to light. Let people worship and do as they please, if they have the track record to reduce deficits and forge great relationships abroad, bring new policy that works and do it in a short amount of time, then that is who needs to be office. Not someone who says I'm this, now give me your vote. Vote for what really matters, results.

 

The title didn't seem to disclude non Americans answering, so here is my perspective.

In British politics, would I vote for someone that was a Mormon?

Well, personally speaking, I would prefer the person not to feel beholden to any infalsifiable supernatural ideas, be that gods or aliens, however, if they do happen to believe in such things, I would be accepting of it, but mindful that they did not use their position, to ensure the furtherment of their given belief.

In other words, believe it in private, if you will, but keep it out of politics and law.

That applies to any potential leader, that happens to be Christian as well, btw.

The claims of the Christians are every bit as out there, as those of the Mormons, and even the Scientologists, so there is no reason why I would make an exception here for Christians, they same applies.

I find it amusing when you get those that believe in one set of outlandish claims, pointing at another set of outlandish claims, and laughing.

It is very ironic.

Like Christians would s(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*) at Raelians, yet Raelians actually believe Genesis IS literal truth, but as written by primative man, and they talk of the Elohim, which they claim is a rough Hebrew translation for 'those that came from the sky'. They do believe in a creator, the Elohim, but not in an invisible god.

Anyway, some Christians might s(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*) at that, then tell you the earth is 6000 yrs old, as it states in the Bible (wrongly), or that the sun revolves around the earth (wrongly), or that a man women was artifically inseminated by an invisible entity, who then gave birth to a man that was murdered, then, like a zombie, rose again.

Do you see how that might be ironic?

 

I could care less what their religioius beliefs are so long as they can help to make America a better place to live.

 

same.

the religious beliefs of the president/pm should be irrelevant.

Leaders should not be making their decisions based on personal religious beliefs.

unless of course you live in a theocracy

 

Yup.

Just like the Abrahamic faiths then, but without the years of bloodshed in it's name, not to mention enslavement, torture, human sacrifice, and a host of other unethical practices.

That's not a very 'respectable' history, is it, and the present ain't looking all that respectable either, to be honest.

Ron L Hubbard was indeed a sci fi writer, that is true, and it is more than possible that he simply extended that imagination.

There were no sci fi writers back in the early days of religion, but there were a great number of prophets, who, in part, filled the same role of story telling. Of course, often their prophecies proved vague, unreliable, and simply wrong. There were also a great number of primative men, desert men, and it is they who wrote the books of the Abrahamic relgions.

These books, esp the OT, they are so filled with God endorsed violence and immorality, that if they were the work of a modern day 'cult' leader, he would be raided by the FBI, and v possibly questioned over the content.

Again, not much 'respectable' there.

And the purpose of early religions? Much the same as those of new age religions, but more harsh. As a means of control. As a means of power. Those are usually the motives.

The Abrahamic faiths are just cults that have survived a long time, and who have a lot of members.

 

Scientology is a pyramid scheme. it's not really fair to compare the two.

 

I would have no issue voting for an Atheist, Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, Muslim (Suni, Shia, Sufi, Shiite), Hindu, Taoist, Buddhist (Zen, Mahayana, Theraveda), etc....

...some reason Agnostics, Mormons, Scientologists I seem to be religiously bigoted toward.

 

Not if it were Mitt Romney or Tom Cruise.

John Travolta - yes

 

If I thought they were capable of the job of being President, with view points that I agree with, Their religion, or lack there of, would make no difference

 

Umm until the mormons spend any significant resources outside of Utah.... it's a perfect comparison.

 

Guess that explains why neither of you have a Muslim president/pm. Religion just doesn't matter in your countries, right?

 

there's Mormons all over the country. Mitt was born in Detroit.

 

How can you be bigoted against agnostics? You demand they make a decision, or else??

I'd vote for a Mormon but not a Scientologist. I bought a book from those guys back in the 70's and I'm still on their mail list.

 

Seems irrational, right enough.

 

Indeed, and until I see the mormon elementary, and secondary schools, hospitals, and charity organizations around the world.. I wont think of the group as a cult looking to bring money back to Utah.

 

speaking for here, we haven't had an indo chinese, greek or italian pm yet either and each of these groups make up a larger percentage of the poulation than all muslims combined.

why do you americans obsess over people's religious beliefs so much?

 

Exactly I am against agnostics cause I think they are candy asses playing both sides. Its like they wanna walk around with all the atheist indignation toward religion with the however of new facts present themselves.... you dont get both pick a side candy ass...