No wonder that Mitt did not discuss the details in his speech.
I don't think President Wannabe Huckabee is qualified to be President based on his views of creation (see six days and don't know below) and his educational background, similar as to how Harriet Miers was not qualified for SC. He wasn't there and he does not know. I am surprised he is ignorant of the fossil record for one thing. Six days and 6,000 years, what about it? One day is 1,000 years?
PS I found some tablets in my closet yesterday with some funny looking writing on it, that's another story.
<<and my comments are NOT meant to be derogatory towards his, or any other mormon's religious beliefs.. I'm just stating the facts>>
Facts and Religion are best kept segregated IMO.
It's just not PC to discuss this unless you belong to some exotic religion like New Age stuff, then you are pretty much given a pass cause everybody assumes that it's all BS and you don't really believe it anyway. I got really bent out of shape couple years ago when somebody on NPR said the WTC buildings fell down because they were squared off at the top and Gaia don't like squared off buildings, it's against Mother Nature. This was given some credence due to the New Ageism totally PC OK attitude. This guru also said you should string copper wires underneath you bed to improve the channeling of the Gaia force into your body at night. I posted about this over on a center thread on SI and lots of folks seem to think it has some cache.
There also seems to be an increase in other new belief systems such as the "truthers" , the Moon Hoax crowd, Global Warming (this one even has a prominent ex-political figure at its fore), etc.
I suppose trying times cause an increase in unusual synapse firings.
As far as Mitt goes, I think he is an OK guy, but he's quite polished and his hair reminds me of Edwards. I don't think his religion should be held against him. I seriously doubt he agrees with the facts regarding his religion, if he does I don't think he would admit it in public, not when you are running for office.
I think if they came out and started talking in the open about this, these folks would be persecuted like they were back in the old days. I read some stuff recently about the Mormon Wars in Missouri. They didn't rescind the Extermination Order until 1976.
Still the New Agers and there is another religion that believes in space aliens that a lot of the Hollywood crowd is into ; these folks seem to get a decent break when it comes to unusual beliefs.
Like I said, you are not supposed to talk about religion or politics in polite company, everybody knows that, these are touchy subjects, not subject to scientific rigor.
McCain impressed me with what I consider as a religious affirmation, that decent human beings just don't torture other human beings. He convinced me that I should believe this also, I don't believe in torturing other people, not to say that I wouldn't suggest doing it, just don't believe in it. This must be some sort of religious affirmation. I don't think you can really knock a guy for being decent. He says the same thing about the immigration problem, yes, they are illegal, but they are also human, and that makes a difference in what has to be done. It makes sense to me even though scientifically it's not exactly rigorous thought. It has a "human touch". If that's not PC, I don't know what is.
I heard something the other day, I heard this leader of a certain country in a certain part of the world that has a government based on a certain religion say that he did not believe that a certain small country with a certain religious background, well, I think he had just gotten out of a "peace" conference in Virgina or somewhere thereabouts, well, I heard him say that the beings that inhabit this smaller country that are of a different religion than him, well, he said they were not human, and that seemed to be his justification for his attitude towards these people.
Well, if that's not the most anti-PC you can say, well, if it's not, then I did not write a run-on sentence in the one previous to this one.
Now I heard something else which seemed to be stirring the pot on this subject.
And that was President wannabe Huckabee in a debate, discussing his thoughts on evolution.
Here it is:
MR. FAHEY: Thank you.
Governor Huckabee, at a previous debate, you and two of your colleagues indicated that you do not believe in evolution. You're an ordained minister. What do you believe? Is it the story of creation as it is reported in the Bible or described in the Bible?
MR. HUCKABEE: It's interesting that that question would even be asked of somebody running for president. I'm not planning on writing the curriculum for an eighth-grade science book. I'm asking for the opportunity to be president of the United States.
But you've raised the question, so let me answer it. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth." To me it's pretty simple, a person either believes that God created this process or believes that it was an accident and that it just happened all on its own.
And the basic question was an unfair question because it simply asks us in a simplistic manner whether or not we believed — in my view — whether there's a God or not. Well let me be very clear: I believe there is a God. I believe there is a God who was active in the creation process. Now, how did he do it, and when did he do it, and how long did he take? I don't honestly know, and I don't think knowing that would make me a better or a worse president.
But I'll tell you what I can tell the country. If they want a president who doesn't believe in God, there's probably plenty of choices. But if I'm selected as president of this country, they'll have one who believes in those words that God did create. And as the words of Martin Luther, "Here I stand. I can do no other." And I will not take that back.
MR. BLITZER: Governor, but — but — (applause) — I think the specific question — the specific question is do you believe literally it was done in six days and it occurred 6,000 years ago?
MR. HUCKABEE: No, I did answer that, Wolf. I said I don't know. My point is, I don't know; I wasn't there. (Laughter.) But I believe whether God did it in six days or whether he did it in six days that represented periods of time, he did it, and that's what's important.
But, you know, if anybody wants to believe that they are the descendants of a primate, they are certainly welcome to do it. I don't know how far they will march that back. But I believe that all of us in this room are the unique creations of a God who knows us and loves us and who created us for his own purpose.
MR. BLITZER: Senator Brownback, you — (applause) — recently elaborated on your position on this. And I wonder if you'd want to spend 30 seconds and tell our audience out there where you stand on the issue of evolution.
SEN. BROWNBACK: I'd be happy to. And it's interesting that we're doing this here, at St. Anselm's, who this — that saint had a philosophy of faith seeking reason. And that's the issue that's missing here, if I could highlight that point, is that I believe that we are created in the image of God for a particular purpose. And I believe that with all my heart. And I'm somebody — I've had cancer in the past. I've had a season to really look at this and study it and think about the end of life. And I am fully convinced there's a God of the universe that loves us very much and was involved in the process. How he did it, I don't know.
One of the problems we have with our society today is that we put faith and science at odds with each other. They aren't at odds with each other. If they are, check your faith or check your science. And we should have a discussion.
MR. BLITZER: Thank you.
cfr.org
HERES MORE FROM A DIFFERENT ONE
Joseph: I am Joseph. I am from Dallas, Texas, and how you answer this question will tell us everything we need to know about you. Do you believe every word of this book? Specifically, this book that I am holding in my hand, do you believe this book?
Cooper: I think we've got a question.
Mayor Giuliani?
Huckabee: Do I need to help you out, Mayor, on this one?
(Laughter)
(Applause)
Giuliani: Wait a second, you're the minister. You're going to help me out on this one.
Huckabee: I'm trying to help you out.
Giuliani: OK. The reality is, I believe it, but I don't believe it's necessarily literally true in every single respect.
ST. PETERSBURG,Florida(CNN) -- Giuliani: I think there are parts of the Bible that are interpretive. I think there are parts of the Bible that are allegorical. I think there are parts of the Bible that are meant to be interpreted in a modern context.
So, yes, I believe it. I think it's the great book ever written. I read it frequently. I read it very frequently when I've gone through the bigger crises in my life, and I find great wisdom in it, and it does define to a very large extent my faith. But I don't believe every single thing in the literal sense of Jonah being in the belly of the whale, or, you know, there are some things in it that I think were put there as allegorical.
Cooper: Governor Romney?
Romney: I believe the Bible is the word of God, absolutely. And I try...
(Applause)
... I try to live by it as well as I can, but I miss in a lot of ways. But it's a guide for my life and for hundreds of millions, billions of people around the world. I believe in the Bible.
Cooper: Does that mean you believe every word?
Romney: You know -- yes, I believe it's the word of God, the Bible is the word of God.
The Bible is the word of God. I mean, I might interpret the word differently than you interpret the word, but I read the Bible and I believe the Bible is the word of God. I don't disagree with the Bible. I try to live by it.
Cooper: Governor Huckabee?
Huckabee: Sure. I believe the Bible is exactly what it is. It's the word of revelation to us from God himself.
(Applause)
And the fact is that when people ask do we believe all of it, you either believe it or you don't believe it. But in the greater sense, I think what the question tried to make us feel like was that, well, if you believe the part that says "Go and pluck out your eye," well, none of us believe that we ought to go pluck out our eye. That obviously is allegorical.
But the Bible has some messages that nobody really can confuse and really not left up to interpretation. "Love your neighbor as yourself."
And as much as you've done it to the least of these brethren, you've done it unto me. Until we get those simple, real easy things right, I'm not sure we ought to spend a whole lot of time fighting over the other parts that are a little bit complicated.
And as the only person here on the stage with a theology degree, there are parts of it I don't fully comprehend and understand, because the Bible is a revelation of an infinite god, and no finite person is ever going to fully understand it. If they do, their god is too small.
cfr.org
|
