Just as I am, and waiting not To rid my soul of one dark blot
—”Just As I Am” by Charlotte Elliott
y mom and dad would never, and I mean never, miss the broadcast of a Billy Graham Crusade—yes, that’s what he called his travelling evangelical show, despite the historical shame attached to that term—and many times, as a kid and as an adult, I listened to his warnings that Jesus was coming soon and folks had better get saved or else hell awaited.
The strains of “Just As I Am,” that beautifully written old hymn, still bounce around in my head, as does the sight of all those scared sinners ambling down to meet Jesus, or, more realistically, to meet the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
Of course, my Democratic parents probably didn’t know much, if anything, about Billy Graham’s politics. He is said to have admitted to being a “lifelong Democrat,” but I have found exactly no evidence to back that up and much to contradict it.
The clergy ought to stay out of politics and let the laymen handle it…My candidate is Jesus Christ.
Well, by the time 2000 rolled around, Graham was flirting around with another candidate, George W. Bush, who didn’t much resemble Jesus in any way I could see, but nevertheless had Graham’s sly endorsement.
Now we hear that the old evangelical preacher has embraced another Republican candidate, one who apparently does resemble Jesus, at least GOP Jesus, the savior of Holy Vulture Capitalism, the kind who feasts on working-class carcasses.
It appears that Billy Graham has had a come-to-Mitt moment.
And his endorsement of Romney—his open-mouthed evangelical kiss—comes despite the fact that Billy Graham used to want us to believe that Mormons, just like Jehovah’s Witnesses and Scientologists, are not Christians:
Scrubbed away. Gone. Forgettaboutit. Nothing to see here.
Without any hesitation or ambiguity, when I was a conservative evangelical Christian, and studying to be a minister of that brand of gospel, I was taught that Mormonism was most definitely a cult, just as Billy Graham claimed. There simply wasn’t any question about it, and given the doctrines that conservative evangelicals hold, including those related to the nature of God, Jesus, and man, and the central role the Bible plays in defining Christianity for them, it is impossible to believe that one can be a practicing, true-believing Mormon and also be a Christian in the evangelical sense.
And if Mitt Romney is anything, we definitely know he is a practicing, true-believing Mormon.
But politics, particularly in the age of Obama, makes people do strange things, like betraying the rudiments of their rudimentary faith in order to make sure the White’s House is safe and secure once again, even if it means putting a cultist in charge. Strange things like scrubbing away a doctrinal dispute that was once so important that eternal salvation depended on knowing that Mormonism would lead you straight to hell because it was a cult.
All of this strange and disgusting stuff leaves me with one positive benefit. Should an enterprising evangelical ever come to my door again, offering me a chance to meet Jesus, or confront me on the street with a pamphlet or a Bible, telling me I will suffer eternal damnation unless I repent, I will ask one simple question:
Since I am almost as fair and balanced as Fox “News,” I will give some free pub to, uh, Jesus:
I have wondered out loud whether “Evangelicals Hate Obama More Than They Love Jesus.” As a former evangelical Christian, my curiosity is the result of knowing that most, if not all, conservative evangelicals have been taught that Mormonism, the religion of Mitt Romney, is a cult.
And some folks take such things seriously:
The author of this funny-but-serious stuff is a televangelist named Bill Keller, a man who got a degree from Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University while cooling his heels in prison, the result of getting caught doing a little insider trading.
Keller says:
This election is NOT about politics, but a choice between two son’s of Satan, and the fact that this choice is nothing but a furtherance of God’s judgment on this nation for our sin.
A “news” distributor, Christian Newswire, featured this article in August:
Bill Keller, the world’s leading Internet Evangelist and the founder of LivePrayer.com, with over 2.4 million subscribers worldwide…was horrified as he watched a Mormon cult member lead mostly Biblical Christians at the Republican Convention last night in a prayer to Satan, since Mormons do not pray to the God of the Bible, but to a mythical “god” they believe who was once a man!
No one knows just how many evangelicals out there take Keller seriously (there’s no way to verify the claim on the Vote for Jesus website that over a million folks pledge to, well, vote for Jesus) and feel so disgusted by Mormonism that they will stay at home rather than vote for Romney-Satan (a recent Pew Forum poll found that 19% were “uncomfortable” with Romney’s faith), but I did find something interesting on the site, something I admit I was not familiar with in detail:
If Mitt Romney is elected, he will be the fulfillment of his cult’s polygamist, pedophile, racist, con artist, murdering founder Joseph Smith’s “White Horse” prophecy that Romney and all Mormon’s believe. That prophecy says that the United States will facing great economic and social unrest, a Mormon will be elected President, declare a national emergency and set aside the US Constitution and enact a Mormon theocracy. That may sound impossible, but ever since he was at BYU, Romney was called by his inner circle “the chosen one” to fulfill their cult’s prophecy.
Mitt Romney is known as “the chosen one”? And what the hell is the “White Horse” prophecy”?
It turns out that Brigham Young’s great-great granddaughter, Sue Emmett, has addressed this weird stuff about that weird prophecy. Emmett, who left the Mormon church because she considered it harmful to women (another issue that needs exploration), did an extensive interview with The Daily Beast, which revealed:
Regarding Romney and the presidency, Emmett cites a bit of Mormon lore called the White Horse Prophecy that has floated around since the time of Mormon founder Joseph Smith. It suggests that Mormons believe a time will come when the U.S. Constitution is eroding and Mormon leaders will save it and usher in a new theocracy with Mormons in charge. Emmett’s great-great-grandfather talked about it. In a discourse from 1855, Young wrote that “when the Constitution hangs, as it were, upon a single thread, they will have to call for the ‘Mormon’ Elders to save it from utter destruction; and they will step forth and do it.”
Romney has said that he considers the White Horse Prophecy just a matter of speculation by church members. “I haven’t heard my name associated with it or anything of that nature,” he told The Salt Lake Tribune in 2007. “That’s not official church doctrine…I don’t put that at the heart of my religious belief.”
But Emmett begs to differ. “I can guarantee you that there are millions of Mormons who believe this prophecy and see Romney as potential fulfillment of it,” she says. “As a Mormon, you grow up hearing about this prophecy. I think Mitt believes he has a mandate from God to become president so he can help move this along. I don’t know if it’s a conscious thought, but it’s in his subconscious.”
So, there are “millions of Mormons” who believe the White Horse Prophecy about an eroding Constitution and who believe Romney is its fulfillment. Well, the so-called erosion of the Constitution has been, of course, a constant theme of the Republican attack on Barack Obama. Rush Limbaugh summarized this attack:
The Constitution doesn’t matter to the [Obama] regime. The regime is simply saying, ‘To hell with the Constitution. We’re gonna implement this regardless what the Constitution says!’
Is it possible that the reason Romney is so willing to lie (“lying for the Lord” is justified in much Mormon thinking), to obfuscate, to abandon his principles and then embrace them again only to abandon them once more, is because he has a view of our Constitution that sees him, a Mormon, as its rescuer? And anything said or done in service to saving the Constitution is legitimate?
It so happens that the Mormon church, through its scriptures, explicitly states that our Constitution was not just a document created by men, but “a sacred document,” one that was, according to James Rogers, “established by God by men whom God raised for that purpose.“
Is it so far-fetched that a man so dedicated to his church, so loyal to its principles (if you doubt this see the video posted below and watch the fierceness with which he defends his church), would, along with millions of Mormons, see himself as The One who could save America and its Constitution?
I won’t pretend to know or won’t claim that Romney sees himself that way. I don’t know, and judging by his multiple positions perhaps he doesn’t know, what is in his mind at any given moment. But Mitt Romney said in February of this year:
I happen to believe that the principles and the values of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence are not just foundational and defining but they’re powerful. And they’re either inspired by God or they were written by brilliant people or perhaps a combination of both those things. But we have in those documents the way forward for America.
And then a few minutes later:
This is really a battle for the soul of America. It’s essential, it’s essential that we win this election and we get Barack Obama out of the White House and we get America back on course. I think the President is slowly but surely changing us into a European-style welfare state. That is not the kind of America we’ve known; that’s not the kind of America that my grandfather came…here for and that’s not the kind of America my dad was able to build his success in. And it’s not the kind of America that will allow your children and their children to have prosperity and freedom. We need America to remain as a merit society, an opportunity society. We need the principles of the Declaration and the Constitution to continue to be strong and guide America.
What does “a battle for the soul of America” mean to a committed Mormon, whose church believes that the Constitution is a sacred document given to us by God? Whose church continues entertaining a “White Horse Prophecy” the core of which is: “a time will come when the U.S. Constitution is eroding and Mormon leaders will save it and usher in a new theocracy with Mormons in charge“? What does that mean to Mr. Romney, who said the prophecy was not “at the heart” of his “religious belief.” If not the heart, then where is it? Perhaps someone should ask him.
James Rogers’ article I cited above is fascinating and includes this appeal to reporters reluctant to ask Romney about his religion:
The upshot to this credo is that LDS politicians serious about their beliefs have a significantly different understanding of the relationship of their religion to the U.S. government than almost any other religious politician in the U.S. I do not at all suggest that this disqualifies LDS members from holding political office. But it does raise honest and legitimate questions about unique implications of LDS scriptures for the U.S. Constitution, the American project, and the vocations of LDS politicians. What’s more, because of the highly political nature of these beliefs, these questions cannot be waved aside as unrelated to public life. Campaign reporters need to ask Romney to expand on LDS political theory and its implications when he suggests his belief in the LDS doctrine that the Constitution is divinely inspired.
Yes, reporters should do that. Now, who among us believes any of them ever will?
_________________________
Watch Mittens battle with WHO radio’s Jan Mickelson of Des Moines about his Mormon faith:
Now, I don’t think it is substantially weirder than most of the religions we are used to, what with their talking animals, virgin births, and dead folks popping up here and there and eventually everywhere. But because it is a relatively modern faith, born in the 19th century, one would have expected it to be, well, a little more sophisticated.
And because a devout—is there any other kind?—Mormon has a good chance of becoming president this year, it is fair to note just how odd are some of the beliefs of Mormons, especially since there are only about 14 million of them in the world (there were only about 1 million when Mitt Romney was born) and they constitute a rather unique group of believers.
It is also fair to examine Mormonism because Romney has been a Mormon missionary, was partly educated in Mormon schools, has served as a Mormon bishop in Massachusetts, and gives a great deal of money to the Mormon Church.
While there are plenty of places on the web where one can check out the various bizarre beliefs tied to Mormonism—like Jesus making a pit stop in the Americas after his resurrection—I want to focus on one that I think reveals not only how creative Mormons can be, but how useful one of their doctrines can be for we liberals. It is called “baptism of the dead.”
Yep, that’s right. They do it. It is a religious ritual of the church, even though some non-Mormon folks want them to stop:
The point, I gather, of proxy baptism is to cut some long-distance slack to those unfortunate souls who passed away without the benefit of a real-time dip in the drink. You see, without that brief immersion in water, one cannot visit the Kingdom of God, or in the case of Mormonism, the Kingdoms of Gods. Apparently, our Higher Power(s) is (are) fond of folks who have taken the plunge, whether they actually took the plunge or conveniently had a descendant do it.
In any case, there is available a handy list of “Prominent People Mormons Have Baptized by Proxy,” should you want to know if your favorite hero of history got his or her belated bath. I am happy to report that Albert Einstein is on the list, although Elvis Presley is not, an oversight that perhaps Mitt Romney can help with, since he has actually done him some post-death baptizin’:
When asked by NEWSWEEK if he has done baptisms for the dead—in which Mormons find the names of dead people of all faiths and baptize them, as an LDS spokesperson says, to “open the door” to the highest heaven—he looked slightly startled and answered, “I have in my life, but I haven’t recently.”
I just want to say that I think there is a kind of charm associated with baptizing people long dead, in hopes that they can get out of the nosebleed section in the hereafter. It is at least thoughtful of others, a kind of baptismal salute to socialism. As we discover in the Journal of Discourses:
The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead.
And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect.
You see how nice that is? It’s like saying, “If everyone can’t be saved, then none of us can be,” or “All for one and one for all.” Charming, caring, civilized.
And this is where this sentiment can prove useful to liberals: All we have to do is get Mitt Romney—who has baptized people on behalf of the dead—to take that same idea—”their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation“—and apply it to universal health care: if all can’t get coverage, then none of us gets it!
That ought to go over well in the GOP primary, don’t you think?
Rush Limbaugh call your office. Orrin Hatch is stealing your shtick.
Today on Morning Meeting with Dylan Ratigan, the senior Republican senator from Utah said the following:
One of the big goals of the whole Democratic Party is to move people into that category—the bottom 50% that basically don’t pay taxes—and a high percentage of them get money from the federal government, who think everything they are or ever hope to be comes from the almighty Democratic Party.
Such disgusting rhetoric usually flows from the mouths of the right-wing talkers, as they perform daily for the 5% of Americans who gather under the circus tent of extremism.
But since the Republican Party has almost totally succumbed to the extremist performance artists, it shouldn’t be surprising that “respected” figures within the party have joined their act, like circus elephants, and dutifully make such offensive—and false—statements about not only Democrats, but about exactly one half of the American people.
Just for the record, everyone pays taxes. Even if one is part of the 43% who don’t have any federal income tax liability, there are still state income taxes and fees, county taxes, Social Security and Medicare taxes, sales taxes, excise taxes (like on gasoline), and the taxes that are hidden in the price of goods and services.
So, not only has Senator Hatch insulted the Democratic Party and the American people by accusing half of them of freeloading and placing “everything they are or ever hope to be” in the hands of the Democrats, he has done so by bearing false witness—which used to be against Mormon sensibilities.
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Dr. T. Berry Brazelton has been studying babies for the better part of the last century. Now 95 years old, the renowned pediatrician is the author of more than 30 books on child development. He talks about his latest book, and how babies themselves can teach us how to be better parents.
Listener Rachel Sumner of Ithaca, N.Y., recounts the story of her bat-infested trip to Ecuador for our series on vacation horror stories. A bat in her hotel room would keep returning no matter how many times she captured it and took it out. She had to get rabies shots and now has no sympathy for bats.
For this week's Sandwich Monday, we try "The T-Rex Burger," a nine-patty monster that, until this week, had been on the menu of a renegade Canadian Wendy's franchise.
In the first few months after reporter Joanna Kakissis' family moved to the U.S., her father bought a junky, gigantic gold Oldsmobile for $200. Kakissis says Old Goldie was hard to love, but she was a symbol of the good life her father wanted to make for them.
We tend to think we have our parents figured out, but we often don't. Reporter Monique Parsons knew her dad as a mild-mannered avocado farmer who rarely strayed from home. On this Father's Day, Parsons tells the story of how she discovered that her father was actually a fearless pilot.
The fictional tale about war correspondents will make you laugh till the person next to you on the subway thinks you have problems. It is also, according to writer Alexander Nazaryan, an all-too-real parody of the glory days of print journalism.
Robert Stokely couldn't sleep while his son was in Iraq with the National Guard. In 2005, Michael Stokely was killed by a roadside bomb. A few years later, Robert headed to Iraq himself, to find the spot where his son had died.
Weekend Edition Saturday Scott Simon remembers the controversy when the first automatic teller machines started popping up in the 1970s. Today there's an electronic transaction, and record, of just about everything we say, read, purchase or do.
An excellent documentary looks at Uganda's controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill — both its personal and political implications — through the story of activist David Kato. While emotionally crushing, the documentary is unmistakably a celebration of LGBT activists. (Recommended)
We face a paradox: Although we lack sufficient reason to believe in the consciousness of others, it would be plainly unreasonable for us to give up this commitment.
Set in an Italian movie-sound lab circa the '70s, Peter Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio takes audiences into an unsettling world where life imitates art — and the difference between reality and nightmare becomes increasingly difficult to discern. (Recommended)
Rapper Kanye West drops a new album next week. But a New York Times interview has left some people asking whether the self-proclaimed 'Louis Vuitton Don' is a musical genius, a bizarre narcissist, or a bit of both? Host Michel Martin checks-in with the Barbershop guys.
As a young father, Horace Atwater Jr. grappled with a drug addiction. I "lost everything," he says, including his wife and two sons. Years later, he took in Adrian, who at 14 had already experienced plenty of his own hard times.
A civil lawsuit that shifted into U.S. district court in Idaho last week alleges that the United Potato Growers of America has become a veritable OPEC of spuds. The group is accused of using high-tech, strong-arm tactics to inflate potato prices.
President Obama celebrated the unlikely peace process in Northern Ireland on Monday, before attending a G-8 summit where much of the talk is about war in Syria.
Economists hope the leaders of major economies gathering in Northern Ireland will discuss expanding global trade. Since interest rates can't be lowered much further, analysts say, trade will be a key catalyst for growth.
More than 40,000 scientists in Spain have signed a petition calling on their government to freeze budget cuts blamed for an exodus of the country's best and brightest researchers. As the Spanish government struggles to avoid a bailout, it has cut the number of university jobs and research grants.
The bond market has pushed interest to the highest levels in 15 months, and that includes mortgage rates. David Greene talks to David Wessel, economics editor at The Wall Street Journal, about rising interest rates.
As lawmakers consider a sweeping immigration bill, they are taking a close look at a decades-old exchange program popular with foreigners looking for summer jobs. Critics of the J-1 visa program say it can hurt U.S. job seekers at a time when youth unemployment is at 25 percent.
In music, as in so many industries, the lion's share of the money now goes to a relative handful of top performers, says White House economic adviser Alan Krueger. He says the music business offers valuable lessons about America's "superstar economy."
Question: If the median price for a single-family home in Massachusetts is $313,000 and two Boston parking spaces sell for $560,000, how many other spaces does the buyer already have? Answer: Three.
The Federal Reserve's economic stimulus has helped keep mortgage rates at record lows in the years since the Great Recession. But rates are ticking upward, leaving some investors worried that the nascent housing recovery will suffer if the Fed unravels its policies too quickly.
An ex-con lends money to people in need; a group of friends creates a savings club. Even without banks, people often figure out how to get the money they need, when they need it.
Kevyn Orr will ask unions, retirees and banks to take big losses on debt the city just can't afford to pay. But Orr is walking a fine line trying to convince those parties to accept a bankruptcy-style settlement, without actually going to bankruptcy court — at least, not yet.
A federal ruling against a major movie studio's use of unpaid interns could have a wide impact on uncompensated labor, including internships for college credit. Workers' advocates say many interns are preventing workers who can't afford to work free from entering the labor force.
One of the simplest ways to invest in real estate is through a real estate investment trust. REITs generate income for investors by leasing commercial properties. As part of his quest to put $5,000 to work, NPR's Uri Berliner learns that what counts as real estate in a REIT keeps expanding.
The case dates from April of 2012, when a female midshipman reported that she had been sexually assaulted by three men after she went to a party in Annapolis. The men have not been identified publicly.
The Supreme Court struck down an Arizona law that required proof of citizenship to register to vote. But while celebrating a victory, voting-rights organizations are still waiting for the superstar voting case of the current term: a challenge to the Voting Rights Act.
Paula Cooper admitted to killing a Bible studies teacher as part of a robbery in 1985. Back then, Cooper was 15 — and she was 16 when she was sentenced to die.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday struck down Arizona's requirement that prospective voters provide proof of citizenship to register to vote. But some experts are concerned that the court may have inserted a few "poison pills" in its opinion that would damage voting rights protections down the road.
The Supreme Court sided with government regulators in an important case involving the pharmaceutical industry and patent law. At issue were contracts between "brand-name" pharmaceutical companies and "generic" producers in which the brand-name company paid the generic not to compete. The court said the Federal Trade Commission could chall […]
The Supreme Court ruled in June that police can routinely take DNA samples from people who are arrested for comparison against a national database. The decision raises major questions about how law enforcement and criminal justice processes will change.
The Supreme Court is weighing a decision on Abigail Fisher's affirmative action case against the University of Texas. Host Michel Martin speaks with ProPublica writer Nikole Hannah-Jones about Fisher's motivation and what's behind the landmark case.
The 2004 law required voters to submit documentation proving citizenship. The court decided the state has to abide by the norm set up by the federal government.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday tossed out an Arizona law that required proof of citizenship for its voters. In a 7-2 majority, the justices said the state's voter-approved Proposition 200 interfered with federal law. For more on the ruling, David Greene speaks with NPR's Carrie Johnson and Ron Elving.
As lawmakers consider a sweeping immigration bill, they are taking a close look at a decades-old exchange program popular with foreigners looking for summer jobs. Critics of the J-1 visa program say it can hurt U.S. job seekers at a time when youth unemployment is at 25 percent.
American privacy concerns go back as far as the country's origins. Today, in the wake of major revelations about the scope of the National Security Agency's surveillance, polls show that feelings are still mixed.
Weekend Edition Saturday Host Scott Simon talks with bioethicist Arthur Caplan of New York University about Thursday's Supreme Court ruling that isolated human genes may not be patented — and the implications for that ruling.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week that the mere act of isolating a DNA sequence does not make human genes patentable. Mary-Claire King, who helped discover the breast cancer gene at the center of the court dispute, discusses the ruling and its implications for genetics.
Rapper Kanye West drops a new album next week. But a New York Times interview has left some people asking whether the self-proclaimed 'Louis Vuitton Don' is a musical genius, a bizarre narcissist, or a bit of both? Host Michel Martin checks-in with the Barbershop guys.
Sanford Under The Spotlight As Trial Begins The national media has descended on the town of Sanford, Florida, for the trial of George Zimmerman. He's the man accused of murdering teenager Trayvon Martin. Host Michel Martin speaks with Sanford Mayor Jeff Triplett to find out how emotions are running in his town.
As the Supreme Court prepares to rule on two cases involving same-sex marriage, a new documentary takes a look at what same-sex marriage means for African-Americans. Host Michel Martin speaks with Yoruba Richen, the director of The New Black to find out what inspired the film.
There is no more graphic example of the daunting challenges facing Pakistan's new prime minister than the bloody events playing out in the west of his nation. The fractured country is as threatened as ever by forces committed to its destruction.
Breaking the norms of faith isn't always easy — especially for Orthodox Jews. But Ruth Balinsky Friedman wants to take up the traditionally male-dominated role of faith leader. She speaks with host Michel Martin about what a woman can bring to the position.
The company sent the pope two motorcycles and a leather jacket. The occasion is a gathering of bikers in Vatican City this weekend hoping for a blessing of the motorbikes.
Pope Francis has surprised many with his candor in the early days of his papacy. In recent remarks, he reportedly acknowledged a so-called gay lobby in the Vatican. The pope's words are being interpreted as part of a broader effort to re-examine the way the Vatican is run.
The council of rabbis that regulates everything connected with Jewish religious law in Israel now wants to change the shape of bourekas, a type of stuffed pastry popular among Israelis. The move is aimed at helping people keep kosher. But if the rabbis succeed, says one cafe owner, "there really is no limit to their power."
At the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, a resolution is adopted condemning the Boy Scouts of America's decision to allow openly gay boys to become Scouts. The resolution stops short of requiring member churches to break with the organization.
Some churches have said they will end their affiliation with the Boy Scouts after its decision to allow openly gay members to join. Others, including Southern Baptists, are considering their next move. Another group plans to hold a meeting in Louisville later this month with parents who say they want a more Christian organization for their children.
Win or lose in Week 4, the Rams will be in danger of a letdown spot against their next opponent, the Jacksonville Jaguars. Early lines project them as a 6.5-point home favorite versus the lowly Jags and if they show some fight against the 49ers, bett...
Running the football isn’t just about setting up big plays and eating the clock and these three teams are trying to prove it by adding a steady dose of ground to their air-it-out attacks this season. With that in mind, over/under bettors should keep ...
Odds are out for the biggest and best games of the upcoming NFL season. Covers Expert Jesse Schule gives you his insight into some of these marquee matchups and predicts where the odds could move before kickoff.
Tim Tebow was riding high after he threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas to beat the Steelers in a wild card playoff game two seasons ago.
Odds are out for the biggest and best games of the upcoming NFL season. Covers Expert Jesse Schule gives you his insight into some of these marquee matchups and predicts where the odds could move before kickoff.
y mom and dad would never, and I mean never, miss the broadcast of a Billy Graham Crusade—yes, that’s what he called his travelling evangelical show, despite the historical shame attached to that term—and many times, as a kid and as an adult, I listened to his warnings that Jesus was coming soon and folks had better get saved or else hell awaited.
So, not only has Senator Hatch insulted the Democratic Party and the American people by accusing half of them of freeloading and placing “everything they are or ever hope to be” in the hands of the Democrats, he has done so by bearing false witness—which used to be against Mormon sensibilities.
