Romney's Religion and Atheism in Modern Politics

I promise that I will stop talk about religion for a long time after this, but this post has been coming for a long time. I have continually stated that conservatives will be wary of supporting Mitt Romney because he is a Mormon. Consistently, I have also said that this is a poor reason to not support a candidate, and that Romney is the best candidate the Republicans can field. Due more to Obama's failures than his merit, he actually polls favorably in national polls. Also, it may say that people are more comfortable with a spineless Mormon as opposed to a spineless African-American. The problem with politics is that neither Romney's Mormonism or Obama's attendance of a church with a hyperbolic preacher should be part of the news cycle. However, the news cycle never stops now and has even more time for worthless debates over the inherent value of a candidate's faith and how the American people are affected by it.

Right now, the nomination for the Republican ticket is far from over. Specifically, Romney has not won a single Midwestern state, which considering the way the country votes is alarming. The Republicans will win the South, Obama will win the northeast and California, and the West is too sparse to make great changes in the electoral count. So it stands to reason, that the electoral votes in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Missouri are of the most importance. Romney hasn't won any of these states, and is polling far behind Santorum in Ohio.

He has failed in several ways that are holding him back. He lacks the charisma that almost single handedly carried the last three presidents to victory. Even poor Republicans aren't fond of Wall Street, so his ties to Wall Street aren't going to play well in the current environment. Simply, he is a typical Republican in a party that has shunned the typical candidate since their loss four years ago (even before if you consider Sarah Palin). His candidacy for President certainly isn't all about religion, but his most fervent challengers are all cut from the same cloth. None of them are more suited to be President, all of them are more suited to be chosen by the evangelical base of the Republican Party.

A Half-Hearted Apology and Secular Thoughts

I really should apologize sometimes, because I can get overboard with my generalizations. For a man who preaches about how there is no black and white in life, I frequently find myself drawing up battle lines out of anger. In my last post, I was quite angry with theists for perhaps the wrong reason, for in their minds it is not outrageous to uphold the words written in the books they hold canon. This is not something to be laughed at, derided, or as my last post did, completely shit on. My own beliefs should not attack your beliefs and it is not a goal of mine to have anyone trumpeting my views. I am not an idealist who seeks converts; I am an idealist who gives people opportunity to see the world through my [sometimes jaded] eyes and I seek nothing more.

If you grew up in my family, first and foremost you would acknowledge the individuality of religion. We don't discuss it, we don't demean it, and we don't drown ourselves in it. It has led to a variety of conclusions. My sister, as you can read here, is a highly intelligent, well-read theist. For the sake of this post, it makes no difference that she belongs to the Church of Latter Day Saints, but she, as anyone who joins a faith should be, is completely devoted to the faith. If you read her blog, you'll find that she doesn't always have the easiest time teaching it, but the earnestness in her beliefs will never be mistaken. The same can be said for my brother Rick, who for the majority of my life has attended church. He is the family member who coughs when you take that first bite at family meals, and he is the one who makes the long prayers that make you wish he knew you view time as precious. As for the rest of us, I'm going to make assumptions. I haven't seen my brother Bryan in so long that I couldn't tell you much, but he was married in a church and worked for churches so he can't be completely against them. It also wouldn't shock me if he were an atheist, but I honestly don't know. My brother James is an out-and-out atheist from either something he said to me or just my feelings, but perhaps he is just like my parents and agnostic to the point that there isn't a difference.

Jesus vs. the Mammogram

Just a warning, this is February, which at this blog is celebrated by fierce denunciation of moronic behavior. If you feel like being a moron, please do not inform me by email as so many morons choose to do. Instead, please publicly do something completely repellant and allow me to comment on it. If you do it in the name of our Lord and Savior, you get double points. Also, not your God, but the other God that we don't talk about allowed me to start swearing again, so apologies and take it up with him. Yes, I know he only speaks to me, but that is of course only coincidental.

Dear God,


I have no money, obviously because I am a total fuck-up. My life hasn't gone as planned, in fact you might say I'm like every person who has ever lived on this god-forsaken planet. I'm sorry, i know you care but more and more it seems like everyone who believes in you, as I do, is a complete and utter asshole. In fact today, I was worried. I don't have insurance, since my mother for some reason thought it was better to bring a child into her drug-addled world and try to raise her.


I know at some point I should have pulled myself up from my bootstraps and found myself a better life, because I know tons of Americans who have risen up and joined a social class above their parents standing. Okay, maybe not, because they are all actors, musicians, and athletes; something that a kid raising her little brothers and sisters can't really become. I have many excuses, but I would like the chance to redeem myself.


Thankfully, seeing the pitiful plight of my existence which at best would result in me being a minimum wage worker in a society that doesn't accept the value of inflation for the poorest mother fuckers out here, you gave me a gift. Thankfully, my cancer which with proper screenings which I used to be able to receive had progressed beyond that point and now I am going to you Lord where you can take care of me. If Susan G. Komen's foundation hadn't made a ridiculous decision based on at best conservatism and at worst racism and sexism, then I would still have to live and be miserable like the rest of you. Thank you, God.


Amen