Updated: Huckabee: The Intolerant Christian

Update: The New York Times piece is up - h/t Campaign Spot. At best, he's ignorant - there is no context for the question, it's left to hang. And a guy with his media savvy and years in politics knows how the game works. He's either a dope, or a cagey dirt bag, neither one speaks well of him as a potential president.

I asked Huckabee, who describes himself as the only Republican candidate with a degree in theology, if he considered Mormonism a cult or a religion. ‘‘I think it’s a religion,’’ he said. ‘‘I really don’t know much about it.’’

I was about to jot down this piece of boilerplate when Huckabee surprised me with a question of his own: ‘‘Don’t Mormons,’’ he asked in an innocent voice, ‘‘believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?’’

In this unpredictable primary season, Mike Huckabee’s surge in Iowa — and beyond — is perhaps the greatest surprise.

Believe it or not, this latest on Huckabee can actually be used to shed light on the Dumond affair and his clemency issues. Think about it.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, asks in an upcoming article, "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?"

Via Powerline we now know that Huckabee was aware of the impassioned pleadings of several victims of Dumond, yet his heart was not moved, someone involved claimed he was actually arrogant about it. And we also now know that his rationale for abetting the release of a convicted serial rapist and murderer was that said rapist had a jail house conversion.

The file contains 12 letters written by eight different women, three of whom reported being raped or sexually assaulted by Dumond.

What this all suggests is that Huckabee is a you're with me, or against me type of guy. And the only way to be with Huckabee is to be born again. That may be fine for someone in their private affairs. It is unacceptable for a man seeking to lead a nation comprised of so many different faiths.

The final piece of evidence is the increasing number of revelations as regards his intolerant remarks regarding homosexuals. Huckabee may be a Christian, but he is far from a tolerant man. And this diverse nation cannot afford such as its President. It simply can't.

Comments

[Cory]

I'm not usually this blunt, but I think it's warranted this time. Huckabee is a bigot and so are many of his followers. He will definitely NOT be getting my vote, and he shouldn't get your either if you want to see a conservative nominated.

[docweasel]

Why doesn't the 'intolerance' issue disqualify Romney then? He belongs to a pretty intolerant organization, some would say "cult".

Better Huckabee than Romney is all I say. Huck will merely lose the election. Romney would destroy the party.

[Cory]

@docweasel

I see you're one of the Huckabigots.

[CDubber]

Wow, this docweasel character is still skulking around? He's been posting extremely virulent anti-Mormon nonsense all over the place for some time. Normally his comments are so outrageous that they're actually removed by moderators. "Weasel" says it best.

Yet I'm sure he still considers himself a "Christian." Sad.

docweasel should be uninvited from the Internet.

[Sheryl]

Geez, I thought Mike Huckabee was just bad for the GOP but it seems he is bad for evangelicals and for America.

Perhaps he should move to the Middle East where pandering to religious bigotry is welcomed.

As an agnostic, I have to say "God save us from Mike Huckabee".

[Fred Beloit]

"docweasel should be uninvited from the Internet."

Now THIS is tolerance.

[mary]

didn't know i was voting for a pastor in chief????

[seekeronos]

I say this as someone who might be considered by some to be a rather fundamentalist Christian:

*Preachers, priests and ministers ARE NOT qualified to rule nations.*

I would not want a preacher for POTUS no more than I'd want a Mormon bishop or a Catholic Priest or an Islamic Imam. There is much, much too much room for conflict.

Let them stay in the churches and perhaps even advise the politicians and lobby for Christian concerns... but keep them out of the highest office. They probably shouldn't even sit as state governors or congressmen either, although I might give a bye for legislators who abide firmly by their faith.

That said, as a preacher, Rev. Huckabee is well qualified to discuss the merits of blocking homosexuals from getting married (it is destructive to the traditional construct of what a family is) and teaching abstinence over sexual promiscuity, and why Religion X just might be a tad cultic and non-biblical.

The reason why preachers should not seek high office, is because they already sit in the highest calling God can offer - to preach God's Word and lead His church.

And besides, America is now a post-Christian nation, and has largely abandoned her God, much as God is giving up the American people unto judgments and then His fierce wrath, unless we repent and turn back to Him.

[Jim]

Huckabee has since released a statement: "LITTLE ROCK, AR – A report released tonight cites an upcoming article in the Sunday edition of The New York Times Magazine which quotes former Arkansas Governor and Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee asking a question about the content of the Mormon faith. In fact, the full context of the exchange makes it clear that Governor Huckabee was illustrating his unwillingness to answer questions about Mormonism and to avoid addressing theological questions during this campaign.

“Governor Huckabee has said consistently that he believes this campaign should center on a discussion of the important issues confronting our nation,” said Senior Advisor, Dr. Charmaine Yoest, “and not focus on questions of religious belief. He wants to assure persons of all faith traditions of his firm commitment to religious tolerance and freedom of worship. Governor Huckabee believes that one of the great strengths of our nation lies in its diversity of thought, opinion and faith.”

Huckabee is the nominee of people who want brutal frankness, evangelical religious overtones, and crude remarks about Mormon beliefs. If you you believe what Huckabee believes, then perhaps you will feel good if he wins the nomination. But it is very unlikely he will win the presidency because his regular folksy references to his religion will alienate needed voters in crucial swing states (especially in the north, and west). I do not say this out of any dislike of evangelical Christians.

Now admittedly, Romney has "the Morman issue" but Romney is also polling evenly with Hillary and Obama while Huckabee is trailing both of them by double digits.

[Egypt Steve]

Look, Huck is getting a bum rap on this one. The LDS church does believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers. In fact, it believes that all living souls -- including those of living, mortal people -- are "spirit children" of God, born to his spirit wife. Here's the straight dope, from the LDS website:

http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,11-1-13-6,00.html

A Savior and Leader Was Needed

When the plan for our salvation was presented to us in the spirit world, we were so happy that we shouted for joy (see Job 38:7).

We understood that we would have to leave our heavenly home for a time. We would not live in the presence of our heavenly parents. While we were away from them, all of us would sin and some of us would lose our way. Our Heavenly Father knew and loved each one of us. He knew we would need help, so he planned a way to help us.

We needed a Savior to pay for our sins and teach us how to return to our Heavenly Father. Our Father said, "Whom shall I send?" (Abraham 3:27). Two of our brothers offered to help. Our oldest brother, Jesus Christ, who was then called Jehovah, said, "Here am I, send me" (Abraham 3:27).

Jesus was willing to come to the earth, give his life for us, and take upon himself our sins. He, like our Heavenly Father, wanted us to choose whether we would obey Heavenly Father's commandments. He knew we must be free to choose in order to prove ourselves worthy of exaltation. Jesus said, "Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever" (Moses 4:2).

Satan, who was called Lucifer, also came, saying, "Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor" (Moses 4:1). Satan wanted to force us all to do his will. Under his plan, we would not be allowed to choose. He would take away the freedom of choice that our Father had given us. Satan wanted to have all the honor for our salvation.

[Aye Chihuahua]

Factually accurate or not, Huckabee would be well served to simply say that matters of faith and religion are not relevant to being President.

There is no religious test in the Constitution.

Huckabee should answer inquiries of this nature by saying "What do these questions have to do with defending our nation?" "What do these questions have to do with border security?" "How do these questions relate to the day to day best interests of the American people?"

Outside of those types of responses he muddying his own water.

[Dudley Smith]

Huckabee's not getting a bum rap, the fact that he may have pulled that Jesus and the devil question out of actual Mormon scripture isn't the point at all. The point is he threw another one of those "gee don't those Mormons believe some kooky things" questions out there specifically in order to fan the flames of prejudice against Romney and help his candidacy. It's appalling. I hope he goes down like William Jennings Bryan.

[tk]

Please stop the mormon talk. If it is a big issue to some all they have to do is read their beliefs. I have many friends who are jack mormons, those who have left the LDS. They don't spend all their time talking down the LDS. If they can get past it so can we.

[Biff DeBris]

I'm shocked, SHOCKED!
One assclown republican thinks ill of another assclown republican?
Sit back and enjoy the circus.

[Techie]

Huckabee is now to be referred to as Jimmy Carter 2.0

[ajacksonian]

Mr. Huckabee is running an incompetent campaign. How do I know this?

He was left alone with a NYT reporter without two credible witnesses present or even a sound recorder going.

Pure incompetence.

[Jacin]

As Dudley Smith pointed out, Huckabee knew exactly what he was doing in asking his 'innocent' question about Mormon doctrine.

He's inadvertantly managed to give Romney the moral high ground to say that attacking someone's religion, deserved or not, is taking things too far and isn't the kind of politicking that we need to be engaging in.

Huckabee's calculation and triangulation on the religion issue is starting to remind me of another former Arkansas governor who sought the Presidency and, personally, I'd rather not have another one of those types of politicians elected no matter which party they're from ...

[Jim]

On further thought I think the Huckabee quote might just be taken out of context. I mean, he did answer that he believed Mormons were a religion before he said his "don't Mormons believe the Jesus and the Devil are brothers?" (I don't know very much about Mormon theology either) Although Huckabee certainly should have been smarter then that to think one could casually mention something like that in the presence of a New York Times reporter and not realize it could cause a problem. I think this probably Huckabee's largest problem; not that he is a populist, a preacher, or a Southerner, but that he is so sloppy with his comments.

[Dave]

And don't forget that Huckabee spoke at an anti-Mormon convention a few years back. His campaign handlers are probably telling him to lay off the religious attacks but he just can't help himself.

http://www.townhall.com/blog/g/bd79f9f6-bce1-4e18-a0d9-d534d26e1c6b

Then again, Huckabee loves to talk about Romney's Mormonism but apparently doesn't want to talk about his own.

http://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2007/12/huckabee-faith-baptist-pastor-sermons.html

This article says that Huckabee is refusing to make his sermons as a Baptist preacher public. Perhaps his anti-Mormon, anti-Gay, anti-anything-not-evangelical sentiments would be visible front and center if they were.

[jj]

Huckabee's sermons were preached at large Baptist churches before large crowds of all types of people. Anyone, anytime could record them. They are in the public domain, so to speak.

How many of you people who are not Mormons can visit a Mormon Temple? None. The word I have for most of you is hypocrite. It fits you perfectly, and you know who you are. Mormon temples are closed to the public, Baptist churches are open. Now which of these two entities are likely to be intolerant?

[ctrlds]

You are welcome to visit any Mormon church also. Mormon churches welcome all visitors. The Temple isn't used as a church. It is a place for making sacred ordinances. If you are not a baptised worthy member you have no reason to go inside. Before any temple is dedicated there are days of open houses so all can enter and see it for themselves. If the Baptists want to build their own temples and let only baptised worthy Baptists inside, I would have no problem with that. It would be their right. Huckabee could not have been a Baptist minister, President of the Baptist Convention in Arkansas, speak at the Salt Lake City conference without know lots about the LDS church. I'm sure he had preached about it plenty of times. I live in Arkansas, and I know the nonsense that passes as "teaching the people about mormonism" that goes on in the churches around here. Huckabee was surely lying when he said he didn't know much about the LDS church.