Richard Dawkins calls Mitt Romney 'gullible fool' over Mormon faith

[RonRules]

I'll just leave this here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...t-Romney-gullible-fool-over-Mormon-faith.html

Richard Dawkins on Sunday accused Mitt Romney of being a "massively gullible fool" as he launched into a furious tirade against the Republican's Mormon faith.

Britain's most prominent atheist attacked the core tenets of Mr Romney's religion, saying that the Church of Latter Day Saints' founding prophet was "a fraud" and that the presidential contender was "too stupid to see it".

"No matter how much you agree with Romney's economic policy, can you really vote for such a massively gullible fool?" asked Prof Dawkins during an outburst on Twitter that lasted several hours.

The Oxford academic focused his criticism on the Church's belief that its founder, Joseph Smith, was visited by an angel in 1820s New York, who guided him to a set of golden plates buried in a hill.
Smith claimed to have translated runes engraved on the plates, and compiled them into the Book of Mormon. The text describes how Jesus Christ appeared in the United States after the Crucifixion and how Adam and Eve went to the site of present-day Missouri after being expelled from the Garden of Eden.

Prof Dawkins said Smith was a "19th century charlatan" and that the Book's text appeared to be written in a falsified ancient tone, unlike the Bible and Koran which were "written in the language of their time".

Obama enlists daughters Malia and Sasha in final White House push 08 Sep 2012
Romney attacks Obama speech 07 Sep 2012

"Could you really vote for a man who thinks the Garden of Eden was in Missouri?" he said.
He also cited passages referring to the white race as "the chosen seed" and ordering death for any white person who took part in interracial sex. The Church disavowed the teaching in the 1970s and Mr Romney has described how he wept with joy when he learned the doctrine had been updated.

Prof Dawkins outburst appears to have been prompted by an appearance on Swedish television, where he was interviewed alongside Brandon Flowers, the frontman of the band The Killers and a prominent Mormon.

Mr Romney's campaign declined to comment on Prof Dawkins's remarks.

The academic last week accused the Democrats of "disgraceful vote-rigging" after the White House forced the party to re-insert religious references into its policy platform.

Earlier this year he speculated that Barack Obama was "probably an atheist" despite the President's claims to be a born-again Christian.

 

[cajuncocoa]

Attacks on people's faith and religion....not cool. That is all.

 

[mz10]

I don't by any means want to make broad generalizations, but why do so many atheists seem so...angry?

 

[RonRules]

I don't by any means want to make broad generalizations, but why do so many atheists seem so...angry?

Not angry at all, but rather bewildered, at least for me.

 

[DavidK]

I am a christian and I respect atheists. But I do not respect an atheist who insults my faith. Nor do I respect a christian who insults an atheist. Richard Dawkins is a very intelligent man, but he needs to keep his trap shut. In the political scene we should not be arguing about who believes in what religion. The most important thing is do they have a sane economic and foreign policy. Mittens fails in both of those categories. However that is no reason to go off on his Mormonism.

 

[DanK22]

A candidate's religious beliefs can impact their foreign policy and insofar as they do they're open to criticism. If Mitt believes that the world will end in his lifetime and that the beginning of the end involves Israel being under attack, then people are right to be concerned that he may consciously or unconsciously adopt a self-fulfilling foreign policy.

Another legitimate criticism, albeit more about the man than his faith, is Mitt's silent agreement with his religion's racist teachings, which have since been whitewashed.

 

[DavidK]

A candidate's religious beliefs can impact their foreign policy and insofar as they do they're open to criticism. If Mitt believes that the world will end in his lifetime and that the beginning of the end involves Israel being under attack, then people are right to be concerned that he may consciously or unconsciously adopt a self-fulfilling foreign policy.

Another legitimate criticism, albeit more about the man than his faith, is Mitt's silent agreement with his religion's racist teachings, which have since been whitewashed.

No, I just don't buy that. His religion is irrelevant. He'll do what he's told by the special interests or be shot like Reagan and JFK.

 

[Dr.3D]

Oh please, I seriously doubt Mitt has any convictions concerning his religious beliefs. I suspect he would flip flop on that just like anything else he believes would make people vote for him.

 

[DavidK]

Oh please, I seriously doubt Mitt has any convictions concerning his religious beliefs. I suspect he would flip flop on that just like anything else he believes would make people vote for him.

This..

 

[alucard13mmfmj]

 

[sailingaway]

Britain's 'most famous atheist' attacking faith isn't news, he'd say the same about any religion. Moving.

 

[sailingaway]

Oh please, I seriously doubt Mitt has any convictions concerning his religious beliefs. I suspect he would flip flop on that just like anything else he believes would make people vote for him.

also, this^^

 

[cajuncocoa]

Oh please, I seriously doubt Mitt has any convictions concerning his religious beliefs. I suspect he would flip flop on that just like anything else he believes would make people vote for him.

Yes, but it's not just an attack on Mitt's religious convictions...it's an attack on the Mormon faith in general.

Not cool.

 

[Dr.3D]

Yes, but it's not just an attack on Mitt's religious convictions...it's an attack on the Mormon faith in general.

Not cool.

Well, Dawkins likes to screw around that way. This is so full of fail, because talking about Mitt having any kind of convictions is a joke. The only convictions I would suspect he has is to getting elected.

 

[jmdrake]

So let's see. Atheist Richard Dawkins speculates Obama is also an atheist. And that makes Obama better than not only Romney, but also Ron Paul in the eyes of someone like Dawkins right? I mean seriously, does Dawkins think that your average Christian that believes that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, was buried in a tomb for 3 days, and then rose again under His own power any less gullible than he thinks Mitt Romney is? I'm no fan of Romney or Mormonism, but I wonder if Ron Paul's Christian beliefs would get any more approval from Dawkins?

I'll just leave this here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...t-Romney-gullible-fool-over-Mormon-faith.html

Richard Dawkins on Sunday accused Mitt Romney of being a "massively gullible fool" as he launched into a furious tirade against the Republican's Mormon faith.

Britain's most prominent atheist attacked the core tenets of Mr Romney's religion, saying that the Church of Latter Day Saints' founding prophet was "a fraud" and that the presidential contender was "too stupid to see it".

"No matter how much you agree with Romney's economic policy, can you really vote for such a massively gullible fool?" asked Prof Dawkins during an outburst on Twitter that lasted several hours.

The Oxford academic focused his criticism on the Church's belief that its founder, Joseph Smith, was visited by an angel in 1820s New York, who guided him to a set of golden plates buried in a hill.
Smith claimed to have translated runes engraved on the plates, and compiled them into the Book of Mormon. The text describes how Jesus Christ appeared in the United States after the Crucifixion and how Adam and Eve went to the site of present-day Missouri after being expelled from the Garden of Eden.

Prof Dawkins said Smith was a "19th century charlatan" and that the Book's text appeared to be written in a falsified ancient tone, unlike the Bible and Koran which were "written in the language of their time".

Obama enlists daughters Malia and Sasha in final White House push 08 Sep 2012
Romney attacks Obama speech 07 Sep 2012

"Could you really vote for a man who thinks the Garden of Eden was in Missouri?" he said.
He also cited passages referring to the white race as "the chosen seed" and ordering death for any white person who took part in interracial sex. The Church disavowed the teaching in the 1970s and Mr Romney has described how he wept with joy when he learned the doctrine had been updated.

Prof Dawkins outburst appears to have been prompted by an appearance on Swedish television, where he was interviewed alongside Brandon Flowers, the frontman of the band The Killers and a prominent Mormon.

Mr Romney's campaign declined to comment on Prof Dawkins's remarks.

The academic last week accused the Democrats of "disgraceful vote-rigging" after the White House forced the party to re-insert religious references into its policy platform.

Earlier this year he speculated that Barack Obama was "probably an atheist" despite the President's claims to be a born-again Christian.

 

[mczerone]

Dawkins is a gullible fool for his faith in the state.

 

[jmdrake]

A candidate's religious beliefs can impact their foreign policy and insofar as they do they're open to criticism. If Mitt believes that the world will end in his lifetime and that the beginning of the end involves Israel being under attack, then people are right to be concerned that he may consciously or unconsciously adopt a self-fulfilling foreign policy.

Let me see if I understand you. So you think that someone who believes that the end of the world will come about by the antichrist attacking Israel would try to fulfill that prophecy by in effect helping the antichrist?

Another legitimate criticism, albeit more about the man than his faith, is Mitt's silent agreement with his religion's racist teachings, which have since been whitewashed.

I'm not sure how the Mormons get around that. But I'm not sure how other groups get around burning people at the stake either.

 

[Dr.3D]

So let's see. Atheist Richard Dawkins speculates Obama is also an atheist. And that makes Obama better than not only Romney, but also Ron Paul in the eyes of someone like Dawkins right? I mean seriously, does Dawkins think that your average Christian that believes that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, was buried in a tomb for 3 days, and then rose again under His own power any less gullible than he thinks Mitt Romney is? I'm no fan of Romney or Mormonism, but I wonder if Ron Paul's Christian beliefs would get any more approval from Dawkins?

Of course not. Dawkins is the epitome of ignorant when it comes to faith.

You see, he is a dick!

 

[emazur]

Did Dawkins speak out against Obama when he was campaigning on religion in 2008?

Obama: "Secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering the public square. Our values should express themselves not just through our churches and synagogues, temples or mosques. They should express themselves through our government. We must heed the biblical call to lift the poor out of despair. I'll establish a new government council for faith based and neighborhood partnerships. The new name will reflect a new commitment. This council will not just be another name on the White House Organization chart. It will be a critical part of my administration."

 

[DanK22]

Let me see if I understand you. So you think that someone who believes that the end of the world will come about by the antichrist attacking Israel would try to fulfill that prophecy by in effect helping the antichrist?

Yes, that person probably wouldn't *start* the conflict but might consciously or unconsciously bring it about. Since we know that Mitt doesn't have beliefs or convictions - he has politically expedient preferences - it's his neocon foreign policy that worries me more than some belief in an 'end times'.

I'm not sure how the Mormons get around that. But I'm not sure how other groups get around burning people at the stake either.

The church changed their policy in 1978, Mitt was in his 30s and never spoke out against it. That should bother people.