I am backspacing over what I just wrote because I think it's just getting into a completely different subject than what the OP addresses, and for my part in that, I do apologize. I just think it's so odd that people can profess such beliefs against a religion, and therefore Romney, they don't seem to understand. (Understanding something and agreeing with something are two separate issues.)

There's a lot of misinformation out there, just as there is a lot of misinformation on a number of other cultures and religions. Worse, we're (not me or you, necessarily, but the general us) using misinformation instead of track records and performance to judge our political candidates. Again, I'm no Romney fan, but his Mormonism has nothing to do with that.

I'm not in line with the idea that Mormonism is all welcoming until you want to enter the temple and are considered "unclean." I'm also not on board with the whole women subservient to men belief, but that's not exclusive to Mormons.

I'm not sure that I would vote for a Mormon, but that's mainly based on what their beliefs would lead their political leanings to be. I'm not socially conservative.

Ugh. I just finished reading the rest of the article. Nothing but absolute lies. Especially regarding everything it said about marriage, divorce, and well, everything else too. Ugh.

My friend took the tour that is offered of the temple in Salt Lake City, so my knowledge comes from what was told to her directly from the Mormon tour guides. I don't know about all the historical stuff, but the subservience thing is definitely emphasized. I'll have to catch her later to have her tell me again what was said, but it did not leave a good impression on her.

Sorry you had to read a loser internet source, Bill.

I'd never vote for Romney because he's a Republican. Romney has said that he believes the American political system connects with his religion and he believes that the power of the U.S. is a God-given gift to be used to dominate other parts of the world. The U.S. would extend its role of being the world's policeman, just because Romney happens to believe that God would favor the U.S.

Would I vote for a Mormon if s/he were a Democrat? If a Mormon's political beliefs coincided with mine, then I'd consider voting for that candidate. I part company with Romney over his politics.

As for the live-and-let-live thing, my understanding is the Mormon Church believes all other Christian churches are in a state of apostasy, meaning that they are inferior in their Christian beliefs. It's rather similar to the pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic Church that regarded Protestants as not in the fullness of the Christian faith. To my knowledge, this is the position of the Mormon Church at the present time - otherwise, why would they send their missionaries out to convert other Christians? Unless you're baptized and converted to Mormonism, you're outside the Pearly Gates. Eternal life is not accessible.

My husband was told by a Mormon who tried to convert him on the shores of Bear Lake in Idaho that being a Lutheran was a positive step beyond Catholicism but was not yet acceptable to the more advanced revelation of the Mormon Church. He said "You're half-way there but you haven't gotten there yet."

FYI....one of only two GOP Senators opposed to the Iraq war is a member of The Church of Latter Day Saints.

For what it's worth;)

With everything else being equal between two candidates, I would vote for the atheist every time. Every time.

It hasn't come up as often as I would have expected, but while the best known Mormon politicians seem to be Republican (before Romney, Orrin Hatch is probably the one most would have named), the current Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, is Mormon.

So if one wants a Democratic version of the question, there's one. The other four Mormon senators are Republicans. In the House 7 of 10 are Republicans.

All else being equal, abso-freakin-lutely. I am in the minority here, by a considerable margin, but that's ok. If issues and all else put two candidates on a level playing field, the atheist would easily get my vote.

What concerned me about listening to Mitt this morning was not that he was a Mormon, but how religion would clearly define him and his decisions. He was careful to say that his personal religious beliefs would not guide his policy (hard to believe, but I'll take it on it's face for the sake of argument) but that belief in a "creator" would certainly define his administration. Not that this would technically be different than many if not all that preceded him, but he seemed far more adamant about it than is typically discussed from mainstream candidates and I have to admit frankly that it scared me a little.

Oh yeah, if there was no other differentiation between a non-atheist and an atheist. Then I would throw my lot to the atheist.

But if the only differentiation is between a Mormon and a person of some different faith/religion then it wouldn't really matter at all.

I don't expect to be offered the first choice within my lifetime (and being a materialistic atheist I also don't expect to be offered any choices after my lifetime either).