Pastor Calls Romney's Mormon Faith a 'Cult': Join the Live Chat
Reverend Robert Jeffress, an influential evangelical leader and megachurch pastor, is taking shots at Mitt Romney's faith. Today he called it a 'cult', while endorsing Romney's rival, Rick Perry. Pastor Jeffress also said the President governs by "un-Biblical principles". We'll ask the pastor about those comments. Plus, and "Occupy Wall Street" protesters coming under fire from lawmakers who worry the crowds will soon turn violent. Yet many of them praised the tea party for using many of the very same tactics. We're Keeping Them Honest.
Scroll down to join the live chat during the program. It's your chance to share your thoughts on tonight's headlines. Keep in mind, you have a better chance of having your comment get past our moderators if you follow our rules.
Here are some of them:
1) Keep it short (we don't have time to read a "book")
2) Don't write in ALL CAPS (there's no need to yell)
3) Use your real name (first name only is fine)
4) No links
5) Watch your language (keep it G-rated; PG at worst - and that includes $#&*)
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YES! 3 Women won the Nobel Peace prize!
Also nice to hear some news about Syria and Lybia. Would like to know more.
Boy are some of those Baptist going to be shock when and if they get to heaven and see who else is there.....Judge not lest thou be judge.
the whole idea of picking up vibrations as sound is really quite fascinating, when you really Think about it.
This is why our Nation is so Great! Our Founding Fathers were intelligent enough (thank God or whoever you believe in) to realize that our existance as a free Nation was due to separation of Church and State.....I still can go to Church whenever I want and so can any Muslim or Buddhist, or any Mormon....That is Freedom!!!!!!
I so agree with you. America is the greatest.
So true. Well stated.
Terrific post Greg! and i agree with you!
Or not go at all.
Dr. Sanjay is awesome! Love him XO
WOW!! I thought our democracy was based on separation of church and state and freedom of religion. Who is to say what belief are christian or cult. I also thought christian were not suppose to judge others, that it is a sin. These so called christian leaders violate their own belief. Personally I dont think you can legislate christianity. That is a relationship between an individual and their spiritual entity.
Awww. That is so wonderful! She can hear! What a modern miracle! SWEET!
The tears of joy are so moving. Love this story, BettyAnn.
I agree BettyAnn. A very touching moment. I hope the price will come down so others who need it can have it. It's terribel not to be able to hear.
Naming other religious groups "cults" sounds almost like a first step in attempting to limit their 1st Amendment rights to freedom of religion.
This is an argument that will not be won in this life. The correct name of the Mormon church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Mormons consider themselves Christians. They try to live a life with Christ as an example.
Maybe we better let Christ decide who is Christian and who is not.
Amen
The hard part of this occupy wallstreet protest, is everyone who has a gripe is going to try to use the attention for their various agendas. it isn't well organized, but it's good people are standing up and saying something instead of watching the hipocracy go on and on in Congress.
I agree Janis. Taking action makes people feel less powerless and hopeless and there is plenty of both going around.
Watch out when and if any of these groups DO organize. Dependent upon their intention, there are a variety of institutions that could end up bering the brunt
State legislators to Washington DC who encourage many bills to pass lobbyist
what is dangerous is when people succumb to a mob mentality and act like lemmings. they see something shiny and flashy and endorsed, and rather than thinking and feeling things through for themselves, they simply follow the masses. what is dangerous is when the actual origins of the leaders of the masses have their own motivations that do not exist for the good of the nation.
Another excellent and true post lisal. You are making so many good points i can't keep up with. Keep them coming!
starr – i'm blushing.
just feeling rather philosophical this weekend, actually
He is right ! The greed in the government is killing this country.
Anderson stand your ground. I agree with you. The Tea Party & the Wall St. group (although i don't know eithers missions statement, if they have one).
Aren't the Wall st. people peaceful too?
Oh God, my head is spinning listening to this woman. She makes no sense to me. Wall streeters are about Corp. "greed", not Capitalism. There is a difference.!
Anderson does need to stand his ground! He does! I have the upmost respect for AC! Thanks Starr! XO
i agree Amy Kremer out of touch with ordinary American
Many tea party members look and act like ordinary Americans. We maybe are just of a different political party but that doesn't mean those in other parties are not ordinary.
no more than rick perry gave to charities last yearf has no right to call himself a christian and any preacher has no right to defend him
Herman Cain has said some crazy stuff. That's a pretty paranoid view of the Wall Street protest movement claiming that the current administration has somehow started it to draw attention away from perceived mistakes of Obama. What?? Ridiculous Mr. Cain.
coalesce. what a good word. the similarity between the tea party and the wall street occupiers is that they are both random groups coalescing and this is a pattern of nature, both on this earth and in the expanse of space. the ability of these groups to actually form something concrete and lasting may need a catalyst, but certainly the voices of leadership. the formulation of these groups is the same – the final state of these groups depends on how they evolve over time.
Wall Street did what it did because their money and influence made it legal. Banking deregulation they spent billions lobbying for.
Absolutely right. The did because they could.
In Total agreement with Both of you!
Wall Street out of spending and they add their debt on our homes
Robert Jeffress is very scary! As a practicing Christian, I find him very unchristian.
I would not compare the Wall Street and Tea Party movement. I didn't see the Tea Party demonstrating against anything except government so I would not expect President Obama to support them. I think it's a terrible mistake for President Obama to take sides in the demonstrations against Wall Street; it just supports what people say about his interest in class warfare. And the fact that the well healed unions are participating certainly makes one wonder.
Is she crazy? Does she know how she sounds? The early tea party people were not organized. they all had different things on their signs and differrent reasons for being at the protest. The only thing they really had in common was the hatred of Obama! They had people out there with guns for goodness sakes.
Feeling that the government is spending too much does not mean hatred of the President.
I still think we should respect the President. We need to unite! Come on Americans.
HiBettyAnn! I agree. What i remember from the initial Tea Party movements were all of the disrespectful signs of Obama, not any high minded rhetoric.
This country is starting to scare me (only sometimes-smile)
Yes, the fair left MSM went out of their way to find those signs, the few that there were.
Should we respect our governors as well; I assume so.
Differance is they are not financed by special interests. They should pray these kids don't organize.
Yesterday we had occupy Nashville it was peace and good
How many tea party groups out there? We don’t know
How many tea party leaders out there ? We don’t know
Who was John the Baptist.? The Baptist believe they are "the we group" The Baptist belief is that they are the only way to heaven. They are dogmatic. My Mother used to say it is easier to get a sinner to heaven, then a Baptist. What a pious jerk...and people follow him...that is a cult. He know nothing about Obama but he calls him a christian because he says he it. What if this pastor thinks Obama could possibly be Muslim. I am not Morman but I do know that they are good people and they take care of their own including orphans and elderly. Visit a morman and ask to see his garage...it will be filled with food for those in need.
Thank you Anderson for calling attention to the republicans hypocrisy. concerning tea party/wall street sit in.
Say you want a revolution? I think I smell one in the US. It's just a matter of time before it becomes violent. The people will have their say! Speak up America!
I don't think the politicians are seeing what's going on. I think the Occupy Wallstreet group just want to have a government that represents 'the people' not corporations. Too much corporate Wall Street involvement in the government and I agree with them.
Our founding fathers even though many were devout Christians saw the need of seperation of church and state...this guest tonight is a prime example exactly of why church and state should be seperated .
Anderson,the discussion of religion is really a conversation in futility,it's really a trap,because everyone thinks the way they believe or worship is the best way,and for anyone to think they know the true heart of a man by what they confess out of their mouths is fooling themselves,being that most if not all people tell lies.It does not matter what one say they believe,it matters of what actions they make.To argue points of religion gets in the way of mankind improving on how we treat each other.Its another way of labeling people as who's right or wrong,they use the same practice with race,and sexual orientation,I have the opinion live and let live and be kind to each other,no matter religion,race or sexual orientation.
Protestantism was created by King Henry IIIV...doesn't that make it a theological cult in the eyes of Pastor Jeffress? It is man-made, as Mormonism is. Maybe before he attacks another religion he should better understand his own. Also, way to go Anderson Cooper, you could see the Pastor becoming irritated towards the end of the interview. Love it!
The Bible says to judge righteously! Everyone in America who claims to be a Christian is not a Christian! Wake up! Claiming to be a Christian for many is just a way to "appear" as if you have it together. Mormonism is a cult, along with every other religion started by a man or woman!
Is everyone suffering mass phychosis down there? That is the only excuse for the ugly statements made by both church leaders and political candidates in your country, they all sound so ignorant. Everyone says they are speaking for God.....I can only say God help us!
Good evening friends! I think the Baptist pastor from Dallas is out of line. He called Mitt Romney a non christian. Wow! What happened to " Thou shall not judge"?
Mr. Cooper please ask Jeffress how much money has been donated to his church by the Perry political machine.
Good evening every one
I appreciate Robert Jeffress, for appearing in the show but I totally disagree with his comments
Don’t vote for Mormon but vote for any moron wow
This guy is crazy. I am a Christian but I believe in the separation of church and state. I do think that the Church of Latter Day Saints is a cult and they are not Christian. They believe that Jesus was a prophet. They believe in multiple gods and that through good works individuals (Mormon's) can be elevated to the same 'level" as Jesus.
I find it absolutely amazing how many people will make statements about the beliefs of we, the Mormons, without understanding Mormon theology. Please do not attempt to discuss something you know nothing about.
If Christians are not talking about Jews or dropping bombs on innocent Muslims base on lies of WMD, they are attacking one another. No wonder in this majority Christian country so many people are Atheist. The Southern Baptist need to know that Jesus was a Jew. I guess they would not vote for Jesus either. Now we know why Jesus warned "There shall be many who shall come in my name and shall deceive you". To the Southern Baptist I say, Pick up the Serpent and drink all deadly things...AMEN
WOW- great quote re: Jesus.
The epitome of fanatical religion is at it's finest moment with this pastor. Not only does he defile the constitution by trying to sway votes by inciting religious views before political views as a negative by not being a certain type of Christian. With over 1400 variants of Christianity, does this guy think that all of them but his are cults? This is the sickness of America.
This republic has one famous and endearing quality that makes it unique in all the world and that is : Freedom of Religion. This also means freedom FROM religion. I will not vote for anybody who lets an entire section of a religion slam another like this twirp in Texas Robert Jeffress has done. His bigoted views disgust me, no matter how well he may try to show off his so called knowledge on theologies.
I can't stand people who look like bobble head dolls with fake smile.
this fracturing and hair-splitting over religious idealism just seems to explode during political hot-spot season. is this not why it was suggested somewhere that the idea of separation of church and state might be a sensible productive one?? this is where differences in religions actually fracture societies instead of having those who believe themselves to be "good people of society" pulling together for the greater good.
Very well said lisal!
Good evening everyone.
I think most religious movements can probably be labeled a cult depending on what moment in history you compare things to. The Romans may have labeled Christianity a cult if they had the vocabulary for that word then.
The only problem I would have with a Mormon president of US, would be if The Prophet of the Church had a revelation that disagreed with his duties as President of the US, would Romney follow his Constitutional duties or the revelations of The Prophet of the LDS church (pres. Momson)? Somebody really needs to ask Romney that question at some point in time.
The LDS church specifically has a policy of non-involvement or support of candidates. It will support causes that relate to morality.
The church does not ever exert influence on it's members serving in political office, other than the obvious influence of the religious teachings.
For information, Mormons elected to high office include such diverse political individuals as Harry Reid, Democratic senate Majority leader, Orrin Hatch, Republican senator from Utah, Mitt Romney and John Huntsman.
They're not all my cup of tea, but Romney certainly is and I'm not Mormon.
Oh, i missed the part where he is "advising" his congregration Not to vote for Romney.
What happened to separattion of church & state?!
There is an arm of my family that my son married into who believe this way completely. They are fundamental evangelicals to the max. This is huge all over the place but very much so in the south. I don't think the Mormon faith is "traditionally" Christian as most Christian denominations follow, but I would never judge that and it certainly shouldn't matter in someone qualified to run for President.
Thank you for your comment Sharon. I know there are many (mostly Southern & some SW) that are "born again." I have a sister who is such.
I simply believe in a loving God, without any judgement against any other religions or people as long as they are not violent.
Live & let live, but NO religion in politics!!
What a moron. This is why religion has no place in politics. He believes Islam, Budhisam etc are all cults. We are talking about close to 4 billion people. Look at him. All of 5 ft tall and full of hate.
Good evening Anderson & Team 360 – TGIF
Hello sound off friends – TGIF
Rev. Jeffers really put his "foot in his mouth" as far as i'm concerned. And to also say that there are people who call themselves Christian but "are not". How does he know?!
Didn't Catholics pre-date the Evangalists?
This man is ignorant in the Worst way. I doubt that Jesus would "judge" Any that believe in God and./or Christ!
Greetings and salutations all...
Good evening everyone. Well, these Republicans keep finding ways to shoot themselves in the foot and embarrass their party. Thankfully I don't think most of the folks in that party believe the way this minister does. The far right conservatives always criticize the eastern folks who might have gone to Ivy league schools perhaps as "elitist". Now we have an element in the Republican party who are apparently "Christian elitists". These evangelicals think they are better Christians than other Christians or others in general for that matter. Judge not......
Love your post Sharon!
I think there is a lot of emphasis placed on very small segments of our society and what they say or think with the hope that a wider brush will label all Republicans, Tea Party members and/or conservatives that way. It would be like airing the far left every night.
Good Evening Everyone! Greetings!