Thoughts this morning

I listen to talk radio all day long. My favorite station is 760 WJR. I listen all day from Paul W to Frank Beckmann to Rush to Hannity to Mitch Albom and sometimes later. This morning, John McCulloch was filling in for Frank and when I turned on the radio, he was interviewing a man who belonged to the Ex-Mormon Foundation. They were discussing whether or not people should vote for Mitt Romney because he is LDS. I turned up the radio very loud so I could hear the conversation and started to feel myself get angry as I listened to this man. He said that people should not vote for Mitt because he has a goal to build the kingdom of God. I am wondering if that is not the goal of all religions? Don't Catholics and Episcopalians and Baptists and Jews want to build the kingdom of God? (This is a sincere question. Do they or not? I really want to know.) In addition, he discussed how there is no scientific evidence supporting Joseph Smith's First Vision. I would like the see the scientific evidence supporting Jesus Christ being raised from the dead. I want to see the ark that Moses built. I want to talk to the blind man that Christ healed. How do we know these things really took place? We don't. All religious beliefs must be based on faith. It takes faith to believe in God, to believe in the miracles of our Savior, and to believe that a 14 year-old-boy saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. I choose to believe these things. It's okay with me if people don't believe. But all religious beliefs take a certain measure of faith, no matter what they are. It doesn't make you strange or weird or crazy because your faith is different from someone else's. Thankfully we live in this great nation where we can choose to be Catholic or LDS or Atheist or Jewish or Scientologist or whatever. For this freedom, I am grateful.

As I kept listening, the phone lines were opened to listeners to call in and make comments. I soon heard a familiar voice identified as "John from Plymouth." It was my father-in-law. Bravo, to him for sounding calm, rational and intelligent and representing the LDS people as being the same.

I am unsure as to whether or not I will vote for Mitt in 2008. But its not because of his religious beliefs. I hope that intelligent people will vote based on record, accomplishments and position on the issues.