Mitt Romney's favorite novel: Battlefied Earth

[ChumpDumper]

Mitt’s new flip-flop is out of this world
By Jessica Heslam
Boston Herald Media Reporter
Wednesday, May 2, 2007 - Updated: 12:16 PM EST

Already under scrutiny for shifting positions on key issues and his Mormon faith, presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has made a bizarre new flip flop - saying on national TV his favorite novel is Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard’s “Battlefield Earth.”

The former Massachusetts governor told Fox News his favorite book was the Bible but his favorite novel was the science fiction tome “Battlefield Earth.”

“Actually, the one by L. Ron Hubbard,” Romney said when asked to name his favorite novel. “I’m not in favor of his religion by any means, but he wrote a book called ‘Battlefield Earth’ that was a very fun science fiction book.”....

http://news.bostonherald.com/politics/view.bg?articleid=198006&srvc=home

A mormon pandering to scientologists?

[whottt]

Battlefield Earth is a Great Book....one of the best Sci-Fi Novels ever IMO.

Now the movie...that's another thing entirely.

[Spurminator]

Has anyone watched the Mormon documentary on PBS? I caught about 15 minutes of it and it looked interesting, so I DVRed it, but I'm wondering if it's worth 4 hours of my time.

[Lebowski Brickowski]

Has anyone watched the Mormon documentary on PBS? I caught about 15 minutes of it and it looked interesting, so I DVRed it, but I'm wondering if it's worth 4 hours of my time.
just ffwd the commercials :p:

[boutons_]

I didn't catch the PBS show, but a couple of reviews said it was excellent and fairly even-handed, non-judgemental.

=================

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/04/30/arts/Mormon190.jpg

April 30, 2007

TV Review | 'The Mormons'

Modern-Day Look at History of the Latter-Day Saints

By NEIL GENZLINGER

A proposition: If your beliefs are any good, you needn’t be afraid to bring them out into the light. The proof: “The Mormons,” a thoughtful two-part series tonight and tomorrow on PBS. The tenets of the Mormon church may not be to everyone’s tastes, but the church members and leaders who speak in this program are admirably forthright about their religion’s history, strengths and challenges. It’s great to hear people who believe in something and can articulate it without sounding crazy or defensive.

“The Mormons” is the first joint production of “American Experience,” the history series, and “Frontline,” the public-affairs program. The history side, which dominates tonight, is the strongest.

The installment would be interesting enough if it merely related the fascinating story of the founding and evolution of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the religion more commonly known as Mormonism. But it also manages to mix in, through some well-chosen talking heads, an intriguing discussion of what faith is, what religion is and what the Mormon story has in common with Judaism, Islam and early Christianity.

The religion began with revelations to Joseph Smith in Palmyra, N.Y., in the 1820s, most notably the Book of Mormon, which he said was delivered to him on golden tablets. The resulting church, the program notes, is distinctive in that it was created in the United States and it is relatively young; its founding events are not shrouded in centuries of historical mist. That has made it an easy target for skepticism and scientific inquiry, but this program is not really interested in knocking down the church’s pillars. “All religion depends on revelation,” Harold Bloom is heard to say. “All revelation is supernatural.”

The persecutions endured by the early Mormons as they were driven west into Utah are starkly chronicled — the parallels to Judaism and other religions are unmistakable — and so is the gruesome flip side: the Mountain Meadows massacre of 1857, in which 120 people in a wagon train traveling through Utah were murdered by Mormons. Part I ends with the church in transition as the 19th century winds down, trying to fit into modern America.

Part II opens with a promise to explore how the church went from being denounced by American presidents in the 1880s to having its famed singers, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, perform at presidential inaugurations a century later. But the promise isn’t really fulfilled. The installment ends up being a disjointed collage of personal stories from believers and critics. Two leading Mormon politicians, Harry Reid of Nevada, the Senate majority leader, and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, the Republican presidential candidate, merit brief mentions early on, but are never seen again.

Yet the portrait of the modern-day church, which the program says has 12 million members worldwide, is compelling nonetheless. Some of its teachings — that marriage is eternal, that family is primary — have an undeniable beauty, and if the church isn’t shy about using excommunication to discourage deviance, even those who have been driven out speak of it with a certain affection.

There is a split personality at work here: Mormonism has clearly evolved — denouncing the polygamy it once sanctioned, for instance — but today seems determined to stand fast on issues like homosexuality. Marlin K. Jensen, a historian of the church, provides one of the program’s most compelling moments when he speaks to that subject head-on.

“If you’re going to live your life within the framework of the gospel and within the framework of our doctrine,” he says, “then you’ve got to choose to marry someone of the opposite sex, and if you can’t do that honestly, then your choice has to be to live a celibate life. And that is a very difficult choice.” Of those who have to make it, he says, “My heart goes out to them.” And you believe him.

THE MORMONS

Tonight on most PBS stations (check local listings).

Produced and directed by Helen Whitney; Jane Barnes and Ms. Whitney, writers; Ted Winterburn, editor; David Fanning, Frontline executive producer; Sharon Grimberg, American Experience series producer; Mark Samels, American Experience executive producer; Michael Sullivan, Frontline executive producer for special projects. Produced by Frontline and American Experience (WGBH/Boston) and Helen Whitney Productions.

[ChumpDumper]

Like most of the recent Frontline shows, you can watch the one about mormons online.

http://www.pbs.org/mormons/?campaign=pbshomefeatures_3_frontlineamericanexper iencethemormons_2007-05-02

PS: I don't have a problem with Mitt's religion. His flip-flopping, however, is the stuff of legend.

[leemajors]

Has anyone watched the Mormon documentary on PBS? I caught about 15 minutes of it and it looked interesting, so I DVRed it, but I'm wondering if it's worth 4 hours of my time.

my brother said it was fascinating.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Battlefield earth, and most Hubbard novels seem to be wayyy too fucking longwinded, i mean this guy makes Frank Herbert sound like a monk who has taken a vow of silence.

I actually liked the movie, at least it was in the top 3 sci fi movies for the year it came out :wakeup

[mookie2001]

he makes Carroll Quigley look like Brian Brendel

[Extra Stout]

Like most of the recent Frontline shows, you can watch the one about mormons online.

http://www.pbs.org/mormons/?campaign=pbshomefeatures_3_frontlineamericanexper iencethemormons_2007-05-02

PS: I don't have a problem with Mitt's religion. His flip-flopping, however, is the stuff of legend.
I suspect that "massachusetts" is the Algonquin word for "flip-flop."

[Sec24Row7]

Battlefield earth is one of my favorite books too...

The movie was a fucking disgrace...

[RandomGuy]

Battlefield Earth is a Great Book....one of the best Sci-Fi Novels ever IMO.

Now the movie...that's another thing entirely.


I wouldn't say greatest.

"In Conquest Born" by C.S. Friedman was much better in my opinion.

[101A]

I caught the documentary.

I figure if John Smith hadn't been assassinated he would have been exposed during his lifetime for the fraud and opportunistic cult-leader that he was (dude wanted to bang others guys' wives, so all of a sudden the lord appear in a dream and tells him: Polygamy ="Good")! Not to mention that the original "revelations" changed dramatically over the course of the first 12 years of their existence; and that is documented is Smith's writings. His own position and orders from God became more and MOre and MORE prominent as the years went on, and he retold the story).

Since the Temple can excommunicate its members, and being excommunicated means you CANNOT enter the divine afterlife with your family; NECESSARILY anybody who is a member of that, errrr, religion, is beholden to that temple for THEIR eternal salvation. Yes, other human beings determine whether or not you get to go to heaven.

As much as many are wary of Bush praying to God for guidance, how about praying to other, non-elected, people?

Can't vote for a Mormon after watching that piece.