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Summarized by Kent Larsen
Survey Says Pastors Prejudiced Against Mormon Politicians
PHOENIX, ARIZONA -- A survey of 518 pastors by Phoenix-based Ellison
Research indicates that they generally would not vote for a Mormon, but
would vote for a Jew. The survey was conducted earlier this year, before
Senator Joseph Lieberman was chosen as the Democratic nominee for US Vice
President.
The results indicate a heavy bias against Mormons. While 63% of those
surveyed said they would vote for a Jew and 64% said they would vote for a
Catholic, when asked about a Mormon candidate, their feelings were opposite:
76% said they would not vote for a Mormon, nearly as many as the 86% who
said they would not vote for a homosexual.
Ellison Research's president, Ron Sellers, says he thinks the anti-Mormon
bias is due to prejudices and misconceptions about Mormonism, and because
many pastors, especially protestant evangelicals, view Mormonism as a
threat, "The Mormon religion, because of its massive growth worldwide and
strong missionary activities, is seen by many as a threat, and if you've got
an organization you're concerned about, why would you suggest someone to be
the leader of the free world who comes from that organization?" Sellers said.
Source:
Gore trails Bush among U.S. Muslims
Amarillo TX Globe-News (Religion News Service) 19Oct00 T4
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