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Baptism after death: Mormons foiled by Vatican

  The Catholic Church has instructed local clergy  - especially in Salt Lake City and thereabouts - to refrain from  opening their archives to those who often request information through the Genealogical Society of Utah. The reason is to avoid a practice  "which violates the privacy of individuals and, in addition, would involve cooperation in the erroneous practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.”
   And what are these practices?  The belief that one's  ancestors can be saved through “posthumous baptism.”  Look at the Genealogical Society's own site and you find it in the small print:
    "....through religious rites performed in holy temples, husbands and wives, parents and children can receive the promise that they can be united forever-even after death. They believe that temple blessings are available to those that have died as well as those who are now living. Thus, members of the Church fill strongly motivated to seek information about their deceased ancestors and participate in temple rites in their behalf. They believe that those who are dead retain their identity and free will and therefore can either accept or reject the rites performed for them."
    Spooky.  But on the other hand, surely you have a right to your family tree, whatever mad ceremonies you propose to carry out round great-grandad's name?

Romney gets GBH advice

Mitt Romney's response to the death of Gordon B Hinckley is tracked by the Beliefnet site's God-o-Meter (very useful for US election anoraks on supertuesday).  Least overwhelming revelation is what happened when Mitt asked Gordon about running for President:
“I was in Salt Lake and had the chance to go by him and see him and told him that our family was going to be thinking about running for president,” said Mr. Romney. “He smiled and said it would be a great experience if you won and a great experience if you lost".

Why Mormons have fewer heart attacks

If you're reading this tucking into your lunch prepare to feel convicted. A more edifying story about Mormons today, as a study has found they are less prone to heart attacks because of their custom of fasting one day a week  month.

"Researchers found the odds of being diagnosed with the illness were lowered by 45 per cent in people who fasted."

They even took into account the fact that Mormons also don't smoke or drink and still found fasting to be a factor in lowering risk.

Presumably though Mormons don't binge after their fast as I would be inclined to do. They do though give the money they would have spent on food to help those who can't afford to eat.

The Economist's Utah diary has some interesting insights in to the goings on of the Mormon community.

Joanna Sugden

Furious Aussie turns tables on doorstep Mormons shock

  For connoisseurs of grumpy militant atheism here’s a ranting Youtube. The Australian filmmaker John Safran got so fed up with Mormons ringing his doorbell early in the morning that he flew to Salt Lake City Utah and knocked on their doors instead, to convert them to atheism.  Rude words alert, level 1.  But I’m afraid it is very funny...

How electable are Mormons?

Never mind the agonizing, yet strangely dull , question of whether Tony Blair would have been elected so convincingly if he were a Catholic.  In the US these religious sensibilities really buzz.  This is a good article asking whether it really matters that the erstwhile Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is a Mormon.

Romney has been attacked by the other candidates for his faith but on Friday hit back and a website has just been launched in his name to dispel myths about Mormonism.

Other presidential candidates have been faith bound this weekend. Giuliani's views on abortion upset Catholic leaders . Obama declared that faith has a role in politics but the Irish Independent also note that he attacks the "hijacking of religion" by evangelical Christians for political purposes.... in the same speech.

Mormons: problems and public relations

There is concern in Arizona over a rare genetic disorder, spreading through the polygamous families of the offshoot of the  Mormon faith, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS)  "Arizona"  says Dr Theodore Tarby, a paediatric neurologist,  "has about half the world's population of known fumarase deficiency patients".  It is a rare mental retardation; and the community only numbers some 100,000 people,  who shun outsiders.  Reuters reports.

But in general,   Mormon elders themselves are becoming more willing to speak to the outside world about their lives and beliefs, in a revealing q & a.