Huckabee’s “Innocent” Question

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The NY Times Magazine article on Gov. Huckabee is online. When I first saw the headlines last night (”Huckabee asks if Mormons believe Jesus, Satan are brothers“) I thought it was an Onion headline or an out-of-context jab by the media to keep the GOP Holy War stoked after last week’s speech. 

Even Huckabee’s campaign claims it was taken out of context.  But nothing on the substance of what he actually said.  How does a question like that even have a context? 

But the context doesn’t help after reviewing the NY Times (emphasis added, thanks EfM).

Huckabee is, indeed, a discreet fellow, but he has no trouble making his feelings known. He mentioned how much he respected his fellow candidates John McCain and Rudolph W. Giuliani. The name of his principal rival in Iowa, Mitt Romney, went unmentioned. Romney, a Mormon, had promised that he would be addressing the subject of his religion a few days later. I asked Huckabee, who describes himself as the only Republican candidate with a degree in theology, if he considered Mormonism a cult or a religion. ‘‘I think it’s a religion,’’ he said. ‘‘I really don’t know much about it.’’

I was about to jot down this piece of boilerplate when Huckabee surprised me with a question of his own: ‘‘Don’t Mormons,’’ he asked in an innocent voice, ‘‘believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?’’

This further confirms Krauthammer’s point that Huckabee wants to have it both ways on the Mormonism issue.  He refuses to answer questions if it’s a cult, Christian, or even politically relevant.  All he has to do is raise them.  (The religion editor for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is helpfully blogging that the AP got the story wrong and that Huckabee is right.)  As a Southern Baptist minister, Huckabee knows full well what he’s doing  by merely “asking” hot button questions among anti-Mormons.

Other points:

I appreciated the Church’s pushback when asked for comment.

A spokeswoman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Huckabee’s question is usually raised by those who wish to smear the Mormon faith rather than clarify doctrine.

Say what you will about Rep. Tancredo, but at least he condemns anti-Mormon politics (thanks Article VI).