Is a Mormon candidate for president good or bad for the Mormon Church?

Mitt Romney as a presidential candidate is a two-edged sword for the Mormon Church.

On the one hand it gives Mormons the opportunity to discuss their faith, yet on the other hand it creates problems, rather than opportunities, at the same time.

"So, let me see... your church believes in Baptism for the dead, yet a number of Mormons keep putting the names of famous dead people from history forward as names to be baptised? They go through lists of famous disasters like the sinking of the Titanic and of awful, wicked events like the Holocaust and events like the Mountain Meadows Massacre and put those names forward for baptism?"

"By the way, is it true your church was racist up until at least 1978, that it believed that black skinned people were cursed, as they had been less valiant that white people in the pre-existence?

"And didn't Brigham Young preach that mixed marriages were not only immoral, but should invoke an automatic death sentence for both parties?"

When confronted with such information the average Mormon will say: "You have been listening to horrible, evil anti-Mormons!" not wanting to believe that such information is true.

Yet it is true. So, the candidacy of Mitt Romney not only helps other people to learn about the history of the Mormon Church, it can teach its members something about the history of the Mormon Church. Is that a good or a bad thing for the Mormon church and for the individual members?

The Mormon Church should have an historical Truth and Reconciliation Committee to look at the history of the Mormon Church, warts and all. That is what it needs. But it is the last thing the current or future leadership of the Mormon Church wants. Which is a pity.

My wife, myself, the barbecue and the racist abuse aimed at us

We had a fascinating day, yesterday. We had been invited to a barbecue with a couple we are or were, friendly with.

He arrived an hour after he said he would (he always does, so we were expecting him to be late) but for some reason she decided to start up on him. She really ripped in to him and whilst we were sat, shocked, in their back garden, they continued the argument indoors.

Within seconds it had degenerated into a nasty physical fight, with both of them trading blows. We were then subject to a quick bout of racist abuse from him (he is a Sikh and she is white) and he advised that he "did not want f**king neighbours interfering in his business," and advised us to "f**k off" and he went on to refer to us as "white f**kers". This was especially and deeply offensive to my wife as her family originated in India before moving to Wales, so his remark was well out of order.

So, not unnaturally, we left.

An hour later he was round at our house, apologising, and inviting us round for the bloody barbecue! But he was unaware that we had heard his racist abuse. Actually, his racist outburst at me was hurtful, but it was my wife I felt for mostly, as he is fully aware that my wife is very proud of her Indian heritage.

From the attitude of his wife and of himself afterwards (you know what I mean by that, I am sure) it became clear that the fight was nothing but a charade! It would seem that she starts a fight, hits him, then goads him into hitting her, then they make up by rutting like goats!

Now, if they have the kind of sick relationship that believes that domestic violence is a normal and healthy part of a sexual relationship, then all I can say is: "Sorry, kids! No can do!"

I firmly believe that if a couple want to bash seven bells out of each other as part of a "loving" (sic) relationship, then that is their concern. However, I deeply, deeply resent a pair of arseholes trying to drag us into their sordid little dirty fantasy world.

I also have issues with this kind of behaviour interfering with the way the police deal with genuine cases of spousal abuse. After all, if the neighbours had dialed 999 and asked for the police to come, they would have found a happy, smiling (though scratched and bruised) couple. The police would have gone away, irritated that their time had been wasted.

But the next time they attend a report of spousal abuse they might not react as diligently as they might, remembering what had happened the last time they had received such a call. And a real victim of spousal abuse could be lying on the kitchen floor, dead, with a carving knife sticking out of their back.

Our friends (well, former friends?) quite clearly need counselling to help them understand that their behaviour is not normal, not safe and certainly is not appropriate. However, as they both seem firmly convinced that their behaviour is normal, then all the counselling in the world will not help them, and counselling is not an option for either of them, I would have thought.

The woman in the relationship whined to us recently that they do not seem able to keep friends. She blames it on the fact that they have a mixed relationship and that he drinks a lot. After their disgusting display yesterday, we suddenly realised that, in all probability, we are just the last in a long line of friends to suddenly realise what a sick pair of sad deviants they are...

Anyone else have weird 'friends' that make you go: "huhhhh?"