The Romney family converted Mitt's atheist father-in-law to Mormonism, AFTER he died. How incredibly disrespectful!

"Oh you may not be a member of our church right now, but you can't live forever."

Courtesy of Gawker:

Gawker's substantial Mormon readership has come through for us: Two readers have sent us confirmation that Edward Davies, Mitt Romney's militantly atheist father-in-law, was indeed posthumously converted to Mormonism by his family, despite the fact that when he was alive he regarded all religions as "hogwash." 

As we mentioned yesterday, Ann Romney's Welsh-born father (who Mitt mentioned in last night's debate to shore up his pro-immigrant bona fides) was an engineer, inventor, and resolute atheist who disdained all organized religion and raised his children accordingly. Davies, his son Roderick told the Boston Globe in 2007, regarded the faithful as "weak in the knees." But when Mitt began seeing Davies' daughter Ann, the Romney family launched a concerted effort to convert not only Ann but her entire family to Mormonism. And they were wildly successful: Within a year of meeting Ann, Mitt and his father had converted all three of Edward Davies' children. Days before she died in 1993, Ann Romney's mother asked to be converted as well. Edward Davies was the only member of his clan whose soul the Romneys never claimed for their church. 

Until he died. According to this entry in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' genealogical database, Davies was baptized as a Mormon at a "special family meeting" 14 months after his death: "All ordinances except sealing to spouse performed in Salt Lake Temple on 19 Nov 1993 in special family meeting," the entry says. (When we previously asked the church whether Davies had been baptized, a spokesperson told us that the information was available only to his family and church members. But it's apparently right there on the internet for those who know what to look for.)

Look I know I have taken some heat for being a little judgmental when it comes to religions, but does ANYBODY feel this is okay?

I am not completely insensitive and understand how people of a certain faith may worry that their loved ones will not share eternity with them if they are not saved or baptized into their belief system, but I can see no way that this is a reasonable response to that fear.

Besides is it not usually considered too late once the person has shuffled off this mortal coil?

Well not according to the Mormons:

Because all who have lived on the earth have not had the opportunity to be baptized by proper authority during life on earth, baptisms may be performed by proxy, meaning a living person may be baptized in behalf of a deceased person. Baptisms for the dead are performed by Church members in temples throughout the world. People have occasionally wondered if the mortal remains of the deceased are somehow disturbed in this process; they are not. The person acting as a proxy uses only the name of the deceased. To prevent duplication the Church keeps a record of the deceased persons who have been baptized. Some have misunderstood that when baptisms for the dead are performed the names of deceased persons are being added to the membership records of the Church. This is not the case.

Okay that just creeps me out!

It feels like some religious necrophilia or something.

By the way, the Mormons have also been in trouble for doing this to others, INCLUDING dead Jewish Holocaust victims.

Alright go ahead.  Tell me I am too sensitive, or that it is no big deal. I dare you.