Romney Gave Millions to the Mormon Church - Did it Fund Proposition 8?

I have always maintained that if one has nothing to hide, then you don't act like you do and hold back information as if you are striving hard to hide information. A case in point is Mitt Romney's refusal to date release of his tax returns. Yes, it goes without saying that some will be appalled by Romney's wealth and his apparent inability to remotely understand the world in which most Americans find themselves living. There may, however, be even bigger reasons for Mitt wanting to hide his tax returns. One such reason may be his nearly $2 million dllar gift to the Mormon Church. No doubt some of the Christianists will foam at the mouth and see such a huge gift as proof that Romney is not "really Christian." The other reason is that the gift coincided with the Mormon Church's effort to funnel large amounts of money into California to insure passage of Proposition 8. ABC News looks at Romney's largess to the Mormon Church. Here are some highlights:

Underscoring the prominent, if little discussed role that Mitt Romney played as a Mormon leader, the private equity giant once run by the GOP presidential frontrunner carved his church a slice of several of its most lucrative business deals, securities records show, providing it with millions of dollars worth of stock in some of Bain Capital's most well-known holdings.

Romney has always been a major donor to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which requires that members "tithe," or give 10 percent of their income to the church. His family charity, called the Tyler Foundation, has given more than $4 million to the church in the past five years, including $1.8 million in 2008 and $600,000 in 2009.

Newly uncovered stock contributions made during Romney's Bain days suggest there is another dimension to Romney's support for the church -- one that could involve millions more than has been previously disclosed.

Romney has spoken about the 30 months he spent in France as a missionary, but his role within the church as an adult is largely unexplored. Shipps said Romney has held several significant posts within church leadership, including bishop and "stake" president, a leadership post that covers a sizeable geographic area and requires a significant commitment of time.

I will leave it for readers - and the stry Christianists who read this blog - to reach their own conclusions. However, the timing of major donations do correlate nicely with the Mormon Church's anti-gay activities in California.