Presidential candidate Mitt Romney (R) must be tired of people misrepresenting his religious views by now, as his rather heated discussion with an Iowa radio host shows. But more important to the voting public is that during the discussion, he made it clear that he would not impose his religious views on anyone.
“My church says I can’t drink alcohol, right? OK, should I say, as governor of Massachusetts, we are stopping alcohol sales? No. My religion is for me and how I live my life. So don’t confuse what I do, as a member of my faith, with what I think ought to be done by government.”
In other words, what part of “separation of church and state” don’t you understand?
That is a great answer. And in fact, while he was governor of Massachusetts, he managed to keep his religious beliefs to himself.
That’s not to say that because Romney was a Mormon, he could do no wrong as governor. Sure, he did nothing as governor, but that had nothing to do with being a Mormon.
As for his beliefs, I’m not a Mormon and don’t know much about the religion itself. I’ve known many Mormon’s and, as a group, they are people of high morals and character.
its pragmatic effect is to encourage people to become their best selves, to strive for good, to love their families, to be good citizens.
Who could possibly be afraid of that?
Regardless of what some pundits say, morals and character do matter in a president. Should people dismiss Mitt Romney simply because he professes faith in a minority religion? I think not.
Why not take the time to watch the discussion? The Republicans have a very good cast of characters running for President this time around, don’t listen to someone else’s opinion, form your own.
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Good piece. I heard Hugh Hewitt make some reference to this radio interview as a “set-up” (of course, I take Hewitt with a grain of salt on this candidate, since he has been a shill for Romney since writing “A Mormon in the White House”).
My concerns about Romney aren’t based on his religion. They are more based on his convenenient recent conversions to the conservative side on some social issues. Plus, I am trying hard to convince myself that a governor from modern day Massachussetts could really be a strong conservative.
Having said that, will Romney be the sacrificial lamb for Mormonism like Al Smith was for Catholicism? Does the first candidate for president who belongs to a non-mainstream protestant faith always have to lose? As narrow-minded as it may be, there are folks who will absolutely not vote for him, based on his religion. In these elections, every vote counts, and that could be enough to sink his candidacy (not to mention he poll poorly right now against the Dems).
The GOP is in deep do-do.
No president should be voted on because of their religion. He did good to tell Mickelson that in so many words. Why do the MSM keep bringing it up…they need to stick to the issues at hand and all. Ignoramuses will not vote for him because of his religion.
HAL?…What did I say?!?! It was clean.
HAL is empty.
I’ll never forgive Romney for the crap he said about Houston. It was juvenile, opportunistic, and utterly tactless. Those same adjectives also describe his attempts to convince voters of his sincerely when his ideology completely changes simply because he starts running for president.
But refuse to vote for him because of his Mormonism? I won’t do that. I personally think it’s an odd faith, but certainly not as weird as that race-centric church Obama attends (he should be catching far more flak than Romney over this).
Didn’t we have a “Mormons aren’t Christians” thread here a while back?
I thought it was a “Midgets aren’t Christians” thread…
As we listen to Romney and complain about this or that, let me remind everyone there is a candidate who is conservative and has the record to prove it. Dunan Hunter. I am not pushing him as a candidate but wonder why he is ignored. Hamous says it’s cause we are told he can’t win. Who makes that decision? Are we always lead around?
The last sitting member of the House to win the presidency was . . . ?
Garfield. I think he’s the ONLY one to do so.
10.
So Hunter’s got his work cut out for him, eh?
Besides he’s made his share of idiotic comments, like how Bush might be subject to impeachment because he’s not doing what Hunter wants done on the border. What a schmuck.
#11 Rick, Probaby so, however he is consistantly conservative. A schmuck maybe, but there is no i was for prochoice before i am not prochoice. Nor is there any, I banned guns before I went hunting bs. I am just saying….. we eat our own.
Having lived in Boston while Mitt was governor I do have some observations. He may have been prochoice prior to his election, but did, on a consistent basis, govern as prochoice. He was in strong support for parental notification for minors seeing abortion and vetoed stem cell research using live embryos. As you might guess that was NOT a position calculated to win a lot of public support in Massachusetts where abortion is almost a sacrement. Mitt is NOT my guy in the upcoming GOP primaries, but I would not have any problems voting for him in a general election, considering the other options….
OOPS MEANT TO SAY HE GOVERNED AS PROLIFE, I AM INDEED A KLUTZ…..
Thanks for sticking up for 1 Romney 2 Mormons in general. I believe that if people of ‘regular Christianity’ were to spend time with LDS people they would realize how much we are alike. I’d love to see a graph of ‘Christian’ beliefs by sect and contrast them with LDS theology and the Scriptures. It would be very instructive. However, to say that Tha Book of Mormon ‘reads like Ron Hubbard meets Jerry Garcia’ is a little dissappointing. There is much to be gained in regard to understanding the ‘plain and precious things’ which were taken from the BIble through a combination of error, forgery and priestcraft. The Book of Mormon is indeed the Word of God, spoken to a branch of Israel on the ‘islands of the sea’. ( as prophesied by Isaiah and Ezekiel ) Please don’t make it into a UFO storey.
plonker, you are correct, I should have cut that sentence in half. Which I just did and I think it reads just as well if not better. If people want to read the whole story, they can click the link.
I apologize for that.
The differences between the various branches of Christianity have nothing on the differences between the LDS religion and Biblical Christianity. The dubious status of the Book of Mormon aside, the “D&C” and the Temple ceremonies are about as non-Christian as you can get. The LDS view of the nature of God and Jesus are anything but Christian. Trust me, I am not speaking from some outside-looking-in point of view, either.
Oh, and the “Pearl of Great Price” definitely reads like L. Ron meets Jerry Garcia.
HARRY REID IS A MORMON?!?!?
Wow. Talk about incongruities.
Oh, for clarification, if you are a practicing Mormon, then that’s fine. My only issue here is that Mormonism is not Christianity. It is a separate and distinct religion that happens to use some of the same names…
If I can vote for a Christian, I guess I can vote for a Mormon too. If Reagan can vote for FDR 4 times and become a conservative, then so can Romney. I respect him far more than Thompson.
Jimb, The problem with ‘Biblical Christianty’ is that It has been tainted by a 3rd Century ‘coup’. Before that time Christians believed much the same as present day LDSers. Doctrines like the Nature of God and Jesus, where always understood to mean separate and distinct persons before that time. I understand the reluctance of many to accept LDS beliefs because of the ‘The God-makers’type scare tactics. I’d be put off too. I certainly don’t wish to be insensitive, but to be a BIBLE believing Christian, includes believing what it actually says, like the verses on Baptism. I would venture to say that 70% of present day Christians have NOT been Baptized. (Baptism was not only the 1st act of Jesus’ ministry, but specifically taught as such to Nicademus. I’m sure there are things that we can banter back and forth about, but this subject is hard to qustion as a PIVITAL doctrine) My other point was that there are so many variations of ‘Doctrine’ that it would be interesting to see the graph with sects on one side and doctrines on the other. To see how many ‘Christians’ believe the same doctrines from the same Bible. The main reason for the distrust ,however ,of the LDS Church is because we claim to have been formed by God’s calling of a new Prophet in these times. That is hard for many to co-exist with; partly because of the seeming implied ’slam’ on everybody else. And in some cases the reluctance of SOME in positions of power to consider giving up their place in their churches. (If MOrmonism were to be true, that would relegate other faiths to the position of the Pharisees and Ssdducees) Let me say, for the record, that I’m glad you other guys are out there. I started in the Church of England. I appreciate your examples, and feel that in many respects we are natural allies in a world which is daily becoming anti-Judeo-Christian. Finally I think we are ALL, uncomfortable with our perceptions of our Christianities, being hi-jacked.
Plonker, as a “recovering Mormon” who has done research on both sides and who has never seen “the God Makers”, I know that Mormonism is not Christianity. I base this on my own comparative study of the Bible vs. Mormon Doctrine (only a small amount of which is actually contained in the BofM) and the history of Joseph Smith.
Hey Guys, I appreciate the comments and the relative civility.