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Romney Defends Mormon Faith
Thursday, December 6, 2007
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Republican Mitt Romney, confronting voters'
skepticism about his Mormon faith, declared Thursday that as president he
would "serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause," and said calls
for him to explain and justify his religious beliefs go against the profound
wishes of the nation's founders.
At the same time, he decried those who would remove from public life "any
acknowledgment of God," and he said that "during the holiday season,
nativity scenes and menorahs should be welcome in our public places."
In a speech less than a month before the first nomination contests, Romney
said he shares "moral convictions" with Americans of all faiths, though
surveys suggest up to half of likely voters have qualms about electing the
first Mormon president.
"I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it," Romney said.
"My faith is the faith of my fathers. I will be true to them and to my
beliefs."
Nonetheless, he strove to clarify his personal line between church and
state, recalling a similar speech delivered by John F. Kennedy in 1960 as
Kennedy sought to become the first Catholic elected president.
"Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church
for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions,"
Romney said at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, 90 miles
from Kennedy's speaking site in Houston. "Their authority is theirs, within
the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation
begin."
He added: "If I am fortunate to become your president, I will serve no one
religion, no one group, no one cause and no one interest. A president must
serve only the common cause of the people of the United States."
Romney's speech lasted about 20 minutes and was interrupted a dozen times by
applause from the invited audience. He said the word "Mormon" only once,
otherwise referring to "my religion," "my faith" and "my church."
He hoped the speech would allay concerns of Christian conservatives, some of
whom have propelled former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to join him atop the
polls in Iowa. Its caucuses kick off presidential voting next month.
Romney stated he is often asked on the trail whether he believes in Jesus
Christ.
"I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and the savior of mankind,"
he said. While conceding Mormons have different beliefs about the earthly
presence of Jesus Christ, "each religion has its own unique doctrines and
history. ... Religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it
were reserved only for faiths with which we agree."
Illustrating Romney's challenge, one of his own invited guests said he
believes Mormons are not Christians.
"I don't think his Mormonism is a deal breaker for most Americans, but only
Mitt Romney can close the deal," Richard Land, president of the Southern
Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, told ABC's "Good
Morning America." Asked directly if he thought Mormons were Christians, Land
said, "No, I do not."
Huckabee, who was a Southern Baptist preacher before entering politics, said
that Romney's religion has no bearing on whether he would make a good
president.
"It has nothing to do with what faith a person has - it's whether or not
that person's life is consistent with how he lives it," Huckabee said
Thursday on NBC's "Today." "If I had actions that were completely opposite
of my Christian faith, then I would think people would have reason to doubt
if this part of my life, which is supposed to be so important, doesn't
influence me."
Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, also used the occasion to sound a
call for greater religious thought in daily civic life, providing a
near-history lesson as he recalled religion in American political life since
the country's founding.
"The founders proscribed the establishment of a state religion, but they did
not countenance the elimination of religion from the public square," he
said.
In an appeal to social conservatives, he also invited James Bopp Jr., an
anti-abortion activist who is Romney's special adviser on life issues.
Political foes have accused Romney of switching his positions on some social
issues, like abortion, when it became expedient.
Romney addressed those concerns in the context of standing by his faith,
saying, "Americans do not respect believers of convenience. Americans tire
of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world."
Former President Bush introduced Romney, heightening public attention to the
speech. Romney's backdrop on stage was 10 American flags and a replica of
the presidential seal.
Serving as host at his presidential library, the elder Bush introduced
Romney, pointed out members of the candidate's family in the audience and
described Romney's father, former Michigan Gov. George Romney, as the father
of volunteerism.
"He's certainly one of my mentors when it comes to points of light," said
Bush, who enacted a volunteer initiative while president, called "Thousand
Points of Light." Bush said he had no intention of endorsing a candidate. "I
simply have too much respect for all of the candidates," he said. He called
Romney a "good man" and said he considered him and his wife "good friends."
Beyond speaking about faith, Romney sought to use the publicity his speech
generated to relaunch his campaign as the broader electorate begins to tune
into his nomination fight against a field that includes former New York
Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain.
Striking a family chord, Romney's wife of 38 years, Ann, and four of the
couple's five sons sat in the front row for the speech - two with their own
children.
"We are a long way from perfect and we have surely stumbled along the way,
but our aspirations, our values, are the self-same as those from the other
faiths that stand upon this common foundation," Romney said. "And these
convictions will indeed inform my presidency."
While Romney has been subject to some leafletting and phone calling pointing
to religious differences between his faith and others, he has faced little
religious bigotry or questions on the campaign trail. Instead, political
realities played a role in his decision to make the speech.
In an AP-Yahoo poll last month, half said they had some problems supporting
a Mormon presidential candidate, including one-fifth who said it would make
them very uncomfortable.
Fifty-six percent of white evangelical Christians - a major portion of
likely participants in the early GOP presidential contests in Iowa and South
Carolina - expressed reservations about a Mormon candidate. Among
non-evangelicals, 48 percent said it troubled them. Almost a quarter - 23
percent - of evangelicals said they were very uncomfortable with the idea.
Romney Defends Mormon Faith
Thursday, December 6, 2007
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Republican Mitt Romney, confronting voters'
skepticism about his Mormon faith, declared Thursday that as president he
would "serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause," and said calls
for him to explain and justify his religious beliefs go against the profound
wishes of the nation's founders.
At the same time, he decried those who would remove from public life "any
acknowledgment of God," and he said that "during the holiday season,
nativity scenes and menorahs should be welcome in our public places."
In a speech less than a month before the first nomination contests, Romney
said he shares "moral convictions" with Americans of all faiths, though
surveys suggest up to half of likely voters have qualms about electing the
first Mormon president.
"I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it," Romney said.
"My faith is the faith of my fathers. I will be true to them and to my
beliefs."
Nonetheless, he strove to clarify his personal line between church and
state, recalling a similar speech delivered by John F. Kennedy in 1960 as
Kennedy sought to become the first Catholic elected president.
"Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church
for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions,"
Romney said at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, 90 miles
from Kennedy's speaking site in Houston. "Their authority is theirs, within
the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation
begin."
He added: "If I am fortunate to become your president, I will serve no one
religion, no one group, no one cause and no one interest. A president must
serve only the common cause of the people of the United States."
Romney's speech lasted about 20 minutes and was interrupted a dozen times by
applause from the invited audience. He said the word "Mormon" only once,
otherwise referring to "my religion," "my faith" and "my church."
He hoped the speech would allay concerns of Christian conservatives, some of
whom have propelled former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to join him atop the
polls in Iowa. Its caucuses kick off presidential voting next month.
Romney stated he is often asked on the trail whether he believes in Jesus
Christ.
"I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and the savior of mankind,"
he said. While conceding Mormons have different beliefs about the earthly
presence of Jesus Christ, "each religion has its own unique doctrines and
history. ... Religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it
were reserved only for faiths with which we agree."
Illustrating Romney's challenge, one of his own invited guests said he
believes Mormons are not Christians.
"I don't think his Mormonism is a deal breaker for most Americans, but only
Mitt Romney can close the deal," Richard Land, president of the Southern
Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, told ABC's "Good
Morning America." Asked directly if he thought Mormons were Christians, Land
said, "No, I do not."
Huckabee, who was a Southern Baptist preacher before entering politics, said
that Romney's religion has no bearing on whether he would make a good
president.
"It has nothing to do with what faith a person has - it's whether or not
that person's life is consistent with how he lives it," Huckabee said
Thursday on NBC's "Today." "If I had actions that were completely opposite
of my Christian faith, then I would think people would have reason to doubt
if this part of my life, which is supposed to be so important, doesn't
influence me."
Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, also used the occasion to sound a
call for greater religious thought in daily civic life, providing a
near-history lesson as he recalled religion in American political life since
the country's founding.
"The founders proscribed the establishment of a state religion, but they did
not countenance the elimination of religion from the public square," he
said.
In an appeal to social conservatives, he also invited James Bopp Jr., an
anti-abortion activist who is Romney's special adviser on life issues.
Political foes have accused Romney of switching his positions on some social
issues, like abortion, when it became expedient.
Romney addressed those concerns in the context of standing by his faith,
saying, "Americans do not respect believers of convenience. Americans tire
of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world."
Former President Bush introduced Romney, heightening public attention to the
speech. Romney's backdrop on stage was 10 American flags and a replica of
the presidential seal.
Serving as host at his presidential library, the elder Bush introduced
Romney, pointed out members of the candidate's family in the audience and
described Romney's father, former Michigan Gov. George Romney, as the father
of volunteerism.
"He's certainly one of my mentors when it comes to points of light," said
Bush, who enacted a volunteer initiative while president, called "Thousand
Points of Light." Bush said he had no intention of endorsing a candidate. "I
simply have too much respect for all of the candidates," he said. He called
Romney a "good man" and said he considered him and his wife "good friends."
Beyond speaking about faith, Romney sought to use the publicity his speech
generated to relaunch his campaign as the broader electorate begins to tune
into his nomination fight against a field that includes former New York
Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain.
Striking a family chord, Romney's wife of 38 years, Ann, and four of the
couple's five sons sat in the front row for the speech - two with their own
children.
"We are a long way from perfect and we have surely stumbled along the way,
but our aspirations, our values, are the self-same as those from the other
faiths that stand upon this common foundation," Romney said. "And these
convictions will indeed inform my presidency."
While Romney has been subject to some leafletting and phone calling pointing
to religious differences between his faith and others, he has faced little
religious bigotry or questions on the campaign trail. Instead, political
realities played a role in his decision to make the speech.
In an AP-Yahoo poll last month, half said they had some problems supporting
a Mormon presidential candidate, including one-fifth who said it would make
them very uncomfortable.
Fifty-six percent of white evangelical Christians - a major portion of
likely participants in the early GOP presidential contests in Iowa and South
Carolina - expressed reservations about a Mormon candidate. Among
non-evangelicals, 48 percent said it troubled them. Almost a quarter - 23
percent - of evangelicals said they were very uncomfortable with the idea.
