Mitt Romney on Religion
I’ve previously made known my stance on how the religion of a major election candidate should be treated. My goal now is to document where each major candidate stands on religion in the upcoming presidential election. This is not an exercise in reading between the lines. I am not talking about stances on abortion or gay marriage, strictly about religion. Hopefully there will be an election in my lifetime where this isn’t required knowledge before voting, but in today’s political (and religious) climate, it is required knowledge.
The following is Part 4 of a multi-part series on each candidates religious views, and how they fit into politics.
Mitt Romney – Mormon
Quotes:
“I am convinced that a family with faith, a family with a pastor or other adult who cares about every child, has a distinct advantage in guiding children to successful adulthood. I want to make sure my attorney general defends the free exercise of religion in this country. The effort to establish an anti-religion in America, the anti-religion of secularism, has got to come to an end. We are a nation under God, and we do place our trust in Him.”
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“Now, I don’t have to tell the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family that the American family is under stress, under attack.”
“I will be a pro-life president just like I was a pro-life governor. Like Ronald Reagan and Henry Hyde, I’m a convert to the cause.”
“A federal marriage amendment is the only way we can protect marriage from liberal, unelected judges.”
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“I hope everyone votes for the person they think can be the best leader for America. Each person is entitled to make his or her assessment. But I would note that my church is very demanding in terms of the requirements it places on people who join. It requires tithing 10 percent of gross income; abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea; and [chastity] before and [fidelity] after marriage. I doubt very seriously anyone in the world is going to join my church simply because they see a leader who is a member of it.”
“Even though I was governor of Massachusetts for four years, our chapel did not swell with supporters who wanted to join my church. Joining a faith is a far more serious matter than choosing something fashionable.”
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” There is a leap of faith associated with every religion. You haven’t exactly got those doctrines right, but if you have doctrines you want to talk about go talk to the church, because that’s not my job. But the most unusual thing in my church is that we believe there was once a flood upon the earth and that a man took a boat and put two of each animal inside the boat and saved humanity by doing that.”
“There are unusual beliefs associated with each faith and I’m proud of my faith and happy to talk to people about it but fundamentally my race for governor, my race for senator before that, and if I run for nationally its going to be about the values that I have, and the values that I think should be emphasized in this country and answers to the kind of challenges that we face, because I believe that America is at a critical time, and I believe those are the types of issues that people will focus on.”
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“You know, I’m never going to get into a discussion about my personal beliefs and about particular doctrines of my church, and so forth. I’m very proud of my church. It was the church of my father, and his father, and his father before him.
“But what I can say is this. And I go back to a speech that Abraham Lincoln made when he was 28 years old, the Lyceum Address, when he said that America has a political religion and that people who are elected to office subscribe to this political religion, which is to place the oath of office, an oath to abide by a nation of laws and the Constitution, above all others.
“And there’s no question that as I take the oath of office as governor, and have, that I make that my primary responsibility. And you know, I don’t think getting into any particular religion makes any sense for somebody who’s serving the public.”
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“Well, we have a separation of church and state in this country, and we should and it’s served us well. I don’t believe, for instance, we should take ‘Under God’ out of the Pledge of Allegiance. I don’t think we should ‘In God we trust’ off of our coins. There’s a point at which we take something which is a good principle to an extreme.
“But I do recognize and support the idea that when you take the oath of office, you basically support something which Abraham Lincoln called America’s political religion. And if I’m lucky enough to be elected president of this country and I take that oath of office, there will be no higher promise than to abide by the Constitution and the rule of law.
“That’s Abraham Lincoln’s political religion.”
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“I want to make sure that we maintain our religious heritage in this country, not a particular of faith, if you will, not of a particular sect or denomination, but rather the great moral heritage that we have that’s so critical to the future of this country.”
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“Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.”
“I do not define my candidacy by my religion. A person should not be elected because of his faith nor should he be rejected because of his faith.”
“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. Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin.”
“As governor, I tried to do the right as best I knew it, serving the law and answering to the Constitution. I did not confuse the particular teachings of my church with the obligations of the office and of the Constitution – and of course, I would not do so as President. I will put no doctrine of any church above the plain duties of the office and the sovereign authority of the law.”
“When I place my hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, that oath becomes my highest promise to God. 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.”
“What do I believe about Jesus Christ? I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. My church’s beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths. Each religion has its own unique doctrines and history. These are not bases for criticism but rather a test of our tolerance. Religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it were reserved only for faiths with which we agree.”
“We separate church and state affairs in this country, and for good reason. No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They are wrong.”
“The founders proscribed the establishment of a state religion, but they did not countenance the elimination of religion from the public square. We are a nation ‘Under God’ and in God, we do indeed trust.”
“We should acknowledge the Creator as did the Founders – in ceremony and word. He should remain on our currency, in our pledge, in the teaching of our history, and during the holiday season, nativity scenes and menorahs should be welcome in our public places. Our greatness would not long endure without judges who respect the foundation of faith upon which our constitution rests. I will take care to separate the affairs of government from any religion, but I will not separate us from ‘the God who gave us liberty.’”
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More on Romney and religion:
Mitt Romney’s Evangelical Problem
Romney Talks Religion With Jewish Group
Romney Aides Oppose Speech on Religion
Full Text of Romney’s 12/06/07 Religion Speech
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Summary:
While Romney’s personal religious beliefs are pretty much cut and dry, how he’ll balance them with Presidential powers is still unknown. One thing for sure is that you don’t become Governor of Massachusetts on a religious platform.
Romney is one of the most religious Republican candidates to run for President who likely will not have the support of the “religious right”. Many Christians, specifically evangelicals, see Mormonism as a cult, barely a step above Scientology. While I can’t personally disagree with these views on Mormonism, I believe that as the election gets closer, Romney will slowly win the support of the Republican party’s religious base.
Romney claims to support the separation of church and state, and vows that Mormonism itself will not be what dictates his views. He does however live by the Mormon faith’s belief set, and sees those views as his own, not the church’s views. What I mean by that is that he is pro-family, and therefore supports pro-family legislation. While he may be pro-family because of the teachings of the church, he would support legislation because it is now a “personal” belief, not just what the church would support.
I believe that Romney would bring a solid amount of religion into the office with him. I believe his core values agree with many of the Christian values, and feel that he is a threat to legislate his religious views. He will not pass a law because it follows what the Bible says, but he may support a law that goes by his beliefs, which are heavily influenced by the Bible.
Personally, I am suspicious of any candidate who has lived their life as a member of the Latter Day Saints. To be a practicing Mormon, to me, is by itself grounds for disqualification for the Presidency. If you believe what the LDS teaches, and you are not qualified to be President of the United States. As much as I disagree with all religions, Mormonism is in it’s own world as far as ridiculousness goes.
I think if given the chance, Romney could leave his religious beliefs to himself, but I think that the never-ending questions will never let it go away. I also feel that to win the election, Romney will have to win over, or cater to Christians, possibly leaving him in debt to his religious base upon taking office.
I had previously said that I see Romney as the most religious, and most dangerously religious candidate currently running for President. That his combination of the depth of his beliefs, as well as the actual beliefs of the LDS church make him a threat to the separation of church and state in the United States. I no longer believe that that is true. In a time when getting the religious vote is as important as any other, Romney has stood firm in his stance that religion will have no say in matters of government on his watch. I believe that the LDS membership alone is grounds for being unqualified to lead a nation, but his record in government has never mixed with his religious beliefs, and for now, I think we have to judge him on that. I don’t believe what he believes, but I believe him when he says the church/state separation will be honored.
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This page will be continuously updated with new quotes, or news items to provide the most accurate portrait of Romney’s religious viewpoints.
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