Romney Willard's Faith-Based Snoozefest

by Petulant


Melissa has a great analysis of ONE paragraph of his speech. That is all you need to know as all the others are equally BORING and full of generalities about faith. He is a politician. Always keep it vague!

My favorite part of Willard's speech was the CNN coverage. When Willard started talking (not really) about his Mormon Faith, CNN popped-up a handy-dandy Mormon Church History Box beside Willard. Ahhh… Joseph Smith blessed CNN with the courage to inform the masses with basic information about his creation:

~ Founded in early 1830s by Joseph Smith in New York
~ Smith published writings in The Book of Mormon.
~ Joseph Smith was killed by a MOB in 1844.
~ Mormon believe the Book of Mormon is the word of God.
~ Accept the Bible as scripture, but not as final authority.
~ Official name: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
~ About 3 million Mormons worldwide; about 6 million in U.S.
~ Brigham Young led Mormons to western U.S.
~ Mormons established headquarters in Salt Lake City.
~ Smith claimed God told him Mormons should have more than one wife.
~ Mormon Church banned polygamy in 1890s.
~ For years, Mormon Church didn’t admit blacks to priesthood.
~ The ban against blacks sparked protests and boycotts
~ The ban on blacks was lifted in 1978.

WOW! I learned so much! What about the magic underwear though? sigh…

Here's Willard - Mitt - Romney saying little about his faith because it does not affect his decision-making.


Transcript: I am an American running for president. 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.

As a young man, Lincoln described what he called America's 'political religion' – the commitment to defend the rule of law and the Constitution. 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.

There are some for whom these commitments are not enough. They would prefer it if I would simply distance myself from my religion, say that it is more a tradition than my personal conviction, or disavow one or another of its precepts. That I will not do. I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers – I will be true to them and to my beliefs.

Some believe that such a confession of my faith will sink my candidacy. If they are right, so be it. But I think they underestimate the American people. Americans do not respect believers of convenience.
Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world.

There is one fundamental question about which I often am asked. 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.

There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the Constitution. No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes President he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths.

[Transcript from here.]