Romney's speech champions 'Symphony of faith'
Religion: He focuses on beliefs he shares with others
|
"Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom," Romney said from the stage of the George H.W. Bush Library and Museum's conference center during what many have termed a risky attempt to silence questions about his membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a faith not familiar to many voters notably in Iowa and other key early-voting states in the 2008 race.
Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said Romney's speech sent the right message to evangelical voters who don't see Mormons as fellow Christians.
"It's a ringing defense of the role that religion has played and should play and should not play in American public society," Land said. "I can't imagine that there's anyone who'd be less likely to vote for Mitt Romney after hearing this speech who's likely to vote in a Republican primary."
Even evangelicals?
"People of religious faith respect genuine religious conviction," Land said. "He certainly helped himself with some evangelicals."
Romney spoke only briefly of his church, mentioning the word Mormon only once in a nearly half-hour speech but said he would not be distanced from his beliefs.
"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," he said, before acknowledging he holds different beliefs about Jesus Christ than other faiths, the only reference to LDS doctrine.
"There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines," Romney said, noting that that type of religious test is prohibited in the U.S. Constitution. "No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith," he said.
Recent comments
Rich; just listen to your heart and have an open mind but don't...
hank | Dec. 14, 2007 at 6:01 p.m.
The part about Brigham Young being persecuted is funny. Talk about...
BY Persecuted???? | Dec. 11, 2007 at 11:29 p.m.
Mitt's issues are political, not theological.
Look -
Americans...
Mitt's issues are political | Dec. 11, 2007 at 11:26 p.m.
- 'Potter' star recovering from flu 11:03 a.m.
- Different sides of Steve McNair 10:58 a.m.
- Networks plan Jackson coverage 10:52 a.m.
- 'Slumdog' kid star gets new home 10:47 a.m.
- Tips for packing light 10:44 a.m.
- Report: Kidd staying with Mavs 10:42 a.m.
- World's oldest Bible digitized 10:41 a.m.
- Commodores join Richie at festival 10:35 a.m.
- China says 140 killed in riots 10:29 a.m.
- Lance fined for missing sign-in 10:29 a.m.
- Don't listen to marriage cynics
112 - Palin resigning as governor
108 - Lack of Obama photos concerning
104 - Palin's and Romney's roles in 2012?
95 - Utah leaner in too-fat country
91 - Jazz talked Kirilenko for McGrady
90 - Jazz plan to re-sign Millsap
82 - 'Tea party' protesters unhappy
81 - Y. gets verbal from cornerback
76 - Hatch calls BCS 'biased' in SI article
71
The night was balmy though buggy at SPOC, the Stansbury Park Observatory...
that didnt stop them with the guy they acused in elizebeth smart case but he...
It is a root beer ice cream recipe, not a root beer recipe. Do a search on...
Hello! I'm 19 years old and I was thinking of becoming a teacher. After...
LOL! (this is comedy, right?)
re: Honestly .... | 10:18 a.m. "The GOP has nothing if they don't have an...
Plaisted was drafted by the Seattle Sonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder) then...
I'm writing from Amsterdam, where I'm attending a conference. The...
I think the Right better start listening to fellow GOP leader, Colin Powell....
Please tell me why I should care what Genevieve Atwood thinks. Please also...
It's the nature of the game. Big-time politics is a messy affair, and many...


