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Romney won't 'take orders' from church

I have long been a Mitt Romney fan--and before that a George Romney fan. But please, Mitt: Find a cure for your hoof-in-mouth disease. Back in May you told Mike Wallace, "I can't imagine anything more awful than polygamy," thereby instantly denigrating and insulting your sainted Romney ancestors and the first six LDS prophets. There are countless things worse than polygamy, namely, war, murder, rape,
pedophilia, HIV, hundreds of other diseases, etc, etc. Now you tell "Face the Nation": "My church wouldn't endeavor to tell me what to do on an issue, and I wouldn't listen to them on an issue that related to our nation."
Of course, you would listen to your church--and any other USA church--and to millions of Americans as individuals and groups on issues related to our nation. What you meant was that you would not be dictated to by your church. Please be more careful and say what you mean the first time.

To this headline I say: "Good."

"...and I wouldn't listen to them on an issue related to our nation." Isn't Governor Romney being a little harsh here? I would think he would be willing to listen to the feelings of all citizens on any issue whether they were private citizens or leaders of any church. Such a statement seems extremely narrow minded or it is just a political ploy meant to appease the Mormon haters. The American people deserve better than that.

I think I would like it if Romney did get input (if elected)- in certain situations- but not exclucively from our faith. After 9-11 Bush got input from a group of religious leaders which included Pres. Hinckley- Sort of a temporary "religious" cabinet.
Certainly these occasions would be rare (like in a 9/11 type catastrophy)

I agree...but I wish I could say: To this headline I say: "Unfortunately"...that would sure make the world a better place in the long run.

I think it is funny that people will think that Mitt Romney will take orders from the church, but I don't hear people saying that of Harry Reid.

Romney will no more take orders from Salt Lake than Harry Reid does. I think the fact we have 2 very opposing poltical views from active and honrable members of the church should be proof that no marching orders come down from the Prophet to the political characters.

We knew that already.

Kennedy did not take orders from the Pope either!

So much for "sustaining the Prophet."

To the Danbury Baptist preacher, I sent a letter which has been mis-construed to demand "separation of church and state". What I was assuring the Reverend was that the Federal Government would never dictate to any church what its theology should be. (Of course, Connecticut and most of the 13 colonies had State-supported churches at the time, and I was referencing only Federal policy.)

I would welcome comments by the clergy on issues of concern to them. I assume such issues would be relating to the morality of our citizenry, and how our laws could uphold the Lord's commandments.

You can still sustain the prophet without taking orders from him. The Church will not endorse anyone, but does everyone know that? I think he told it how it is, he didn't say anything close to not following his religious leaders

Romney is near perfect.
We hope he wins the election.
If he doesn't, America will be missing out on a rare talent that is VERY MUCH needed.

I agree, it seems extreme to suggest that he won't even accept 'input'. I'm sure he did not mean to suggest that he won't listen to voting citizens because they also happen to have a particular religious viewpoint.
Of course, the comments are a sop to those worried a Romney Presidency will be controlled out of SLC. Romney is walking a tightrope the way he is juggling the issue of religion. Of course, it's also somewhat offensive that he feels he needs to make such a statement - do the other candidates have to disavow input from their religious leaders!?!
Oh, and it has nothing to do with sustaining the Prophet. I'd listen to his views on my job - but I wouldn't feel obliged to conduct my business anyway the Prophet said. Nor, I am sure, would the Prophet presume to act in such a way.

How can you "not take orders from the Church" and do anything BUT "not follow your religious leaders?" Granted, the probability that an issue would arise where the Church leaders told Mitt Romney what to do would be etremely rare, but in principle the subordination of Mitt Romney to his priesthood superiors is fundamental to Romney being a Mormon. And in times of exigency, exceptions happen and demarcations of influence are often ignored at great cost.

Yeah, just like Big Oil, Big Tobacco, Big Pharma, and anyone else with money wouldn't have any influence. Please. I'm so tired of all the lies from politicians.

300 million people in this country, and Mitt and Hillary are the best we can do?

I'm sure Romney would accept "input" from the LDS church the same way that he would accept input from the Sierra Club or the ACLU or the Taxpayors Union or the NRA if elected president. That is if you have a large base of constituents you'll get any president's ear. The LDS church came out against the mobile nuclear missle plan and president Reagan dropped it within days. That didn't make Reagan a tool of the LDS church.

Romney probably feels compelled to use the strongest possible language about this issue so that his detractors can't misconstrue what he says.

In previous interviews Harry Reid has stated that the First Presidency has approached him - when the Democrats control Congress - and they have approached Senator Hatch and the other Republican LDS Senators - when the Republicans are in control. Mitt Romney said he "would not listen." I hope he meant something less than that but the fact that he used those words tells me he is not very careful with his words. Such carelessness has been the cause of wars in past history. I think Governor Romney should be more careful with his words.

No, Mitt and Hillary are NOT the best we can do. That is why there are other excellent candidates on the tickets. Is it just in Utah that people think this comes down to Mitt vs Hillary? Wow! That says volumes about the mindset in this state!

It seems that Romney and the Church are in agreement with one thing. Didn't the Church already announce that it would not get involved in politics at all, no matter who was elected?