Will Mitt Give His Mormon Speech Tonight?
By Erick Posted in 2008 — Comments (32) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
That "Mormon Speech." Will Romney give it? You know the one. It's the one Bob Novak said weeks ago existed and is ready to go.
Tonight, Mitt Romney will address "values voters," a group of Christian evangelical political activists, a lot of whom are skeptical about Romney because of both his religion and his positions. And he just might have been given the perfect incentive to give his speech tonight thanks to Dr. Robert Jeffress, the pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, TX.
"Mitt Romney is a Mormon, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise," Dr. Jeffress said in a sermon Sept. 30. "Even though he talks about Jesus as his Lord and savior, he is not a Christian. Mormonism is not Christianity. Mormonism is a cult."Some in the large crowd began to applaud as Dr. Jeffress continued with his remarks.
"What really distresses me is some of my ministerial friends and even leaders in our convention are saying, 'Oh, well, he talks about Jesus, we talk about Jesus. What's the big deal?' " he said. "It is a big deal if anybody names another way to be saved except through Jesus Christ."
Here's the interesting thing about this story. The sermon was given on September 30th. It only got picked up October 18th by the media. Why?
Perhaps it is because today, October 19th, Mitt Romney is going to speak at the FRC event.
And the danger here is simple. A prominent Southern Baptist minister of a larger church has just gone on record from the pulpit saying "Mormonism is a cult." Some who have not spoken out on the issue just might start. And then the flood gates could open.
Of course, the timing for this story comes right when Rudy makes a very ballsy gambit comparing Romney to Hillary. So now he's got two things people will be looking at.
It might be time for Romney to pull out the big guns and give his speech.
« Dueling June Obama fundraising claims? — Comments (2) | Fred Delivers — Comments (92) »
Will Mitt Give His Mormon Speech Tonight? 32 Comments (0 topical, 32 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
It should be pointed out Mitt compared Rudy to Hillary first.
"We dont beat Hillary by becoming Hillary" or something to that extent yesterday. This was not a preemptive Rudy attack.
Amen to St. Louis Conservative.
I'll vote for the candidate that most aligns with my values as a Christian even though the candidate may not be a Christian.
I'll vote for someone not because of political rhetoric but by their actions - past and present. We'll know a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Everyone thought George Bush was a true evangelical. Maybe he is - that's not my call. However, his statements regarding Islam being a religion of peace and that there are many paths to God showed a chink in his spiritual armor.
Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water quibbling about how good a Christian someone may or may not be. That's for God to sort out.
Mitt Romney's faith should be his own personal business. The problem is that Romney is not a conservative. He is a gun grabber and a flip-flopper on abortion with the same health care plan that Hillary is proposing.
I agree. The fact that Mitt practices Mormonism is really a non-issue, unless you are a conspiracy theorist and think that the Mormon Church will use a Romney presidency as a bridge to further a sinister agenda (I've heard people say things of this nature before).
What is of grave concern is the fact that until there was a whisper of presidential politics in the air around Mitt, he was no different than his predecessor in Massachusetts. Let's say he does get the nomination, who's to say that the Dems won't use "John Kerry" tactics on him. Hillary will sail into the Oval Office with little or no effort. I think Mitt is going to have flip-flop syndrome and it would be just a matter of time before we see the flip-flops-for-Romney bumper stickers.
1. Something like that is never quite as successful the the second time around.
2. Hillary Clinton's various vacillations make Mitt look as consistent as the rock of Gibraltar
I agree with St Louis Conservative. We are not electing a Pastor-in-Chief. We are electing a Commander-in-Chief.
A Mormon is more in line with my values,than Hillary Clinton and others who want to push their agenda of taking our freedoms away.
I line up with you all. Id vote for a buddhist if he were the most conservative
I want a President, not a Pastor
For Our God and Our Country,
Tony Cruz
but wouldn't rule it out just a bit further down the road. The timing on the Dallas pastor denouncement of Romney's faith is interesting. Seems put out there to counter the recent evangelical endorsements such as named above and Dr. Don Wilton, Mark DeMoss, etc.
I think Romney has done a pretty good job avoiding the bait that such pieces hold out.
Of course, everybody would like the candidate to match their own positions perfectly. But that's not a big deal if he's not advancing positions you hate, and Mitt really doesn't seem the zealot type. I'm quite willing to believe him if he claims independence from the LDS in political matters. Heck, I already do.
I'm more worried that he's going to overplay it, and try to argue that Mormons and evangelicals are pretty much the same. That's a can of worms I don't want to see opened, because the party would have to eat them.
Nothing wrong with defending his use of the term Christian. Indeed, I think he should, noting he is one by the LDS definition. He just needs to also admit that by some other faith's definitions he isn't, and say he's not interested in getting involved in the dispute.
*everybody would like the candidate to match their own positions perfectly*
There is one for me already. Fred Thompson. Unfortunately, the pundits all seem to think he needs to chug some Red Bull with Uppers before he speaks. I'd like to be able to understand his answers and statements while he says them, rather than have to read them later to figure out just what was said.
I don't care a bit whether Romney is a Mormon or a Wiccan. What you believe in the matter of Godliness mostly depends upon what your parents believed. It seems to me that as long as he doesn't say "The Grand Poobah in Salt Lake City will direct me while I'm President," he's as good a man as anybody. That is, I think he is concerned about the safety of both the American people and of the Constitution, and about our territorial integrity, not about imposing Mormonism on the rest of us. Living in Arizona, I know several Mormons. Every one I've known has been the kind of person who would be welcomed into our home and our family.
Mormons do a lot of things right. Baptists bigots can be wrong. I'm REAL suspicious of intolerance of beliefs. Romney has his faults, but his religious beliefs aren't part of them.
Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented immigrant" is like calling a drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist."
The issue is bad for both Mitt and his opposistion.
If Mitt brings up the issue as a victim it's a turn off. To his credit he hasn't, but some of his supporters have. It seems every time someone has something to say about a Mitt policy some Mittbot has to accuse the commentator of being anti-mormon.
On the other hand if his opposition brings it up they look intolerant. I'm a former mormon and believe that the religion is a cult. There's plenty of negative things to say about the church, but so much of what people say about it is conspiratorial nonsense. So it's a losing issue all around for both sides.
I don't have a problem with voting for a mormon for president. I confess that, given world events, I might hesitate to vote for a muslim. But outside of that prejudice I think people should judge Mitt on his record. He flips too much on too many issues for me to feel good about him. But his faith is his own personal business, and his family life (a hallmark of mormonism) should be an example for many of our moraly flailing politicians.
I don't think Mitt should give a "mormon speech". He should let his detractors bring it up and look intolerant. Frankly, I think Mitt (to his credit) has handled the issue well by focusing on issues and policy and staying above the fray. No one who would vote against him on his faith would swing because of a speech.
"Greater is an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep" - Defoe
Mitt's religion should not be an issue at all. His ability to serve and whether or not he has firmly stood on important issues is what matters.
I don't like Mitt Romney as a Presidential contender but I think using his religion against him is a crock.
Jim Tomasik
You don't like him because he is a capitalist and your preferred candidate, Mike Huckabee, is a socialist.
------------
Daniel 2:20 And he [God] changeth the times and seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.
By this guys logic, Ronald Reagan was also a socalist.
People cry wolf on socalism too much on our side, then when the Dems really do come along with proposals like their Health Care plans, they just shrug off our legit beefs and say "they always say that".........its a shame
Huck raised taxes, Mitt raised fees. Rudy McCain and Thompson are your boys if your fiscally conservative.
Huck raised taxes, Mitt raised fees. Rudy McCain and Thompson are your boys if your fiscally conservative.
And his job is to guide his congregation in regards to the the teachings of the Bible and of the faith. That is one issue.
Who to vote for is quite another. I think that it may be a stretch to suggest that the pastor was implying that people in his church shouldn't vote for Mitt Romney because of his faith. In fact, if First Baptist Dallas is anything like Houston's First Baptist Church, I'm sure of it.
First of all, Guiliani knows that this is a constituency that Mitt HAS to have.
As for Mitt's religion, I will repeat here what I've said elsewhere as a part of the conservative Christian wing.
While it makes no difference to me, HOW MITT states his positions will make all the difference.
If he takes the Orrin Hatch approach and says, "I'm a Christian just like you," he's done. Because at that point HE's the one making a theological argument and he's forcing Christian conservatives to accept his Morman beliefs as equal. That's something that won't happen. Hatch never understood this and it was reflected in his withdrawl statement.
HOWEVER, if Romney comes out and says little about theology and focuses on "shared values," then he will do okay.
Rudy though has made this harder because he is saying that Romney shared Hillary's values.
This could be the beginning of the end for Mitt if he plays or responds to this wrong.
But I do with Catholics and with a lot of protestants churches too. I wouldn't have anybody too vote for if I voted based on the theology of the candidates. We could never unite as a party if we make theology a litmus test, at least at one time there were quite big theological differences between Protestants and Catholics, and I don't think Republicans care to break up that voting block. If the religous right decides to make theology a litmus test, than there in big trouble.
a candidate, no Baptist would ever vote for anybody (said the licensed Baptist preacher).
____
CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.
I think that Mitt better hit a home run because Fred just him him on the "lawyers" comment as well. Between that and Rudy, I wouldn't be surprised to see this be the beginning of the end for Romney if he can't make a major impression.
james JAG
...the end of the beginning of the end for Romney.
**********************
But regarding theological litmus tests for politicians: Isn't
Senators Kennedy, Kerry, Reid, and former President Jimmy Carter all professing Christians ? Yes, indeed they are !
All four of these inhabitants have already spoke the Christian
words the good Baptist pastor wants to hear, which does not
make these four men true Christians. Many of us would hold
that they are CINOs : Christians In Name Only
Hey ! maybe Mitt Romnry is a MINO.
------------
The Red Sox Republican: Burkeanism, Baseball, and Sundries.
______________________________
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
This is a very recent speech by a prominent leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (mormons)
http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,49-1-775-15,00.html
-------------------------------------------------
Courage becomes a living and an attractive virtue when it is regarded not only as a willingness to die manfully, but also as a determination to live decently.
....I have no problem voting for a Mormon. I suspect that the "Mormon issue" is a bit overblown, especially now that we see evangelical leaders like Bob Jones III and other prominent Baptists in South Carolina endorsing Romney. Values are what is important to Christians - we're not electing a pastor, people!
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”