Iowa Voters React to Romney’s Faith in America Speech
Governor Romney returned to Iowa after his much anticipated “Faith in America” speech. Supporters at his event in Des Moines were impressed, one even telling me it was the best speech he had heard “in decades.” Analysts say that giving the speech helped answer some questions voters might have had about his religion. But, I asked the presidential hopeful about how he may solve his other problem: connecting to voters. Romney simply answered, “That was not the purpose of the speech.” He even denied knowing about the political fallout from his address, “I don’t know what the implications are from a political standpoint because that’s not really what I was addressing. I was addressing a topic of significance that hopefully will touch the hearts of some people. “
One Presbyterian minister, Claude Jones, was swayed to the Romney camp after hearing the speech:
“I’m a clergyman and I was somewhat concerned about Mormonism, but his speech really convinced me. He is sincere, pro-family. We have so much in common as a country. We are not electing a pastor, but instead a president. “
I also spoke with Bill and Karen Kurth who were on their way to an evangelical conference in Dallas, Texas. They both consider themselves “born again” Christians and said they could never consider voting for Governor Romney unless he renounced Mormonism. Bill Kurth did acknowledge it was “a good political speech.” But, said he believes that Romney’s religion would affect his presidency:
“His religion will affect his world view and his world view is what I am concerned with. He is a Mormon, therefore he believes that anyone can become God and that Jesus was a man and then became God and that’s not what the bible teaches and I do believe that the bible is what we should have as a moral compass and what we should be using for our world view.”
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has surged past Romney to become the Iowa frontrunner. He has strong support among Evangelical Christians, the same group Romney was hoping to sway with his speech.
doneTags: "Faith in America", Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Mormonism
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Shushana,
The statements of Bill and Karen Kurth regarding Romney’s religion not only lack credibility, they are innacurate. It is irresponsible of you to present them here. It is irresponsible to make out of context claims about somebody else’s religion, and it is irresponsible of you to give such persons a platform here. Are you trying to smear Romney, or do you just have something against Mormons in general?
Someone please tell Shushannah Walshe that repeating lies about what members of the Church of Jesus Christ believes is not helpful. I am a convert and as such all my family members are Baptists, Assemblies of God, and other “born again” faiths. Their churches have Sunday school lessons and classes about what Mormons believe and from what my sister and other family members tell me about them, they are all lies or a small piece of truth twisted into a lie. That born again couple doesn’t know what they are talking about and you printed it just like it was truth. Others will read it and believe it. Please leave the lies out of your articles. Just say the couple doesn’t like the Mormon faith.
Thank you, Gloria
Dear Shushannah Walshe,
I just emailed you, but I forgot to add that the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints don’t believe that Jesus Christ was ever a man. We believe that he is the son of God the Father and as such was always God. Please don’t repeat lies. Thank you, Gloria
I think it is fair to look at a candidates beliefs only in the context of understanding how that person would govern. In that light the details of his beliefs are irrelivant. Bill and Karen Kurth (mentioned in the article) appear to have some knowledge of Mormon beliefs but lack a complete picture. Regardless, they and we all should ask how did Romney’s faith affect his policies both in Mass., as an executive, as a husband and as a father? By this line of thinking I have found not one shred of evidence to support a claim that Romney would force unique Mormon beliefs on America. To the contrary I have found his record completely in line with conservative American values… in word and in deed! Furthermore he has shown uncommon courage and ability in LEADING people to champion our shared beliefs.
As evidence to my point I don’t think most conservatives would hesitate to vote for a Jew (who does not believe in Christ…. Romney does!) Why? Becuase we would be comfortable with how a Joe Lieberman would govern for example.. his record speaks for itself. We may have other issues with Joe but not his religion- we have far too much in common! The irony is that we don’t question Mayor Guliani about his beiliefs and yet it’s obvious he has given his religion only lip service and lives and believes something different (infidellity, abortion, gay marraige).
Does anyone else find it ironic that it is Huckabee who seems to have his decisions and “world view” colored by his religion, and not Mitt? Instances where Huckabee’s outlook and decision-making have been colored (often very negatively) by his religion are myriad (think amnesty for illegals, commutation for convicted murderers and rapists, no women in the military, quarantines for Aids patients, and his comments on gays).
Where has Mitt ever allowed his religion get in the way of him making a good decision? His life is a perfect storybook of great accomplishments and successes for himself and everyone around him.
Voters who can’t bring themselves to vote for a guy because they may not agree with that candidates’ particular brand of religion, but look the other way when a person of a more “acceptable” religion violates fairness and common sense in the name of religion are just fooling themselves. That is called bigotry.
“He is a Mormon, therefore he believes that anyone can become God and that Jesus was a man and then became God . . .”
This is again another ignorant person wrong about Mormon Doctrine. Jesus Christ has always been considered the Messiah before his birth, during life and after his resurrection. Wow, people need to start asking Mormon what they believe instead of listing to what their religious leaders tell them.
“He is a Mormon; therefore he believes that anyone can become God and that Jesus was a man and then became God. . .”
This is again another ignorant person wrong about Mormon Doctrine. Jesus Christ has always been considered the Messiah before his birth, during life and after his resurrection. Wow, people need to start asking Mormon what they believe instead of listing to what their religious leaders tell them.