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Shifting to policy, on what moral ground do you oppose cloning human embryos?

The creation of new life specifically for the purpose of experimentation and destruction crosses a bright moral line. It is literally creating life to destroy it. And for me, whether that is done through embryo farming or done through cloning, both of them are wrong and are unacceptable.

Senators Gordon Smith and Orrin Hatch have made appeals to your church's teaching, but they support embryonic stem-cell research. Do you likewise rely on church teachings such as ensoulment?

My position on cloning and embryo farming is not a religion-based decision, because I think that approach does not fit with a secular leader's viewpoint. In my case, I believe that a civilized society must respect the sanctity of human life. Unquestionably, a scientist will tell you that life occurs when all the dna and genetic material is present and the life is human and conception has occurred. Therefore, from a scientific standpoint, life occurs at conception. As to when the soul enters the physical, that's a matter for theologians, not for people who are running for President.

How do you distinguish between religious values and moral values when making decisions?

There are doctrines that differ from church to church. I don't believe doctrines should figure into the policy of someone leading in a secular position. The fundamental values of all faiths I know well are very consistent, and they have a public purpose. One example would be the Declaration of Independence, guided by a belief in a Creator. The belief that we are all children of the same Creator gives us a desire to care for the poor and the needy. The belief that marriage between a man and a woman is a sacred relationship leads one to protect the sanctity of marriage. These fundamental values are not associated with a doctrine of a faith, but instead are part of the value base of every faith of which I'm aware.

Certainly, Christianity and Islam have much in common. Yet the West finds itself in a conflict with radical Islam. How does your view apply when some are motivated religiously to do harm?

There is a clash within Islam among different streams of believers. And the violent jihadists have quite different values than Muslims I have met and spoken with here in the United States. Violent jihadism has no place in the mainstream of religious values.

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president Al Mohler has said that he worries a Romney presidency would bring greater credibility to Mormonism and harm evangelical missions. How would you encourage him to vote for you?

I hope everyone votes for the person they think can be the best leader for America. Each person is entitled to make his or her assessment. But I would note that my church is very demanding in terms of the requirements it places on people who join. It requires tithing 10 percent of gross income; abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea; and [chastity] before and [fidelity] after marriage. I doubt very seriously anyone in the world is going to join my church simply because they see a leader who is a member of it.

Even though I was governor of Massachusetts for four years, our chapel did not swell with supporters who wanted to join my church. Joining a faith is a far more serious matter than choosing something fashionable.

But has your candidacy exposed differences between the two religions?

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September 2007, Vol. 51, No. 9