All Comments for: Romney Dodges Doctrine | Christianity Today

Free Newsletters:

RSS Feeds |

Audio |

Twitter

Home > 2007 > December (Web-only)

Christianity Today, December (Web-only), 2007 |

Theology in the News

Romney Dodges Doctrine

But questions about candidate's Mormon beliefs may continue.

Collin Hansen | posted 12/07/2007 09:23AM

For months pundits have argued that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney must deliver a Kennedy-esque speech on his Mormonism. What journalists could not provoke, rival Mike Huckabee's surge ...

[Reader Reviews]

Average User Rating:

Rate and Comment on this article

Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 comments.

Page: 1

Show All

Andy Burns

Posted: December 17, 2007 10:15 PM

This article does not attempt to cast aspersions on Mitt Romney's character or leadership qualities. It does, however, demonstrate that Romney holds some interesting views regarding his personal faith. For instance, he states that Mormons believe that "Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind." Hard to find fault with that statement. He also says in the interview that "every faith he has encountered brings its adherents closer to God." These statements seem to be mutually exclusive. If he holds to the first claim, that Christ is divine and his death is the sole propitiation for our sin, it seems odd to comment that other paths or faiths offer the opportunity to draw "closer to God". These statements that tend to put all religions (and Gods) on equal ground, will probably not sit well with most evangelical Christians who see the Bible as God's word and God's son as "the way, the truth, and the life."

Raymond Takashi Swenson

Posted: December 11, 2007 6:36 PM

Mitt Romney celebrates Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, just as all Mormons do. US Mormons gather with their families to eat turkey, they give gifts on December 25, and on Easter Sunday they will note the resurrection of Christ with songs and sermons. No, they don't have the elaborate ceremonies around and about Easter and Christmas that Catholics and some Protestants do, but it is largely for the same reason they do not put crosses on their churches: the founders of their church were New Englanders whose ancestors, the first English settlers of Massachusetts, had simplified their church practices and met in churches without crosses. Mormons commemorate the atoning death and suffering of Christ every Sunday, when every Latter-day Saint takes the emblems of Christ's body and blood during a few minutes of quiet meditation by the entire congregation. It is amazing how journalists think they can comment intelligently on Mormons out of total ignorance.

jon	Posted: December 08, 2007 10:51 PM

With all the talk and comments and discussions regarding a person's religion, faith or theology; can anyone recall if, where, or when Ronald Reagan went to church? Should a candidate express their faith unless needed? Without a doubt! Show me by your actions how you will run our entire country; of all faiths, colors, experiences and backgrounds. I am not a Romney or a Huckabee supporter. An American researching the best person who will give our country the leadership, direction and vision we need as a nation.

Robert

Posted: December 08, 2007 7:20 PM

I agree with Jan 100%. I would also like to add that it was not Romney's position to talk about the details of his faith. It is not required for the job. Typically, all LDS people all believe the exact same thing. As a former Bishop, Romney would also be required to believe all those doctrines as well. LDS doctrine is not a secret. There are nearly 50,000 missionaries worldwide eager to share LDS doctrine with anyone who will listen. The LDS Church has 2 websites allowing people to learn whatever they want to about the church (www.lds.org and www.mormon.org). "Every member a missionary" has been the motto of the LDS Church at least all of my life. As Glenn Beck put it, if you want to know about the Church ask a Mormon, they won't shut up about it. I will take exception to one statement in this article. Mr. Hansen said that Latter-day Saints believe "...that God is both male and female". This is not correct, we believe that God is only male not both.

H. D. Schmidt

Posted: December 08, 2007 6:04 PM

So, with all this hoopla of nothing but true confusion as to the right religion, especially as to whether the unborn is a human being or just something that can be taken to the already mass grave of 40 - 50+ million of unborn America babies and while the butchers shops remain open for businees, by the Nation that claims to be under God and says that it trust God, what is the American ever more inhumane an horredous war machinery doing anyway all over the world, at the same time? Yes, a President ready to shoot to pieces any nation that does not quickly say sort of: Heil George W. or else you are history? Is America right now glorifying Christianity or stabbing it through its very heart, may I ask? Besides, I can only wonder how George W.'s hero Jesus might feel right now about America?

lew	Posted: December 08, 2007 7:32 AM

For the many who object to Romney because they believe he is inconsistent, unreliable, and untrustworthy, this speech where he failed to mention the name of his own faith more than once will not change their political position. It will only reinforce their conclusions. For people who value men’s souls more than their votes the Romney speech also proved their point. Some of the smartest folks out there do not understand the religious objection to Romney. The objection is very basic. Electing a Mormon President will cause more people to become Mormon, causing them to go to hell. The Presidency will provide an opportunity for the marketing machine that is the Mormon Church to succeed in a way it has not before. Mitt Romney is handsome and articulate. He is wealthy and successful. He presents an image of comfort that many wish to obtain. His Mormon faith is being shown has a central component to all those things. If elected President he will cause many to be deceived.

mike	Posted: December 07, 2007 9:22 PM


You article is so shallow. Obviously, Mitt Romney's speech was directed at people like you.

Jan	Posted: December 07, 2007 1:19 PM

Mitt Romney is a man of integrity, honesty and decency. While Mormon doctrine and scriptures are totally invalid to me, I know what I see in my Mormon friends and relatives: they are the most trustworthy, honest, disciplined, dedicated Christ seekers I know. I would vote for Mitt Romney for the same reason I'd vote for Mike Huckabee: He has the right stuff for LEADERSHIP, his conceptual analysis of topics and issues is KEEN, he refuses to disavow his religion to get more votes, he has nothing to hide, and he tells the truth. That is evident everywhere you look. This cannot be said of Rudy Giuliani; Fred Thompson seems to be barely breathing; and McCain is too aged and traumatized by his POW years, and he has been compromised on positions many times. Romney is far beyond Huckabee in terms of business/economic savvy and public administration experience. As Jerry Falwell so aptly said, we are not electing a pastor, but a President with values that represent ours, and Hillary's don't

JonathanSwitzer

Posted: December 07, 2007 12:19 PM

Your polls recently have asked questions that I am very uncomfortable answering according to the options you provide. Perhaps this is just a problem with polling in general. For example, your poll about Creation/Evolution provided, I felt very poor options. I ended up feeling like I had to be one or the other. It left no room for nuance and as such, I felt would be a very poor reflection of where people really are. This poll, about Romney, should have an option that says, Yes religious beliefs are important, but morality might be more important and a belief in God most important in my decision. Or perhaps this: Lack of religious belief or hypocrisy in religion or immorality bother me most and I want to know about that. I appeal that you should improve your poll questions.

Page: 1

E-mail this page

Write CT

Print this article

Post a comment