Posted by
Conservative Wordsmith on Monday, December 17, 2007 4:23:15 PM
Conservative Wordsmith Susan Baldwin writes: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney responded to what I consider to be an intolerant religious question asked by Republican candidate Mike Huckabee: "'In an article to be published Sunday in The New York Times,* Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, asks, "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?'"
"Romney, vying to become the first Mormon elected president, declined to answer that question during an interview Wednesday, saying church leaders in Salt Lake City had already addressed the topic."
"'But I think attacking someone's religion is really going too far. It's just not the American way, and I think people will reject that,' Romney told NBC's 'Today' show."
"Asked if he believed Huckabee was speaking in a coded language to evangelicals, Romney praised his rival as a 'good man trying to do the best he can,' but he added, "'I don't believe that the people of this country are going to choose a person based on their faith and what church they go to.'"
"But Huckabee's campaign did not provide more information about the exchange, which the magazine reported this way in the article by Zev Chafets:* "'I asked Huckabee, who describes himself as the only Republican candidate with a degree in theology, if he considered Mormonism a cult or a religion. 'I think it's a religion,' he said. 'I really don't know much about it.'"
"'I was about to jot down this piece of boilerplate when Huckabee surprised me with a question of his own: 'Don't Mormons,' he asked in an innocent voice, 'believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?'"
"Huckabee has been surging in recent opinion polls, taking the GOP lead in Iowa and pressing closer to Rudy Giuliani in polling."
"The former Massachusetts governor also was asked why he used the term 'Mormon' only once last week in a highly publicized speech about religion in which he said he was proud of his faith."
"'Actually, we prefer the name 'The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,'" he said. '"'Mormon' used to be a nickname and I don't use it a lot, but now and then I do because people know what faith I'm referring to, and I talked about 'my faith' a number of times, and I don't imagine anybody is confused about what faith I have.''"
"The authoritative Encyclopedia of Mormonism, published in 1992, does not refer to Jesus and Satan as brothers. It speaks of Jesus as the son of God and of Satan as a fallen angel, which is a Biblical account."
"A spokeswoman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Huckabee's question is usually raised by those who wish to smear the Mormon faith rather than clarify doctrine."
"'We believe, as other Christians believe and as Paul wrote, that God is the father of all,'" said the spokeswoman, Kim Farah. "'That means that all beings were created by God and are his spirit children. Christ, on the other hand, was the only begotten in the flesh and we worship him as the son of God and the savior of mankind. Satan is the exact opposite of who Christ is and what he stands for.'"
"Romney dismissed Huckabee's rise in the polls — saying he's seen similar surges from GOP rivals John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson — but he said scrutiny will follow his rival's rise to the top tier."
"'I think Mike was desperately hoping that we would get through this without people taking a close look at his positions and his record, but his record on immigration, on pardons for criminals, on reducing the penalties for meth lab dealers, on taxing and spending — he increased spending from $6 billion to $16 billion. I think those features in his record will cause those numbers to turn around,' Romney said."
The above quotations are from the article
Romney: Attacks on religion go too far
By GLEN JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer.
Please click this link to read the entire article.
Associated Press Writer Libby Quaid in Washington contributed to this report.**
There is really no excuse for Mike Huckabee's seemingly innocent anti-Mormon comment, especially in light of the fact that he is an ordained Southern Baptist minister, and ought to know more about religious tolerance than the average lay Christian.
I would like to believe that our next U.S. President will not be elected based solely on assertions that he is an evangelical Christian. I think this tactic to be dishonest. I am looking for the most honest candidate, and Mitt Romney definitely qualifies. Mitt has been honest enough to admit his mistakes, something not everyone is capable of doing.
Mitt Romney has also been consistent as a man who not only believes in conservative values, but practices them as well. I have never heard that Mitt Romney ever criticized anyone else's religious faith, and, in fact, Mitt's recent "Faith In America" address, which was similar to John F. Kennedy's famous 1960 "Catholic" address, demonstrates his immense concept of the meaning of religious tolerance.*** Perhaps Mike Huckabee should consider taking a few lessons from the next President of the United States of America, President Mitt Romney. I like the way that sounds.
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