Romney pleas for prayers of all faiths

[mmcd3182]

Romney: President needs prayers of people of all faiths

By Kristi Keck
CNN

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(CNN) -- White House hopeful Mitt Romney on Thursday articulated his position on the role of religion in America, but avoided details about his personal faith.

Romney, who hopes to become the first Mormon president, said "religious tolerance would be a shallow principle, indeed, if it were reserved only for faiths with which we agree."

"There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the Constitution," the former Massachusetts governor said.

"No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes president he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths."

CNN contributor Bill Bennett said he wasn't sure Romney addressed the concerns voters might have with Mormonism, but, he added, "I don't think he had to."

"I can see this speech he just gave being given by any of the Republican candidates and most of the Democratic candidates, frankly. I'm not sure he was responding to the concern 'what about this Mormon thing?' " Bennett said. "I think he will probably get more questions on it, not fewer."

Another CNN contributor, Roland Martin, said the setting for the speech was a good one -- "in the heart of the Bible Belt."

Romney spoke at former President George H. W. Bush's presidential library at Texas A&M University before a crowd of about 300 people: a combination of friends, family and religious and conservative leaders.

"What he is trying to say is 'I am a person of faith. Forget the fact what my faith is, that I am a Mormon. You might be Christian. You might be Jewish. I'm a person of faith. I believe in God,' " Martin said.

Romney said religion is essential to freedom, without pointing to any specific faith.

"Freedom requires religion, just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone," the GOP contender said.

Romney, who had brushed off comparisons to John F. Kennedy's famous address, didn't hesitate to mention the 1960 speech.

"Almost 50 years ago another candidate from Massachusetts explained that he was an American running for president, not a Catholic running for president," Romney said.

"Like him, I am an American running for president. I do not define my candidacy by my religion. A person should not be elected because of his faith nor should he be rejected because of his faith."

Kennedy took the stage in Houston, Texas, and addressed concerns that the Vatican would influence his policies.

Like Kennedy, Romney told the audience that his church would not influence his presidential decisions. Romney said he did not "confuse" religion and politics as governor and he would not do it as president.

"If I am fortunate to become your president, I will serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause, and no one interest. A president must serve only the common cause of the people of the United States," he said.

Romney, however, said he would not distance himself from his religion.

"I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers -- I will be true to them and to my beliefs," he said, adding that if his faith hurts his candidacy, "so be it."

Romneyavoided explaining differences in his church's beliefs and other faiths. Instead, he pointed to similarities between churches in America, saying they share a "common creed of moral convictions."

Romney said he thought some have taken the idea of separation of church and state beyond its original meaning by trying to remove any acknowledgment of God from the public arena.

"It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America -- the religion of secularism. They are wrong," he said.

Nearly 77 percent of those questioned in an October CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll said the fact that a candidate is a Mormon would not be a factor in the way they vote for president. But a significant portion -- 19 percent -- said they are less likely to vote for a Mormon.

"Those who have the biggest problem supporting a Mormon are churchgoing and evangelical Christians -- particularly those who believe that Mormonism is not a Christian religion," CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider said, citing the October poll.

And that also represents a large portion of the Republican base.

Brushing off differences between Mormons and other Christians is not the best campaign strategy, religion reporter Dick Ostling said in an interview with ReligionWriter.

"Better to candidly admit there are differences but these should not affect voting decisions," Ostling told RW. "The more effective plea is tolerance, asking voters to follow the spirit of the Constitution's ban on any 'religious test' to hold public office."

Romney is trying to win over conservative Christians as rival Republican Mike Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, makes gains in the polls.

The former Arkansas governor is touted in one of his television ads as the "Christian leader."

"Understand, Mike Huckabee is rising because he is speaking to those social conservatives, these evangelicals. So Mitt Romney needs to identify with them saying, 'You're a person of faith, I'm a person of faith, let's break bread together, and let's agree to agree or agree to disagree,' " Martin said.

[mmcd3182]

Originally Posted by CNN

Romney said he thought some have taken the idea of separation of church and state beyond its original meaning by trying to remove any acknowledgment of God from the public arena.

"It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America -- the religion of secularism. They are wrong," he said.

Nearly 77 percent of those questioned in an October CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll said the fact that a candidate is a Mormon would not be a factor in the way they vote for president. But a significant portion -- 19 percent -- said they are less likely to vote for a Mormon.

"Those who have the biggest problem supporting a Mormon are churchgoing and evangelical Christians -- particularly those who believe that Mormonism is not a Christian religion," CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider said, citing the October poll.

And that also represents a large portion of the Republican base.

I don't like what he said about "they are trying to create a religion of secularism," when referring to people who are "trying to take the idea of separation of church and state too far."

This guy obviously doesn't believe that the first amendment gives Americans the right to not acknowledge his God either.

I would like to see how he'd respond to Atheists, Hindi, Rastas, Indian Gods, etc. I wonder if he really wants the prayers and blessings of all of them as well...

If the founding fathers wanted us all to be Christians, they would have written:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion other than one that worships the one true living God, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

instead of

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

I do believe that people can be very free without being religious whatsoever (in terms of freedom).

[mmcd3182]

It looks like he might have to do some talking to fix this a little.

People keep comparing him to Kennedy. I'll accept that only on the fact that Kennedy, like Romney was not a Protestant.

I seriously doubt that the citizens of America would elect a President who believes that only 144,000 people are going to be "in good shape" after the second coming.

[demopolite]

Romney said he thought some have taken the idea of separation of church and state beyond its original meaning by trying to remove any acknowledgment of God from the public arena.

"It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America -- the religion of secularism. They are wrong," he said.

Originally Posted by mmcd

This guy obviously doesn't believe that the first amendment gives Americans the right to not acknowledge his God either.

Could you please explain the basis for this assumption? I've tried a few times to find the logical thread between Romney's statement and this assertion, but I can't get there.

I took this statement to mean NOT that the government should acknowledge the Christian God, but that some instances of maintaining separation of church and state have gone so far as to interfere with that OTHER right in the first amendment...the right to freely exercise one's own religion. In other words, I think Romney has a problem with -- for instance -- a child being told that they could not read their Bible during free-reading time at school or a public employee not being allowed to wish someone a merry Christmas. Such acts, which are undertaken in the name of secularism and preventing an establishment of religion, go to far when they interfere with a person's private free exercise.

Hell...I can't blame Romney...I have a problem with the same thing!

I found Romney's speech deeply satisfying in that he publicly stated that his VERY PERSONAL religious views had little to nothing to do with the office to which he is aspiring. I'm frankly getting sick of hearing about the religious beliefs of candidates. I'm not electing anyone to be president of the church...I'm electing one of them to be president of my country and I'm sick and tired of the media asking questions about religion...particularly Mormonism.

However, MM, it looks as if YOU might like to have a religious test, considering this comment:

I seriously doubt that the citizens of America would elect a President who believes that only 144,000 people are going to be "in good shape" after the second coming.

If you want to bash a Republican, bash Huckabee....who seems to think it is the job of the federal government to control every single little aspect of my private life.

[mmcd3182]

First it's "Romney pleas for prayers of all faiths."

Then, "Like him [Kennedy], I am an American running for president. I do not define my candidacy by my religion. A person should not be elected because of his faith nor should he be rejected because of his faith."

I agree with the second part. Just like as you did. Maybe we interpreted his multiple statements differently when put together.

I agree with you that a person's religious beliefs (or lack thereof) should not be infringed upon.

I think the whole point of this article is while Huckabee is pushing towards the evangelical Christians, Romney is attempting to plead to all faiths, but not the faithless. It seems like the blanket approach got him some media attention.

And no, I'm not trying to bash anyone, especially and particularly not because they are Republican candidates.

CNN did the poll -- 77% said it didn't matter, 19% said they more than likely would not vote for a Mormon. Of course I'd expect these results from CNN. If the same poll was done with FOX, I'd expect very different results.

I don't know why your post seemed so attacking towards me, I don't think any candidate should base their appearance or standard on their "Christian" stance or even moral stances. There is a difference between morality and ethics.

I posted the article because an extremely large majority of Americans believe in some form of higher power, and in some form it seems that Romney is trying to use his Mormon beliefs as a background to say "I'm not an evangelical -- I'm not like the others who are 'hard-core' conservative or liberal Christians -- I'm just a guy who has religious beliefs."

I like that, but for some reason it didn't go over well with all the public -- and even initiated some news reports and articles that did not like it at all.

Atheists -- Others -- Evangelical Christians

It seems like Romney is trying to put himself on the fence to win over everyone, but Huckabee who claims Christian (evangelical) foundation is the one rising in the polls.... ?

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On a side note,

Out of all the Republican candidates I seem to like Romney and Thomson out of any of the others. I have respect for Edwards, and I see Guliani as a Democrat in Republican clothing (on morality anyway -- and I appreciate his honesty). I don't dislike him, but not sure if he'd be a good President.

[buddy]

The Jehovah witnesses believe only 144,000 will (make it) not the Mormons.

Originally Posted by mmcd3182

It looks like he might have to do some talking to fix this a little.

People keep comparing him to Kennedy. I'll accept that only on the fact that Kennedy, like Romney was not a Protestant.

I seriously doubt that the citizens of America would elect a President who believes that only 144,000 people are going to be "in good shape" after the second coming.

[mmcd3182]

Originally Posted by buddy

The Jehovah witnesses believe only 144,000 will (make it) not the Mormons.

That's right.. I'm sorry. The Mormon's were the racists. It wasn't until 1978 that they began letting people who weren't white to enter their temples / churches whatever you want to call them.

[mmcd3182]

Huckabee apologizes for comments on Mormons

By Alex Mooney
CNN Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republican Mike Huckabee Wednesday personally apologized to rival Mitt Romney for comments he made in an upcoming New York Times Magazine article that appear to disparage the Mormon faith.

The former Arkansas governor said he apologized to Romney after the GOP debate in Johnston, Iowa.

"I said, I would never try, ever to try to somehow pick out some point of your faith and make it an issue, and I wouldn't," Huckabee said.

"I've stayed away from talking about Mitt Romney's faith," Huckabee said. "I told him face-to-face, I said I don't think your being a Mormon ought to make you more or less qualified for being a president."

In the article, a preview of which is posted on the New York Times Web site, the former Arkansas governor is quoted as asking, "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?"

The remark came after New York Times reporter Zev Chafets asked Huckabee whether he thought Mormonism was a religion or a cult. Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, said he thought it was the former but conceded he doesn't "know much about it." The article is to appear in Sunday's paper.

Asked how Romney responded to the apology, Huckabee said the Massachusetts Republican was "gracious."

"The governor accepted the apology," Romney spokesman Kevin Madden said. "He continues to believe that this campaign should not be about questioning a candidate's faith. While it is fair to criticize an opponent's record or policy positions, it is out of bounds for one candidate to question another's personal faith."

Speaking with CNN Wednesday, Huckabee expressed disbelief that the comment has caused an uproar.

"We were having a conversation over several hours, the conversation was about religion and he was trying to press me on my thoughts of Mitt Romney's religion, and I said 'I don't want to go there.'" Huckabee said.

"I really didn't know. Well, he was telling me things about the Mormon faith, because he frankly is well-schooled on comparative religions. As a part of that conversation, I asked the question, because I had heard that, and I asked it, not to create something -- I never thought it would make the story."

Huckabee, who has surged into first place in Iowa, also reiterated that he doesn't think a candidate's religion should be an issue in the campaign.

"I don't think his particular religion is a factor in whether or not people should vote him or against him," he said. "I'd like to think that my being a Baptist isn't a factor in people voting for or against me."

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Huckabee rival for the 2008 GOP nomination, is a member of the Mormon church, officially known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Speaking Wednesday on NBC's "Today" show, Romney said, "I think attacking someone's religion is really going too far. It's not the American way."

Huckabee's comment is consistent with those that are often used to vilify the Mormon church, a spokeswoman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints told The Associated Press.

In a statement sent to CNN, church spokesman Michael Purdy said, "Like other Christians, we believe Jesus is the divine son of God. Satan is a fallen angel."

"As the apostle Paul wrote, God is the Father of all," Purdy added. "That means that all beings were created by God and are his spirit children. Christ, however, was the only begotten in the flesh and we worship him as the son of God and the savior of mankind."

Huckabee's campaign says the article takes the candidate's comments out of context. Huckabee was not bashing the religion but instead was "illustrating his unwillingness to answer questions about Mormonism and to avoid addressing theological questions during this campaign," the campaign said in a statement released Tuesday night.

"Gov. Huckabee has said consistently that he believes this campaign should center on a discussion of the important issues confronting our nation, and not focus on questions of religious belief," Charmaine Yoest, a senior adviser to the campaign, said in a statement. "He wants to assure persons of all faith traditions of his firm commitment to religious tolerance and freedom of worship."

Huckabee, locked in a battle with Romney for support among the evangelical community, also took heat this month for declining to say whether he thinks Mormonism is a cult.

"I'm just not going to go off into evaluating other people's doctrines and faiths. I think that is absolutely not a role for a president," he said.

Huckabee told reporters last week he didn't watch Romney's highly anticipated speech on his faith. But he argued that he has been confronted with questions about his faith more than Romney has and that he also would make a "God speech" if given the airtime.

"I get all of the God questions at the debates, so you know when people say, 'Oh, he had to make a speech,' I'm thinking, 'Hey you know what? If you'll give me national television time, I'll make you a God speech, and I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll throw in an offering and an altar call to throw in with it.' "

CNN's Dana Bash contributed to this report.

Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

[mmcd3182]

I do not like Huckabee. I think if he does manage to carry his lead and get the nomination he'll have no chance of winning.

I was looking back at some of the comments he made in the past about homosexuality and not using government money to aid in research in cures and medicines for people with AIDS. And his idea about quarantining people with AIDS is just too Hitler-ish to me. I know it was a long time ago, but recently when confronted on the topic, he says he stands by his remarks and opinions on AIDS and homosexuality.

Anybody who would not want to help sick people especially children who contract it from HIV positive mothers is just disgusting to me.

I'm slowly getting to know the "tv versions of the candidates" (from all areas -- republican, democrat, and even independent ) and so far I haven't been to impressed by any of them.

I guess I'll have to stick with my observations so far. I like Obama. With all the help he's getting from Oprah -- he's doing well right now. I think he's just a very positive person and has some realistic ideas to aid in many of our problems our country has right now. I guess I'll stick with the Progressive for right now... but again -- it's way too early to make any definite decisions.

I'm ready for the caucuses to begin and for some of the people with their hats in the ring to kindly take them back out. Once things are narrowed down a little more, I think we'll get a better picture of all the candidates who are going to actually have a chance at getting the nominations.

[saddlebum]

Obama has absolutely no experience in foriegn affairs nor economic issues on a national scale. Mormons contend they're not a cult but there are many off-shoots of the Mormon religion that are cults and sects. They're in the news a lot and it's bad. Huckabee claimes he was misquoted in his remarks about Romney, but I'm a Methodist. And John Edwards is weak. I'll vote republican but I don't have a clue who it will be.