The same thing was said about JFK.
That’s been my impression, too, but can a (former) Mormon here tell us how “light” he is?
Really, most presidents tend to be pretty “light” about their religion–my gut tells me that the majority of politicians know they have to have some kind of religion to get elected, so they usually just find a token association with a church.
Yeah, but I’m pretty sure he was lying about being devout.
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic]
Romney should be evaluated on his political merits only, and I think liberals need to be really careful about opening this can of worms. How is Romney’s faith really any more crazy than Keith Ellison’s or Barack Obama’s?
[/QUOTE]
For me the fact that the Mormon church organized and arranged the financing of Prop 8 is a major factor. To his credit Romney has done some good things for the GLBT community in terms of non-discrimination but he has consistently said he disagrees with the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling that allowed gay marriage and that he favors a Federal Marriage amendment and even testified to Congress about the issue. While he is no more fanatical than many other anti GLBT rights politicians, I think it likely his church affiliation is behind much of his denunciation of same sex marriage more than conservative citizens.
And as Dogzilla commented, he has sworn to use his office to promote his church. Either he lied in a sacred vow or he didn’t, and neither is a recommendation.
Whatever. I wouldn’t vote for a Catholic, either. They’re in tacit cahoots with child abusers and are anti-womens’ rights. No-go for me. Same thing with Muslims or fundies. None of that woman-hatin’, bigoted shit deserves representation in high office.
Quoth Dogzilla:
Your second and third sentences are true enough, but they don’t really relate to the first. So far as I know, members of all religions are expected to live their whole lives in holiness as defined in that religion. Your religion isn’t just something you put on and take off for an hour a week with your Sunday clothes. Jews don’t proselytize, but that’s just because proselytizing isn’t a part of the Jewish religion, not because they’re setting their religion aside.
But to answer the OP, what’s relevant is what Mitt Romney thinks and does, not what his church thinks. The fact that the LDS church opposes gay marriage, for instance, is irrelevant: What matters is whether Mitt Romney opposes it, and what he plans to do about it. Heck, the Catholic church opposes gay marriage, too, and that doesn’t stop me from supporting it: I just disagree with my church on that point.
He’s taken political positions that are contrary to the church, promising to further gay rights and supported pro choice positions.
He doesn’t seem to have issues working on Sunday or require others to do so. He misses masses regularly
He drinks caffeinated drinks frequently.
I’m sure someone active with the church could go into more detail of his behavior but I don’t follow his daily routine. I’ve just always been left with the impression he lives his life and is Mormon rather then lives his life as a Mormon.
I do quite often forget the differences between the US and Canada, since we seem so similar in many things. A Prime Minister who is a member of an evangelical Protestant church hasn’t hurt us too much - because he realizes trying to turn back time on some issues won’t work.
In my view, religion is religion, all pretty much equally psychotic. I’d be concerned over how likely he was to try to put his religious nonsense into law, not over what particular brand of nonsense he follows. A Mormon who’ll leave me alone is better than a Catholic or whatever who’ll try to legislate my private life.
I answered “Some, but not enough to keep me from voting for them” but that would apply to anyone who’s devout in ANY religion. I would want reassurance that they’re not a) intolerant or b) insane. Barring either of those, I wouldn’t vote based on what anyone’s religion or non-religion may be.
This is why our government has checks and balances and complicated ways to get things done–one person can’t do any of the things you are afraid of.
As a fiscally conservative and socially liberal atheist, I’m always going to have to accept some large differences in a candidate if I’m going to vote at all. Right now I vote for the most fiscallt conservative candidate, so I’d vote for Romney despite the mormonism.
Which means that socially liberal is just something you like to say and it doesn’t actually mean anything in terms of how you vote. Thanks for clarifying.
There’s almost zero chance I’d vote for him, but his Mormonism has nothing to do with it.
Wow. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
I would be slightly more likely to vote for a Mormon than a Scientologist. I would never vote for a Scientologist. I would be somewhat more likely to vote for an Athiest than a Mormon.
Not a bit, because I don’t think he believes in it. Or in anything other than himself, really.
I suspect his desire to run as a Republican is behind it to a far greater extent. Huckabee and Palin both have more bizarre religious views than Palin.
Is Harry Reid suspect because he is a Mormon? Romney’s father was a liberal Republican, how about him? Do you have any real cases where a politician’s Mormon faith made him do something evil, as opposed to general conservatism?
I think my response would be “No more than any candidate’s religion bother me”.
I have no problem with a politician having religious beliefs as long as he is able to maintain a separation between them and his public duties.
Yes, meet charming sociopath Chris Buttars: Chris Buttars - Wikipedia
But, no, I’m not too worried about Mitt’s Mormonism. He’s proved time and again that there isn’t a single thing he believes in that he won’t disavow to get elected. Mitt’s consecrated all his time, money and efforts to getting his ass in office and nothing more.
I’m a theist, but I voted “some” for pretty much the same reasons. I don’t begrudge anyone their right to religious belief, but the phrase “devout [any religion]” does tend to make me a bit uneasy. Give me quietly Catholic, just barely Jewish, or lapsed Baptist over the devout of any stripe.