Romney's Speech Strengthens Theologian's Endorsement

Christianity Today ^ | 12/7/2007 | Sarah Pulliam

[DWar]

Romney's Speech Strengthens Theologian's Endorsement

Wayne Grudem believes evangelicals should promote religious liberty by being willing to vote for candidates who have different beliefs.

Interview by Sarah Pulliam | posted 12/07/2007 09:25AM

If as evangelicals we are going to support the principles on which our nation was founded, then we need to defend the principles of religious liberty. That means that non-evangelicals are not only full citizens but eligible for office as well. I would hate to see us come to the point where we would essentially be saying non-evangelicals are welcome to be citizens but we will never ever allow them to become president.

I strongly disagree with Mormonism as a religious system. I think it's inconsistent with teachings of the Bible in a number of ways, but that's not the question in this campaign. The question is who is the most qualified candidate. I think Romney is better qualified—more than anyone else with his Harvard business, Harvard law degree, experience as governor of Massachusetts, experience as head of the Salt Lake City Olympic committee, one of the most successful businessmen in the United States. He's incredibly bright and competent, and I think he stands for the principles that Americans should support.

[DWar]

As an evangelical Christian, former pastor and theological degree holder I have struggled with the idea of whether its wise to eliminate a candidate from consideration because of his religious beliefs. Even one who holds religious views so radically different than my own as does Mitt Romney.

Romney is obviously a better choice than any Democrat on every level and by any measure. If he is the nominee I think after a year of competing against the Democrats his genuine values will be manifest and he could win. If he were say, a Baptist, I could support him. I am aware of his flip flops on important issues but I think he has flopped into the correct positions now and the conservative wing of the party would hold him accountable to those positions.

The other candidates are either more liberal, less accomplished, less qualified, or most importantly less likely to be elected.

Dr. Grudem's observations are worth consideration as is Governor Romney.

[rightazrain]

“If as evangelicals we are going to support the principles on which our nation was founded, then we need to defend the principles of religious liberty.”

I agree. And that includes my right as an individual voter to use whatever criteria I wish to vote.

Romney is a flip-flopper, and I therefore suspect his core beliefs regarding abortion, gay marriage, etc.

Additionally, we are not just electing a Chairman of the Board, which Romney is fully qualified to do; we are electing a Commander in Chief, and Romney has zero experience or background to take on that role in the war against Islamic jihadists.

I’m getting very tired of the underlying message in these Pro-Romney articles, that Christians SHALL NOT consider a candidate’s belief system.

Leave the haranguing against Christians out of these pro-Romney articles, and I’ll leave Mormon issues out of my anti-Romney responses. I’d still have plenty of fodder against him.

[Parley Baer]

It’s refreshing to see two quality posts on Free Republic like the two above. I have seen to many say they will not vote for a Mormon. You are voting for a president not a leader of a church.

[DWar]

It is your right to use whatever criteria you choose.

You have reasons to not support Governor Romney, fine don’t support him.

Romney having no experience in taking on the role of comander in chief. No candidate has the experience sufficient for that. Reagan didn’t. GWB didn’t.

Haranguing against Christians? I am an evangelical Christian and not harnguing against anyone. I’m only saying his religion should not disqualify him as Eisenhower’s Jehovah’s Witness beliefs didn’t disqualify him.

It hasn’t for the following Christian leaders.
Paul Weyrich - Conservative Christian - Moral Majority co-Founder - Heritage Foundation founding president -
Ann Coulter - Conservative Catholic - Conservative pundit
National Review - Leading Evangelical supporting publication - Leading Conservative magazine
Jay Sekulow - Evangelical Christian leader - Top 25 Evangelicals by Time Magazine - American Center for Law & Justice lawyer
Bob Jones III - Ultra conservative Christian - Chancellor of Bob Jones University
Robert Bork - Conservative Former nominee to the Supreme Court

[DallasMike]

Dr. Grudem is absolutely correct. I’m a staunch evangelical and would vote for an atheist if they were strict constructionists on the constitution. I voted for Jimmy Carter at age 18 in part because of his professed evangelical beliefs, and he turned out to be a total disaster.

[kalee]

I thought Ike was raised as a River Brethren (Mennonite).

[JCEccles]

Impressive interview of an obviously wise and gracious man.

It takes courage to judge a man not on his religion but on how he actually lives his life when his religious beliefs do not match one's own. It is easier to simply judge him a heretic and dismiss everything about him as being heretical and bad.

I thank God there are wise and gracious men like Wayne Grudem who are willing to take an unpopular public stand, who will judge the heart and not the outward appearance.

[DWar]

Ike’s father received a WatchTower funeral when he died in the 1940s. Ike’s mother continued as an active Jehovah’s Witness until her death. Ike and his brothers also stopped associating regularly after 1915. Ike enjoyed a close relationship with his mother throughout their lifetimes, and he even used a WatchTower printed Bible for his second Presidential Inauguration.

The association stopped due to the Russellites failed prediction of Armageddon not due to a break in their theological understanding. The foundation of the JW theological differences with Christianity is their faulty interpretation of scripture in creating a very different Bible than that used by the more orthodox. Eisenhower clearly had some attachment to that religion by using the Jehovah’s Witness Bible in his 2nd inauguration and after his pubic “conversion” to Presbyterianism.

I’m only saying his connection to the JWs was never an issue in his political campaigns.

[elk]

Romney is willing to set aside his beliefs for a juicy political prize ... that's enough for me to disqualify him from my vote.

Either he's a pro-lifer who gave that up for a governorship, or he's faking it now to get a Presidency.

Either way, Romney has not the character for President that I think is suitable. The straw man of his religion is not good enough to hide these flip-flops behind.

And while I'm thinking about character and principles, this is one Christian who is not fooled by Huckabee (I call him Carter lite). I hope Christians will wake up and inform themselves, instead of being driven about by the media winds, which we all know to be manipulative and untrustworthy. All of a sudden, we're supposed to take their word for something? Sheesh.