Evangelicals: Mitt Romney hit right note

Politico ^ | 5/12/2012 | Ginger Gibson

[svxdave]

LYNCHBURG, Va. — Evangelical leaders praised Mitt Romney’s speech today at Liberty University, saying that the Mormon candidate was right to acknowledge his religious differences with other Christian voters.

“It was an acknowledgment that the issues that social conservatives and evangelicals care about are important issues to Gov. Romney and as he sees them [as] part of a successful economic platform for the country,” said Family Research Council President Tony Perkins.

Perkins added that there wasn’t anything the presumptive GOP presidential nominee — who many evangelical voters regarded with skepticism during the primary while backing Rick Santorum — should have done differently. And he pointed to the huge opportunity created for Romney by President Barack Obama’s endorsement of same-sex marriage this week (Romney opposes gay marriage).

“I think he touched on the key issues that are important to social conservatives. He mentioned Rick Santorum and Rick’s emphasis and the need to have the family and the ties to economic success.” (See also: 10 essential facts about Liberty U.)

Regarding Romney’s acknowledgement that Mormonism differs from other Christian faiths in certain ways, Perkins said the candidate was correct to tackle the issue.

“That was what he needed to do, was to acknowledge that there are theological differences between him and evangelicals,” Perkins said.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0512/76233.html#ixzz1uhJgxVy5

[GeronL]

When the GOP candidates are almost as leftist as the Dems, elections lose any meaning. Really, what exactly would be the point of having an opposition party that agrees with the other party 90% of the time?

[CatherineofAragon]

Obama said Jesus Christ influenced him to support gay marriage. No Christian would say such a thing.

[EGPWS]

Really, what exactly would be the point of having an opposition party that agrees with the other party 90% of the time?

And we are there already with the POTUS elections this year.

[CatherineofAragon]

"Man oh man. Religious bigotry on full display in this thread."

So, calling a non-Christian religion what it is, is bigotry? Does that mean we have to start saying Wiccans are Christians now?

[ansel12]

And to think I never have given his religion an effort of concern.

As a Bishop, he is the highest ranking church official to ever be in this position, it is believed that he will continue to rise within the religion, and could some day be it's Pope, it's Prophet, he will become God at some point, as his religion and it's leaders inform him.

Romney first sought a meeting to request permission from his Prophet, before initiating his Presidential run in 2005.

[kabar]

I watched the speech live today. Romney was at the top of his game and more passionate than I have ever seen him. In terms of character and moral decency, there is no comparison to the Marxist Obama who spent 20 years in the corrupt church of Rev Wright. Romney struck exactly the right tone.

[JLAGRAYFOX]

Obama is no Christian, never has been. Muslim, American hater would be a more apt and accurate description of the son of the Devil himself, Barack Hussein Obama. America, time to wake up and flush this flim/flam, incompetent Obama down the toilet into permanent political obscurity. And....Obama, take your wife Michelle with you.

[norwaypinesavage]

"Mormons ARE NOT Christians"

I'm surprised that you think you are qualified to judge this. Most of us sinners are not.

[kabar]

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nevada, the majority leader of the U.S. Senate, was elected to his fifth term and has served since 1986.

Now in his sixth term as Utah’s senator, Orrin Hatch was first elected in 1976. He is the former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

LDS members of the U.S. Senate

Other Latter-day Saint senators include:

• Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, elected in 1998.

• Newly elected Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.

• Sen. Tom Udall, D-New Mexico, elected in 2008.

LDS members of the U.S. House

Latter-day Saints serving in the U.S. House of Representatives include:

• Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, elected in 2002.

• Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, elected in 2008.

• Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., elected in 2000.

• Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nevada, elected in 2006.

• Rep. Wally Herger, R-Calif., elected in 1986.

• Newly elected Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho.

• Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, elected in 2000.

• Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Calif., elected in 1992.

• Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, elected in 1998.

Rep. Eni Faleomavaega, D-American Samoa, is one of five territorial representatives in the House. He is in his 13th term as American Samoa’s nonvoting delegate.

[ansel12]

See post 40.

[norwaypinesavage]

"Who couldn’t like a rogue yam?!"

Actually, I haven't liked any kind of yam. I guess I haven't tried a rogue one yet. What color are they?

[nandrew]

SO WHAT!!!!!!

[ansel12]

I watched the speech live today. Romney was at the top of his game and more passionate than I have ever seen him.

The most passionate that I have ever seen Mitt Romney was when he was pushing abortion, you should see him here, he explodes with passion.

Bishop Romney in Mickelson interview explains that the Mormon religion is not pro-life

The full Interview

[norwaypinesavage]

"The man is to the left of Bill Clinton."

Maybe, in your opinion. Certainly, though, he is far to the right of Brarack Obama.

[Conservative Vermont Vet]

All it takes for .....

.....EVIL....

..... to triumph is for good men to do nothing.......!"

....you know, like staying home or writing in someone's name which is the same thing as affirmatively, voting for the closest most of us will ever come to WITNESSING PURE EVIL while still alive...Barack, Barry, Hussein, Soetoro, Obama.

"Oh yeah, we'll stand on 'PRINCIPLES' and show them what's what, then in 2016, we will really, REALLY, work to elect a true Conservative....."

Yeah, right, provided there is still a United States of America left as we used to know it.

THEM: Oh, don't worry, we will keep the House and take the Senate and that way, we will keep Dear Leader in check.

Oh course you will with the Weeper of the House (Bone-er) and wuss, RINO extraodinaire and he who is afraid of his own shadow, Mitch McConnell leading the charge.

Mmm, mmm, mmm!

[MacMattico]

The yams I use in my Thanksgiving Yam dish are a peach color and with a brown sugar and pecan mixture added taste quite delicious— almost sweet enough to be called a desert.

But a rogue yam, that’s something I like just because of the two words put together. I don’t think I could ever eat one. Especially because the one hanging out on this board has some pretty good posts!

[norwaypinesavage]

Sigh. You are exactly right. It's appalling how many on this once great site don't agree.

[ansel12]

See post 40 for a voice on Mormonism, as being Christian.

[Norm Lenhart]

Well RA, since so many people here want to slam on you for pointing out a simple truth, I feel compelled to back you up.

Words mean things. The word “Christian” means “Of Christ”. The Bible is the book that Christians follow as the word of God. A Christian is a believer in the Bible. A Christian, by definition does not put the Book of Mormon, War and Peace or any other literary work at the forefront of their belief.

General comment: If anyone wants to address these issues without resorting to the leftist charge of “Bigotry”, lets have that conversation. But do not insult the intelligence of any thinking person by saying a group of people who follow an interpretation of Christianity at odds with the teachings of the Bible are “Christian”.

That’s not a statement of bigotry. It’s a fact.

Further, I find it pathetic that people perfectly comfortable with slamming Obama, Romney et all for living in fantasyland and rewriting history are seemingly comfortable with rewriting what Christianity itself “IS”. At no point in the Bible, the very basis of Christianity, does it say that we become Gods. A Christian cannot by definition believe in, much less ‘become’ any such God.

[kabar]

Romney gave a great speech today that was both eloquent and profound. I am sure he drew upon his experience as a missionary. I have no doubt that he has a moral compass and is a decent person unlike the person now in the WH.

Text of Romney's speech AT LIBERTY

An excerpt:

"Today, thanks to what you have gained here, you leave Liberty with conviction and confidence as your armor. You know what you believe. You know who you are. And you know Whom you will serve. Not all colleges instill that kind of confidence, but it will be among the most prized qualities from your education here. Moral certainty, clear standards, and a commitment to spiritual ideals will set you apart in a world that searches for meaning.

That said, your values will not always be the object of public admiration. In fact, the more you live by your beliefs, the more you will endure the censure of the world. Christianity is not the faith of the complacent, the comfortable or of the timid. It demands and creates heroic souls like Wesley, Wilberforce, Bonhoeffer, John Paul the Second, and Billy Graham. Each showed, in their own way, the relentless and powerful influence of the message of Jesus Christ. May that be your guide.

You enter a world with civilizations and economies that are far from equal. Harvard historian David Landes devoted his lifelong study to understanding why some civilizations rise, and why others falter. His conclusion: Culture makes all the difference. Not natural resources, not geography, but what people believe and value. Central to America’s rise to global leadership is our Judeo-Christian tradition, with its vision of the goodness and possibilities of every life.

The American culture promotes personal responsibility, the dignity of work, the value of education, the merit of service, devotion to a purpose greater than self, and, at the foundation, the pre-eminence of the family.

The power of these values is evidenced by a Brookings Institution study that Senator Rick Santorum brought to my attention. For those who graduate from high school, get a full-time job, and marry before they have their first child, the probability that they will be poor is 2%. But, if those things are absent, 76% will be poor. Culture matters.

As fundamental as these principles are, they may become topics of democratic debate. So it is today with the enduring institution of marriage. Marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman.

The protection of religious freedom has also become a matter of debate. It strikes me as odd that the free exercise of religious faith is sometimes treated as a problem, something America is stuck with instead of blessed with. Perhaps religious conscience upsets the designs of those who feel that the highest wisdom and authority comes from government.

But from the beginning, this nation trusted in God, not man. Religious liberty is the first freedom in our Constitution. And whether the cause is justice for the persecuted, compassion for the needy and the sick, or mercy for the child waiting to be born, there is no greater force for good in the nation than Christian conscience in action."

Video of Romney Speech at Liberyy.