Romney on Faith in America

12/6/2007 10:30:00 AM

Fmr. Gov. Mitt Romney's (R-MA) "Faith in America" Speech
Speaking from the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, TX, fmr. Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) discusses religion, politics and governance. The speech by the GOP Presidential candidate is being compared to then-Sen. John Kennedy's 1960 address to the Greater Houston Ministerial Assn.

Romney (who is not pictured to the right!) is simply one among a long line of presidential contenders who were/are Mormon. One may disagree with Mormon theology (and Mormon politics, for that matter), but for sheer creativity/inspiration, it has few rivals within American history. From NPR comes a short description of the speech:

Romney did not offer a tutorial of his own faith, which shares many core beliefs with evangelical Christianity. The religion is further guided by the Book of Mormon, published by church founder Joseph Smith Jr. in 1830. Smith said he had discovered the sacred text buried near his home and proceeded to translate it.

Romney, who in recent polls was shown trailing Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee – who was a Baptist minister before taking office — said there were features of other faiths that he wished were in his own, issuing a laundry list that seemed designed to be inclusive and to avoid offense.

"I love the profound ceremony of the Catholic Mass, the approachability of God in the prayers of the evangelicals, the tenderness of spirit among the Pentecostals, the confident independence of the Lutherans, the ancient traditions of the Jews, unchanged through the ages, and the commitment to frequent prayer of the Muslims.

"It is important to recognize that while differences in theology exist between churches in America, we share a common creed of moral convictions," he said.