It’s a tough question. I suppose you have to ask yourself if you think that Romney will take the political positions most likely to advance your values - societal, moral, and religious.
I believe that we’ve been presented with a false choice: either we choose someone who will advocate the values of orthodox Christianity, or we choose a Mormon.
I submit to you that either kind of candidate will govern in such a way that your Christian values will be upheld.
Would you take lessons on theology from Mitt Romney? I suspect not. But I think his religious beliefs would tend to cause him to act in such a way that would build up this country’s core goodness.
That’s a goal, I think, that we can all agree on. You can support his actions and policies without supporting the beliefs that move him to advance them.
“He was so smug in his bigoted comment, so sure that there is no reason to fear a Romney candidacy...”
It’s interesting to me that even you, who have vociferously opposed Mormonism, and, I suspect, will continue to do so, reacted negatively and viscerally to Sharpton’s statement. It’s anecdotal evidence, to be sure; but evidence nonetheless of the explosive fire the Democrats handle here.
And there is one thing I think we can agree on: they do not understand the religious conservative. Mark my words, that ignorance will lead to their mishandling the situation.
I grew up as one of six children. We fought and argued constantly. I thought my sisters were completely off-base, incomprehensible, and irrational.
But if any one of us were threatened by an outsider, we would close ranks so fast it would make one’s heart stop. For all our infighting, we were in it together. I could call my sister stupid all I wanted; but if you did it, I was as likely as not to flatten you.
This kind of behavior is ingrained in all of us. I predict that Christians - speaking in generalities - will similarly close ranks if the opposition tries the religion angle. Therefore, I only hope they are stupid enough to do so.
Once again, though, odds are good that this is all academic.
I might add - and it may even serve as a useful extension to the analogy - that the sister with whom I fought the most, I later realized was the most like me. With that more mature, adult understanding, we have both reappraised the other, and are in an ongoing process of building a better relationship.
And the follow on leg in the syllogism is even better:
"Would you take lessons on theology from Mitt Romney? I suspect not. But I think his religious beliefs conservative values would tend to cause him to act in such a way that would build up this country’s core goodness. ... That’s a goal, I think, that we can all agree on."
Tant, now we're getting somehwere.