Posted on 12/06/2007 8:22:12 AM PST by La Enchiladita
(CNN) -- White House hopeful Mitt Romney said religious liberty "is fundamental to America's greatness," in his Thursday address on faith in America.
..."There are some who may feel that religion is not a matter to be seriously considered in the context of the weighty threats that face us. If so, they are at odds with the nation's founders," Romney said.
"Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone," he said.
..."If I am fortunate to become your president, I will serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause, and no one interest. A president must serve only the common cause of the people of the United States," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Right. I guess you didn't see this! “There is one fundamental question about which I often am asked. What do I believe about Jesus Christ? I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind.
Its the best speech to come out of the campaign to date, by anybody.
By miles and miles and miles.
Honey you didn’t see the poll,only 36% would be willing to vote a mormon for president? You didn’t see the posts all spring were freepers would paste in 25,000 word essays as all that was wrong with mormons? Please be nice,don’t mess up this one little post, find another to put it on.
Thanks for providing the text.
I gotta say - it was the best speech I’ve seen from any of the current candidates.
I would agree, the best yet. Inspirational and is a template for what America should aspire to. I doubt a Democrat in the race could give this speech.
But — it still doesn’t change my position that on policy issues Mitt comes up short. I have a few core issues that Mitt really grates me on and that is why I can’t currently support him. If he had actually behaved in the past as he spoke today, that would be different.
A handful of posters on FR does not the general public make. Romney's religion is used as a "victim" defense just as often, by the way, by other FR posters -- in many cases, the first time religion is brought up at all on a thread is a Romney supporter calling someone "anti-Mormon" for saying anything negative about Romney.
I see you're also blind. The evidence is all over these boards.
Really? Romney is being persecuted because of posts on Free Republic? I had no idea we were so powerful a site as that.
Another boldfaced lie. Governor Romney simply and clearly stated as Americans we don't pick or exclude candidates for president based on their religion.
I'm posting my interpretation, and you're very quick to call an opinion you disagree with a lie. So, I'm a blind liar because I disagree with you... are you sure you're on the right website? That type of "debate" tactic belongs on places like DU.
That said, it is SOP for the Romney team -- when backed into a corner of any type, the first reaction is claim victimization based on his religious beliefs. Today's speech is no different. Regardless of the wordcrafting involved, there is a clear subtext that anyone who does choose to use a person's religious beliefs as a means to judge their character is an anti-American bigot.
Personally, I don't care that Romney is a Mormon. I dislike him because I think he's a phony, that his conversion to conservatism seems too convenient and self-serving, and that I can't trust him, especially when there are much better candidates running.
However, I do care when any candidate -- and especially Republican candidates, because we have to come to expect so much less from the Democrats -- stoops to playing a "victim card" to gain support.
I also believe that while I personally don't care, that there are other voters who do care about Romney's religious beliefs, and that they have every right to make their personal determinations on whatever basis they choose to do so. To tell them that exercising this right is un-American -- and misleadingly invoking the prohibition of the government against a religious test as a mandate against individuals -- is just another sleazy tactic by Romney which reinforces why I don't like him in the first place.
Rush says all the other candidates (Dem and Repub) should be held to the same standard and should have to give a speech like this one.
Rush saying this has been an effort to destroy the character and integrity of a good man, and it's not the country he grew up in.
Good and TRUTHful comments from Rush.
The message: Let’s get on with the business of what this Great Nation is about...
I did see it, and referenced it in my post. He says that in once sentence, then a few later says that Muslims draw closer to God by their frequent prayers.
Christ is the only way to God. You can’t have the Father if you don’t have the Son. Muslims don’t believe in the divinity of Christ. If Mitt believes the former, how can he say the latter?
He’s trying to please man, rather than God.
“our Constitution doesn’t grant us any rights; rather, our rights are given by God, and the Constitution prevents the government from infringing on those rights.”
this I have always believed - this is why I am a conservative
Freedom of speech and freedom of association aren't core principles?
Mormonism is built on a lie, and if Romney isn’t smart enough to figure it out, I don’t see how he can be wise enough to be President. Either that, or Romney is simply ignorant about his faith.
This speech does nothing to change the fact that he is pro-abortion,pro-homosexual marriage, and a socialist when it comes to health care.
You are twisting his words.
Why are you being deceitful, bearing false witness?
If Romney is duped by the false religion of his fathers, why not level that charge against most of the other candidates as well?
Be a follower of Jesus and don't twist a man's words to say something which he did not say.
The problem with Mormonism is that you have to parse a sentence like that very carefully. For instance, Mormons do believe that Christ is the Son of God, but not that He is God. They believe that He was created. I support Romney, but I keep that very distinct from supporting Mormonism, which I cannot do.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, here's their view point on his "record".
Immigration
Romney has generally taken a hard-line approach to illegal immigration. He spoke out against the comprehensive immigration reform bill that stalled in Senate (NYT) in June 2007, calling it "a form of amnesty." (ABC)
Romney says the United States should implement an "enforceable employer verification system" using biometrically-enabled identification cards (PDF) for non-citizens. On the Bill O'Reilly Show in 2006, Romney said, “you have to have a tamper-proof document to make sure that people who are here [and] are aliens are identified and registered, and people cannot hire them unless they're here legally.”
As the governor of Massachusetts, Romney received Washington's approval to allow state troopers to enforce federal immigration law (BosGlobe) and arrest illegal immigrants.
Romney advocates cutting federal funding illegal immigrant "sanctuary cities." This has been a key talking point of his campaign rhetoric, and he has often criticized Giuliani, (FOX) saying he turned New York City into such a sanctuary during his time as mayor.
Romney opposes amnesty measures."
sw
So has Thompson. He was pro-choice when he first ran for office too.
As Ramesh Ponnuru said, Thompson loves to point out that Romney was pro-choice yesterday, but what he fails to mention is that he himself was pro-choice the day before yesterday.
Each has strong and weak points. Mitt is by far one of, if not the best, in this capacity. The days of having an English as a second language president would be behind us if he was President.
Well done.
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