The Religion Card Is Turned Face Up

Townhall.com ^ | October 11, 2011 | Pat Buchanan

[Kaslin]

Is a religious war breaking out in the Republican Party?

On Friday, Pastor Robert Jeffress of the 10,000-member First Baptist Church of Dallas took the podium at the Values Voter Summit to introduce and endorse Rick Perry.

Gov. Perry, said Pastor Jeffress, is a leader with "a strong commitment to biblical values" who defunded Planned Parenthood, that "slaughterhouse for the unborn." He contrasted Perry with an unnamed rival.

"Do we want a candidate who is a conservative out of convenience or one who is a conservative out of deep conviction? Do we want a candidate who is a good, moral person or one who is a born-again follower of the Lord Jesus Christ?"

Perry thanked Jeffress for this "very powerful introduction" and congratulated him for having "hit it out of the park."

By then, however, the pastor, having rounded the bases, was expatiating to an attentive press corps.

"Mormonism is not Christianity," Pastor Jeffress asserted. Rather, Mormonism is a "cult." The Mormons "embraced another gospel, the Book of Mormon, and that is why they have never been considered by evangelical Christians to be part of the Christian family." In essence, Romney may be a good man, but he is not a Christian.

Saturday, Bill Bennett appeared. "Do not give voice to bigotry," said Bennett. "I would say to Pastor Jeffress: You stepped on and obscured the words of Perry. ... You did Perry no good."

Romney took the podium to speak of America's "heritage of religious faith and tolerance" and denounced those who would inject "poisonous language" into the political debate.

"Speaking of hitting it out of the park," Romney began, "how about that Bill Bennett?"

The Perry campaign separated itself from the pastor's comment about a cult. Yet Jeffress had expressed that view four years ago when Romney was running. In August, he partnered with Perry at "The Response." His introducing of the governor had been cleared by the Perry campaign.

Hence, this episode was no accident.

As Bennett's blast was being reported, this writer was in a green room with Pastor Jeffress, who was not backing off an inch.

Evangelicals have the same right to support fellow evangelicals as women did to support Hillary Clinton, said Jeffress. And a candidate's religion is a valid concern, for what a person believes about God and man and morality and immorality will influence not only how he lives his life but the decisions he will make as president.

The view that Mormonism is a "theological cult" is not "bigotry," said Jeffress, but the official position of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination and, after Catholicism, the largest denomination in the United States.

Why is Mormonism a cult?

Because, Jeffress explained, whereas Christ, God himself, is the founder of Christianity, Joseph Smith, a 19th-century American, was the father of Mormonism. And the Book of Mormon is not biblical revelation.

The political problem arises with the word cult. To most of us, it conjures up the Rev. Jim Jones ordering up the Kool-Aid in his Jonestown encampment or Branch Davidians burning to death in Waco.

Mormonism, however, is America's fourth-largest religion and among its fastest-growing ones. In the leadership of the nation it is well-represented. If one judges a religious faith by the precept of Christ himself -- "By their fruits shall ye know them" -- it has produced more than its share of healthy and happy children and families and good and productive citizens.

The Romneys appear to be the very model of an American family.

Nevertheless, politically, this is no minor matter.

Herman Cain, rising star in the GOP firmament, has said Romney cannot be elected, as his Mormonism would kill him in the South. Pressed Sunday on what Pastor Jeffress had said, Cain said, "I am not going to do an analysis of Mormonism versus Christianity."

"Mormonism versus Christianity"?

Romney's faith may be the reason -- though he is far out in front in New Hampshire -- he has been unable to expand his Southern base.

In the candidates poll at the Values Voter Summit, Romney ran sixth with just 4 percent, while Ron Paul got 37 percent, Cain got 23 percent and Perry and Michele Bachmann each got 8 percent.

With the Iowa caucuses three months off and Romney's being the man to beat, Mitt is likely to replace Perry as the "pinata" in the debates.

Social and moral issues -- such as gay rights and abortion, where Romney's views have evolved since he ran against Teddy Kennedy -- seem certain to emerge as surrogates for the religious question.

In 2007, Romney gave an eloquent defense of his faith and the values by which he has lived his life. Today he would prefer to keep focused on his business acumen and how to create jobs in a private sector that employs 85 percent of Americans, where his credentials are matched only by Cain's.

It is a good bet Mitt's rivals are not going to accommodate him.

[Kaslin]

My reason not to vote for Romney is not his religion

[cripplecreek]

I think the religion issue is a massive waste of time.

[Diogenesis]

Team Romney MUST play his Mormon card to keep the public
from this:

"As U.S. real output grew 13 percent between 2002 and 2006, Massachusetts trailed at 9 percent.
* Manufacturing employment fell 7 percent nationwide those years, but sank 14 percent under Romney, placing Massachusetts 48th among the states.
* Between fall 2003 and autumn 2006, U.S. job growth averaged 5.4 percent, nearly three times Massachusetts' anemic 1.9 percent pace.
* While 8 million Americans over age 16 found work between 2002 and 2006, the number of employed Massachusetts residents actually declined by 8,500 during those years.
"Massachusetts was the only state to have failed to post any gain in its pool of employed residents," professors Sum and McLaughlin concluded.
In an April 2003 meeting with the Massachusetts congressional delegation in Washington, Romney failed to endorse President Bush's $726 billion tax-cut proposal."
[Cato Institute annual Fiscal Policy Report Card - America's Governors, 2004.]

[silverleaf]

the more steadfast the GOP field is in refusing to play this game of debating a man’s faith instead of his governing philosphy and goals, hopefully the sooner it will die on the vine

All the GOP candidates need to unite on this MEdia provocation of baiting them about religion

“NO COMMENT. Next question please”

[ElectronVolt]

The pastor is taking a bit of a risk on his church’s tax-exempt status.

[cuban leaf]

Religion is different than skin color. Religion is a belief system. It is DEFINITELY fair game. That is one reason no overt muslims are running for president.

A candidates religion may not keep me from voting for him or cause me to vote for him, but it is part of his belief system, and that is one of the core attributes one bases their vote on - what a candidate believes.

It is a valid card, unlike the race card.

[TexasFreeper2009]

since 40% of Republicans said in a recent poll they would never vote for a Mormon president, I don’t think it’s a waste of time at all.

How is Romney going to win in the general if 40% of Republicans refuse to vote for him? This is an extremely important issue.

[cripplecreek]

Maybe we should encourage it because the RINO twins will tear each other apart over it while other candidates can talk about real issues.

[NakedRampage]

Not Mormonism, but ObomneyCare!

Cain 2012!

[ken5050]

So their alternatives are to vote for Obama, or stay home, and NOT vote, which is the same as voting for Obama..

Sorry, I can't see more than 5% max of evangelical Christians doing that...a poll can easily be skewed by how the question is framed..

[freeangel]

“Maybe we should encourage it because the RINO twins will tear each other apart over it while other candidates can talk about real issues.”

I’m no fan of the twins either and must admit that I am laughing on the inside. But continued bickering over this issue has got to stop. It makes all conservatives look like fruitloops.

[TexasFreeper2009]

since the presidency is usually won by less that a 5% margin, even that would be enough to kill his chances.

I live in the buckle of the bible belt, and I don't know a single person that would vote for a bat poop crazy Mormon. Maybe it's a Southern Baptist thing.

[MrB]

Actually, no, he’s really not.

First off, no church has ever lost its tax exempt status.
Secondly, all the pastor would have to do (IF he stated this during a service) would be to pay taxes on the 5-10 minute segment ratioed to the full time of all sermons during the year.
Thirdly, no one gives up their free speech rights by being a minister of a church. If he said this “on his own time”, there would be nothing the IRS could do about it.

[Kaslin]

Right

[Kaslin]

I think so too

[rellimpank]

—and one of the sure ways to re-elect “The One”—

[ken5050]

Thanks for the honest admission. I accept your candid assessment of how people in your part of the country feel.

I don't think Mitt has a chance of getting the nomination, because of his early version of Obamacare in Mass, and his flip-flops on abortion. People just don't really trust him, deep down.

Your first comment is somewhat flawed analytically. 5% of evangelicals failing to vote for Mitt in the general, because of his faith...translates to about a 1-1.5% loss of the general election vote. Obama will go down by a much larger margin.

[Kaslin]

The RINO twins? Other then Romney who is the other one?

[cripplecreek]

Perry.

[TexasFreeper2009]

here is a link to the recent gallop poll

http://www.politicususa.com/en/mitt-romney-mormon-poll

22% of all Americans (not evangelicals as you are saying) will not vote for a Mormon for president.