Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Romney-Ryan pairing sets historic precedent
Houston Chronicle ^ | August 29, 2012 | Bill King

Posted on 08/30/2012 8:26:26 AM PDT by Alex Murphy

Of the hundreds of stories I have seen on Mitt Romney's choice of Catholic Paul Ryan as his running mate, there is one aspect of the choice that is historic and of which I have not seen any mention. The Romney-Ryan ticket will be the first in the history of the country that does not include a member of one of the mainline Protestant denominations.

I qualify Protestant with "mainline" because there is some issue about whether Mormonism, Romney's faith, is a Protestant denomination. Some use the term Protestant to mean any Christian denomination that is not Catholic. However, while Mormonism and the traditional Protestant denominations share many beliefs, there are sharp divergences, especially regarding the Mormon belief that Joseph Smith supplemented the Bible with the Book of Mormon and that Jesus appeared to the American Indians after his resurrection. One poll found that 75 percent of Protestant clergy do not consider Mormons to be Christians, much less fellow Protestants. Also, a number of Mormon bloggers assert that Mormons are not Protestants.

But regardless of how one defines Protestant, a ticket made up of a Mormon and a Catholic is unprecedented in presidential politics. About 186 men and two women have stood for election as president and/or vice-president. About 85 percent of these have been members of a mainline Protestant church. Episcopalians and Presbyterians lead, with about 40 percent of the candidates coming from one of those two denominations. There are about 20 candidates for whom I could not find a religious affiliation. There were only about a dozen that claimed membership in a non-Protestant religion, with most of those being Catholic. Only one Jew (Joe Lieberman) and one Greek Orthodox (Michael Dukakis) have been candidates.

So for the current Republican ticket to have no mainline Protestants is unprecedented

(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Mainline Protestant; Other Christian; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS:
....The Romney-Ryan ticket will be the first in the history of the country that does not include a member of one of the mainline Protestant denominations....

....About 186 men and two women have stood for election as president and/or vice-president. About 85 percent of these have been members of a mainline Protestant church. Episcopalians and Presbyterians lead, with about 40 percent of the candidates coming from one of those two denominations. There are about 20 candidates for whom I could not find a religious affiliation. There were only about a dozen that claimed membership in a non-Protestant religion, with most of those being Catholic. Only one Jew (Joe Lieberman) and one Greek Orthodox (Michael Dukakis) have been candidates.

1 posted on 08/30/2012 8:26:29 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Alex Murphy

And they will probably set the precedent for losing to the most unpopular president of all time.


2 posted on 08/30/2012 8:31:50 AM PDT by DannyTN
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alex Murphy

Biden is Catholic. What mainline protestant denomination is Obama? I am pretty sure Rev Wright’s black liberation is not mainline protestant? I am wrong?


3 posted on 08/30/2012 8:32:10 AM PDT by ilgipper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alex Murphy

I don’t care what any candidate’s religion - or skin color are. I care about what they believe and what kind of person they are.


4 posted on 08/30/2012 8:33:40 AM PDT by bigbob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alex Murphy
there is some issue about whether Mormonism, Romney's faith, is a Protestant denomination. . . . One poll found that 75 percent of Protestant clergy do not consider Mormons to be Christians, much less fellow Protestants.

Mormonism is not Christian. It is a heretical, anti-Trinitarian sect, a false, made-up religion.

But that does not mean a Mormon could not do a good job in a secular political office. I will be voting for one for President in November.

5 posted on 08/30/2012 8:34:34 AM PDT by Charles Henrickson (Lutheran pastor, LCMS)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ilgipper
I am wrong?

Nope.

6 posted on 08/30/2012 8:35:34 AM PDT by Jagdgewehr (It will take blood)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: All

**The Romney-Ryan ticket will be the first in the history of the country that does not include a member of one of the mainline Protestant denominations.**

Old news. This has been mentioned.


7 posted on 08/30/2012 8:37:00 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: DannyTN

What about the 2008 Democratic ticket?

Black liberation theology (which is what is taught in Wright’s church where Obama was a member) is as far away from mainline Christianity (Catholic or Protestant)as Mormonism.

Biden is Catholic.


8 posted on 08/30/2012 8:38:06 AM PDT by Brookhaven (Freedom--tastes like chicken)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Alex Murphy

Since when is Rev. Wright “mainstream Protestantism?”


9 posted on 08/30/2012 8:39:32 AM PDT by dangus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alex Murphy

The WASPS all signed a mutual suicide pact in about 1925.


10 posted on 08/30/2012 8:39:58 AM PDT by DManA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brookhaven

Good Point.

So it’s not the precedent for not having a protestant. Maybe that’s why the GOP-e went for this ticket. They seem to be in “Me Too” model. Maybe a Mormon/Catholic ticket was as close to a Muslim/Catholic ticket as they could get.


11 posted on 08/30/2012 8:46:17 AM PDT by DannyTN
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: DManA
The WASPS all signed a mutual suicide pact in about 1925.

DING, DING, DING -- thread is done, we have a winner. Second Place for any other poster that can specifically cite DManA's historical reference and why it can be viewed as mutual suicide pact. I'll be pleasantly surprised if there is a correct post inside of the next 30 minutes on this.

12 posted on 08/30/2012 8:48:29 AM PDT by T-Bird45 (It feels like the seventies, and it shouldn't.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: T-Bird45

Outlawry?


13 posted on 08/30/2012 9:03:09 AM PDT by goodnesswins (What has happened to America?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: goodnesswins; cport

I believe the reference is to the National Council of Churches but my research is coming up dry on the 1925 date as to a specific occurrence that year. My apologies to all as my memory and assumption has achieved the usual results of most assumptions. JMO - since most “mainline” Protestant churches have signed on to the NCC pablum rather than the “Faith of our Fathers”, you can chart their significant loss of membership as they took on increasingly liberal/non-Biblical positions.


14 posted on 08/30/2012 10:06:22 AM PDT by T-Bird45 (It feels like the seventies, and it shouldn't.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: T-Bird45

Thanks T-Bird. If that is the reference, mutual suicide pact indeed.


15 posted on 08/30/2012 12:40:29 PM PDT by cport (How can political capital be spent on a bunch of ingrates)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson