Mitt Romney's Religion Speech

Speaking at The George Bush Presidential Library at 10:30am EST, Governor Romney will address the American people about his views on religious liberty, our country's grand tradition of religious tolerance and how faith would inform his Presidency.   The speech will be live streamed on www.mittromney.com.  Excerpts from Governor Romney's address follow:

http://www.mittromney.com/News/Press-Releases/Faith_In_America_Excerpts

Excerpts Of Governor Romney's Remarks (As Prepared For Delivery):

"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, for they, when our nation faced its greatest peril, sought the blessings of the Creator.  And further, they discovered the essential connection between the survival of a free land and the protection of religious freedom.  In John Adam's words: 'We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion... Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people.'

"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."

…

"When I place my hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, that oath becomes my highest promise to God.   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."

…

"There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines.   To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the constitution.  No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith.   For if he becomes President he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths."

…

"It is important to recognize that while differences in theology exist between the churches in America, we share a common creed of moral convictions.   And where the affairs of our nation are concerned, it's usually a sound rule to focus on the latter – on the great moral principles that urge us all on a common course.   Whether it was the cause of abolition, or civil rights, or the right to life itself, no movement of conscience can succeed in America that cannot speak to the convictions of religious people.

"We separate church and state affairs in this country, and for good reason. No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning.   They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God.  Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life.   It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They are wrong.

"The founders proscribed the establishment of a state religion, but they did not countenance the elimination of religion from the public square. We are a nation 'Under God' and in God, we do indeed trust.

"We should acknowledge the Creator as did the founders – in ceremony and word.  He should remain on our currency, in our pledge, in the teaching of our history, and during the holiday season, nativity scenes and menorahs should be welcome in our public places.   Our greatness would not long endure without judges who respect the foundation of faith upon which our constitution rests.  I will take care to separate the affairs of government from any religion, but I will not separate us from 'the God who gave us liberty.'"

…

"These American values, this great moral heritage, is shared and lived in my religion as it is in yours.   I was taught in my home to honor God and love my neighbor.  I saw my father march with Martin Luther King.  I saw my parents provide compassionate care to others, in personal ways to people nearby, and in just as consequential ways in leading national volunteer movements."

…

"My faith is grounded on these truths.  You can witness them in Ann and my marriage and in our family.   We are a long way from perfect and we have surely stumbled along the way, but our aspirations, our values, are the self -same as those from the other faiths that stand upon this common foundation. And these convictions will indeed inform my presidency."

...

"The diversity of our cultural expression, and the vibrancy of our religious dialogue, has kept America in the forefront of civilized nations even as others regard religious freedom as something to be destroyed.

"In such a world, we can be deeply thankful that we live in a land where reason and religion are friends and allies in the cause of liberty, joined against the evils and dangers of the day. And you can be certain of this:   Any believer in religious freedom, any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty, has a friend and ally in me. And so it is for hundreds of millions of our countrymen: we do not insist on a single strain of religion - rather, we welcome our nation's symphony of faith."

Victim’s mother will do “whatever it takes" to stop Huckabee

A Missouri mother says she will do "whatever it takes" to stop former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee from becoming president, because he freed the man who went on to rape and murder her daughter, Carol Sue Shields. Full story here

This was only one clemency in a long list of clemencies, this online petition documents some of the more offensive clemencies.

The signers of the petition also gave their views on Huckabee’s clemency policy, pleaded for him to change his policy, and shared some of the grief caused by his policy in comments made with their online signatures. Those signatures and comments can be viewed here

Huckabee Won't Give Views on "Mormons"

Huckabee sidestepped a question about whether or not The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or “Mormons” is a Christian faith saying, "I'm just not going to go off into evaluating other people's doctrines and faiths. I think that is absolutely not a role for a president,"

Yet a Southern Baptist President (Jimmy Carter) has already don just that, not only did he confirm that “Mormons” are Christians", but he chastised the Southern Baptist Convention for trying to characterizes them as non-Christians. “Too many leaders now, I think, in the Southern Baptist Convention and in other conventions, are trying to act as the Pharisees did who were condemned by Christ, in trying to define who can and who cannot be considered an acceptable person in the eyes of God," he said. "In other words, they're making judgments on behalf of God. I think that's wrong."

It’s sad when a Republican Candidate can’t convey the same religious tolerance as Democrat President did 10 years before.

This video is awsome

http://www.articlevithemovie.com/

Faith-based voting film in works

Faith-based voting film in works By: Mike Allen December 5, 2007 11:26 AM EST
An ecumenical, bipartisan team is heading into 10 early-voting states with a documentary about faith and politics that is loaded with provocative interviews in an effort to force viewers to confront biases they're never realized. The film, to be announced Wednesday afternoon and released in theaters and DVD on Jan 15, is called "Article VI," after the section of the Constitution which says that "no religious test" shall be required as a qualification for federal office. The announcement of the film comes as Mitt Romney prepares to give a speech Thursday in Texas that will address his Mormon faith. A trailer says the movie "asks voters whether they would have denied America some of the greatest presidents in history because of their religious beliefs." The director, Bryan Hall of Living Biography Media, tells Politico that one of his most surprising discoveries was "how many people feel their faith is being attacked." "Every minority religion feels attacked," Hall said. "Then it was shocking to hear people in the mainstream religions – the Protestant religions – pointing out evidence of their religions being attacked," he said. "I never realized that all these other people feel the same way I do." The co-producer is Reed Dickens of Newport Beach, Calif., a former White House spokesman and founder of the Outside Eyes corporate communication firm. "A lot of people are walking away going, 'I'm more judgmental than I thought,' or 'Boy, I really rank religion as more of a criterion for candidates than I thought I did," Dickens said. The film is scheduled to be finished Dec. 18. With the help of Watkins Global Strategies of Salt Lake City, the filmmakers plan to reach conservatives through evangelical leaders and pastors and liberals through grassroots-activist groups. Traveling in a posse of four to six people, the filmmakers hit about 30 cities and interviewed more than 50 people, from the president of a Hindu temple to former Reagan administration attorney general Edwin Meese. Among the more provocative moments: —Hugh Hewitt, the law professor and conservative talk show: "If religion had been a test, we wouldn't have had Lincoln." —Flip Benham, director of the anti-abortion Operation Rescue: "Hinduism is a lie straight from the pit of Hell." —Charles Cohen, professor of Abrahamic religions at University of Wisconsin-Madison: "To my mind, the Mormons are the only people that have left the United States because they felt they weren't being granted their religious freedom." —Bill Keller, an Internet evangelist and founder of Live Prayer: "Who could be more perfect than Mitt Romney? He's a great guy… But the problem is he's following a false theology straight to Hell." —Clyde Wilcox, Georgetown University professor of religion and politics in government at Georgetown University: "The problem is that everyone's faith looks really weird from the outside." Hall, 34, lives in Orem, Utah, and has 5-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter. He's Mormon and says he doesn't try to hide the fact that he likes Romney. But he said Romney and Mormon boosterism was left out of the film in part because his crew included a hard-core liberal. "I was originally interested because of the questions being posed to Mitt Romney about a year ago," Hall said. "It took about a month of filming before I realized it was much bigger than me and my church. The entire discussion of Mormon doctrine, or anything that can be construed as what Mormons believe or I'm just defending Mormons, we took it out." Hall said only an independent filmmaker could have been quite so raw. "When you get too much corporate involvement or political involvement in making a film like this, a lot of stuff's going to be edited out," he said. "We just let them say it." Dickens said part of his role was to "help craft a storyline and a message taking into account the political climate and the political map of the primaries." "It's almost as if the media and the voters have gotten to where they're trying to doctrinally frisk the candidates - -try to catch them off-guard on a doctrinal statement," Dickens said. "The hope is that voters will think twice: Am I unwittingly applying a religious test? Am I unintentionally holding standards to these candidates that was not meant to be in our country and by the Constitution?"
TM & © THE POLITICO & POLITICO.COM, a division of Allbritton Communications Company

NIE?

Posted by: Hugh Hewitt  at 12:07 AM

Politico's Jonathan Martin reports on a very disturbing conversation with Mike Huckabee:

Huckabee not aware of NIE report on Iran

My colleague David Paul Kuhn attended an on-the-record dinner with Mike Huckabee and a group of reporters tonight in Des Moines.

The transcript speaks for itself:

Kuhn: I don't know to what extent you have been briefed or been able to take a look at the NIE report that came out yesterday ...
 
Huckabee: I'm sorry?

Kuhn: The NIE report, the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran. Have you been briefed or been able to take a look at it —

Huckabee: No.

Kuhn: Have you heard of the finding?

Huckabee: No.

Read the whole thing.

This is a pretty astonishing admission of cluelessness on the part of Governor Huckabee.  And it places the Romney gardener story in its proper context.

My concern about the Huckabee pop is that it is hard to imagine the former Arkansas governor winning the November vote.  I can see election night with a sea of blue states with the deep South voting Huck.  The MSM knows this and is relentlessly boosting Huck in order to fell Romney. The Globe's obsession with the leaves on Romney's lawn underscores how agenda journalists of the left view this race:  Take out Romney, bleed Rudy, nominate Huckabee, elect Hillary.

Un-Mormon and Unchristian

 By Richard Cohen

Tuesday, December 4, 2007; Page A21

What could be called "The Huckabee Moment" occurred Sunday morning when ABC's George Stephanopoulos asked the former Arkansas governor, suddenly and ominously the front-runner in Iowa's GOP contest, whether Mitt Romney is a Christian. Mike Huckabee knew precisely what was being asked of him, and he also knew, because he is a preacher, what the right -- not the clever, mind you -- answer should be. But Huckabee merely smiled that wonderful smile of his and punted. This, with apologies to George W. Bush, is the soft demagoguery of low expectations.

Until just recently, the expectations have indeed been low for Huckabee. He is more famous for losing more than 100 pounds than for any towering political accomplishment. But he is an ordained Baptist minister, and Romney is a Mormon -- a member of a church that some conservative Christians consider heretical. Huckabee has presented himself as the un-Mormon.

 

Pardon me for saying so, but that is the chief difference between the two. On about all the social issues you can name -- abortion, stem cells, gun control -- Huckabee and Romney are in sync. So their religious differences are not about morality. They are about belief -- religious belief, precisely the issue that is not supposed to matter in this country. Huckabee, though, clearly thinks it ought to.

 

The reason I started with Stephanopoulos is that he provided the perfect opportunity for Huckabee to make some ringing statement in support of religious tolerance. He might have made some reference to the ugly anti-Catholic campaigns run against Al Smith (1928) and John F. Kennedy (1960) and how they had both been spearheaded by prominent members of the Protestant clergy, Methodist Bishop Adna Leonard in the former's case, the renowned Norman Vincent Peale in the latter's. (Peale later went on to receive a Presidential Medal of Freedom from Ronald Reagan.) In other words, Huckabee might have preached. Instead, he said Romney had to answer for himself the question of whether he's a Christian. As for the TV commercial Huckabee is running in Iowa that opens by proclaiming him a "Christian leader," he said this is just because that's what he is -- not, mind, you, the former governor of a nearby state or even a weight-loss guru. But as he well knew, it is not his surprisingly moderate record as governor of Arkansas that so attracts Iowa's conservative Christian voters, it's his obdurate and narrow-minded religious beliefs.

Romney has scheduled a speech for Thursday -- at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Tex., of all places -- to confront the religious issue. This is what JFK did back in 1960, but Kennedy had it easy. All he had to do was shoot down the canard about Vatican control, while Romney has to deal with reality: Mormonism is a significant departure from conventional Christianity. The Book of Mormon, like the Bible itself, is scripture to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- downright heresy to some conservative Christians. This is not a gap that can be easily closed.

It is absurd that Romney feels compelled to deliver a speech defending his beliefs and that Huckabee does not have to explain how, in this day and age, he does not believe in evolution. But it is singularly appropriate that Romney's speech be delivered at the Bush library. For it is the 41st president's underachieving son who put such emphasis on religious belief -- and has shown us all, with his appalling record, that faith is no substitute for thought. A mind honed on the whetstone of doubt might have kept us out of Iraq.

The Republican presidential field has some feeble minds and some dangerous ones as well, but none has done as much damage as Huckabee has. Religion does not belong in the political arena. It does not lend itself to compromise. It is about belief, not reason, and is ordinarily immutable. Romney is a shifty fellow, but he will always be a Mormon, and it will never make a difference. Should he become president, he will still light the national Christmas tree and pardon the Thanksgiving turkey and host the Easter egg roll on the White House lawn.

Inevitably, Romney's speech will be compared to JFK's. But when it comes to being beholden to a religious doctrine, it is Huckabee and not Romney who has some explaining to do. What's more, Huckabee is the one who is capitalizing on religious intolerance. He says he's a Christian leader, but the evidence proves otherwise. He's really a shameless follower.

 

Related

You First, Governor Huckabee

If Mitt Romney must explain why his religion is not a threat to our cherished American way of life, so must Mike Hukabee.