This is the first of a three-part series designed to explore how Mitt Romney's Mormon faith might affect his candidacy for the Republican nomination and how he might govern the country as president.
Despite consistent poll numbers positioning former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney a front runner in the GOP presidential race, there seems to be a glass ceiling preventing him from rising in the polls. Political pundits have coined the term "the anti-Romney candidate" to describe the dissatisfaction of the electorate with Romney and their desire to find an alternative candidate .
On paper Romney has the credentials to unseat incumbent president, Barack Obama; he has extensive business experience to tackle the nation's anemic economy, he has both private and public CEO experience to successfully govern the country, poll numbers indicate he could defeat Obama in a head-to-head match up, he has arguably the best organized ground support in the early primary states, he has a formidable campaign war chest and the ability to fund raise and Romney possesses a quality that can't be acquired - he looks and acts "presidential".
Despite Romney's resume, his campaign lacks momentum to propel him ahead of the pack. Some political commentators attribute the electorate's lack of enthusiasm for Romney to his more moderate, sometimes changing positions. While this may account for some reservations about the former governor, there is an unspoken anchor weighing down Romney's candidacy: his membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Criticizing a political rival's religion is unpopular in a country founded on religious freedom and tolerance. Texas Gov. Rick Perry discovered this shortly after entering the GOP presidential race when he failed to repudiate a prominent supporter's anti-Mormon comments. While there is limited discussion in the public arena regarding Romney's faith, there is vociferous opposition to a LDS candidate in the evangelical Christian online community and congregations. Since 40 percent of the GOP electorate identify themselves as evangelical Christians, the negative narrative about Romney's faith must be considered when analyzing Romney's campaign.
An experience my father had 18 years ago helps elucidate Romney's formidable glass ceiling. When living in a Nashville, Tenn. suburb, my father was appointed to a leadership position in the LDS Church. As part of his responsibilities, he was asked to participate in an interfaith council made up of local clergy. After my father's first meeting, representatives from the Baptist and Congregational churches refused to participate on the council if the LDS Church - which they deemed was not Christian - was represented . As a convert to the LDS Church, my dad had never encountered such animosity towards his faith and was surprised that only his presence was objected to since there were also religious leaders from the Islamic, Sikh, and Jewish faiths on the council.
While this story is anecdotal, it illustrates the deep disdain many evangelical Christians feel towards members of the LDS faith. One prominent evangelical author, Warren Cole Smith, argued in a May 2011 article that Romney's faith disqualified him from being president. "I believe a candidate who either by intent or effect promotes a false and dangerous religion is unfit to serve..... A Romney presidency would have the effect of actively promoting a false religion in the world. If you have any regard for the Gospel of Christ, you should care. A false religion should not prosper with the support of Christians. The salvation of souls is at stake," he wrote.
If it's true that the salvation of souls hinges on the outcome of Romney's 2012 presidential campaign, then certainly a closer look at the LDS Church is warranted.
The second part of this series will analyze various aspects of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Despite consistent poll numbers positioning former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney a front runner in the GOP presidential race, there seems to be a glass ceiling preventing him from rising in the polls. Political pundits have coined the term "the anti-Romney candidate" to describe the dissatisfaction of the electorate with Romney and their desire to find an alternative candidate .
On paper Romney has the credentials to unseat incumbent president, Barack Obama; he has extensive business experience to tackle the nation's anemic economy, he has both private and public CEO experience to successfully govern the country, poll numbers indicate he could defeat Obama in a head-to-head match up, he has arguably the best organized ground support in the early primary states, he has a formidable campaign war chest and the ability to fund raise and Romney possesses a quality that can't be acquired - he looks and acts "presidential".
Despite Romney's resume, his campaign lacks momentum to propel him ahead of the pack. Some political commentators attribute the electorate's lack of enthusiasm for Romney to his more moderate, sometimes changing positions. While this may account for some reservations about the former governor, there is an unspoken anchor weighing down Romney's candidacy: his membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Criticizing a political rival's religion is unpopular in a country founded on religious freedom and tolerance. Texas Gov. Rick Perry discovered this shortly after entering the GOP presidential race when he failed to repudiate a prominent supporter's anti-Mormon comments. While there is limited discussion in the public arena regarding Romney's faith, there is vociferous opposition to a LDS candidate in the evangelical Christian online community and congregations. Since 40 percent of the GOP electorate identify themselves as evangelical Christians, the negative narrative about Romney's faith must be considered when analyzing Romney's campaign.
An experience my father had 18 years ago helps elucidate Romney's formidable glass ceiling. When living in a Nashville, Tenn. suburb, my father was appointed to a leadership position in the LDS Church. As part of his responsibilities, he was asked to participate in an interfaith council made up of local clergy. After my father's first meeting, representatives from the Baptist and Congregational churches refused to participate on the council if the LDS Church - which they deemed was not Christian - was represented . As a convert to the LDS Church, my dad had never encountered such animosity towards his faith and was surprised that only his presence was objected to since there were also religious leaders from the Islamic, Sikh, and Jewish faiths on the council.
While this story is anecdotal, it illustrates the deep disdain many evangelical Christians feel towards members of the LDS faith. One prominent evangelical author, Warren Cole Smith, argued in a May 2011 article that Romney's faith disqualified him from being president. "I believe a candidate who either by intent or effect promotes a false and dangerous religion is unfit to serve..... A Romney presidency would have the effect of actively promoting a false religion in the world. If you have any regard for the Gospel of Christ, you should care. A false religion should not prosper with the support of Christians. The salvation of souls is at stake," he wrote.
If it's true that the salvation of souls hinges on the outcome of Romney's 2012 presidential campaign, then certainly a closer look at the LDS Church is warranted.
The second part of this series will analyze various aspects of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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