On Thursday, Republican Mitt Romney, a Mormon, delivered this address on his faith and and his presidential candidacy. A Mormon has never been elected president, and some have suggested that fear and suspicion of his religious beliefs could damage his candidacy. Romney’s Thursday speech was designed to address these concerns.
Please read Romney’s speech and write a brief response to it. What do you think of his ideas on religion and politics? Do you agree or disagree?
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After reading Mitt Romney’s speech, I found myself unable to agree that his ideas of religion would only bring good this to the White House. While I believe no one should ever be turned down from presidency because of their religion, I believe that religion would have a greater effect on a presidents politics and proposals than Romney thinks they will have. In issues having to deal with other religions, such as radical Islamics, the particular denomination of your religion can play either a substantial or subtle role in your handling of the issue. More conservative religions and more liberal denominations with effect your view point of the issue and your ideas of solutions. While Romney’s ideas would be ideal, we do not live in a world of black and white or a place where Romney is always going to be able to put presidential values before his strict religious codes. Our world is blurred and smudged, religion always has good and bad effects on government, no matter how good the intentions.
I think that Romney makes many well thought-out and, as a Christian, what I believe are good points in saying that the church and state need to work with each other. However, in the world we live in today, I do not believe that his views would be the best ones to guide our country. In a world where fear radiates from extremist religions, I believe that it would be too much for the government to try and force the US to accept God. It is too touchy of a subject, and if religion is what Romney is basing his campaign on, I have a fairly strong guess that he won’t win. However, I also found it rather sad that Romney felt it obligatory to reassure America that if elected president, he, not his religion, would be our commander in chief. What kind of a world do we live in where one of the men that is running in our best interests is questioned so strongly about something as simple as his religious beliefs? This is a mere example of how touchy a subject religion can be, and how, at least for now, church and state need to be kept separate.
While reading Mitt Romney’s speech I thought to myself even though he is a mormon, I as an Episcopalian value many of the same things. We both believe in God as the ruler of all, the importance of a connected family and a firm and strong belief in our faiths. This is exactly what Romney was speaking against though, I should not look at how his religion is similar or not to mine, but rather his capabilities as the next leader of our country. I should look at his past political experience and how he has handled situations, as well as his opinions on major issues. People may worry that his religion, which is commonly misjudged as one which encourages poligomy when really that practice was outlawed from the mainstream church before 1900, will affect how he handles situations that may arise. To this concern he says “I will put no doctrine of any church above the plain duties of the office and the sovereign authority of the law,” which should build confidence in anyone who may think he cannot seperate his religion from his politics. He is right in pointing out that the founding fathers built our country as a land for religious freedom, meaning anyone can practice any religion and religion should not be a factor that rules them out from something like running for president. Our society tries to seperate church and state, just as Romney says he will do, so by not giving him a fair chance we are just encouraging a more theocratic society. Our country is full of all different faiths, whether someone is Christian or Jewish, Muslim or Mormon, in the end “if he becomes President he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths.”
While reading Mitt Romney’s ‘Faith in America’ Address, I saw many strong points about the America’s long tradition of seperation of church and state being made. If politicians solely base decisions on their religious beliefs, our country would never survive. However, religion has become such a controversal topic of today’s world, therefore one in which many people will agree or disagree with Romney’s beliefs. Romney’s beliefs are not entirely different from my own Christian beliefs, God and Jesus Christ are the givers of life and are above all else. Romney is reitterating the fact that if he was elected President of the United States he would not base his political decisions on his religion, instead he would base his decisions on what is best for the people of America and the country itself. Mitt Romney’s Morman beliefs are controversial because many people believe that the Mormon tradition is a “cult-like” practice. However, in his speech, Romney did not go into detail about his religious beliefs, he was assuring his audience that he was very comfortable having a religious presence in his public life. I agree with some of his arguments throughout his Address to the American people, especially one in which he states, “The diversity of our cultural expression, and the vibrancy of our religious dialogue, has kept America in the forefront of civilized nations.” Through America’s seperation of church and state and core values that religion and reason should be allies of eachother has made America what it is today. Romney’s controversial, yet strong Address is merely an assurance to the people that if elected he will keep a strong theocratic society in America, however a society that is not solely based on religious influences.
I think that the separation of church and state is one of the most important parts of our government, and too often that line is not drawn. Mitt Romney argues very eloquently that he will respect that line and should not be voted for or against in the presidential race based solely on his beliefs, which is very true. However, I think it will be very hard for a highly religious person, no matter what religion he practices, to really be as objective as Romney claims he will be. He is right, he should not renounce any part of his religion just to get votes, and no one should expect him to. I am one of the people he is talking about when he says, “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.” No religion is above another, but I think that religion should be entirely separate from politics; I would not withhold my vote from Romney because he is Mormon, but because he is religious at all.
In reading Mitt Romney’s address I believe in what he said about taking the separation of church and state too far. We should not completely separate religion from the government, because our founding fathers acknowledged God as “the God who gave us liberty.” Before reading his speech I was skeptical about Romney’s faith, because contrary to what he believes, I think that religion will play a factor in one’s decision making. However, I do not believe that we should base our votes entirely on what denomination the candidate may be. Many people think that his Mormon faith with jeopardize his decision making if he were to become president. Romney clearly answers this question by stating that he will put no doctrine of the church above his job and the law, and I believe that he will adhere to his promise. Throughout his address Romney simply reassures the people that as President he will uphold the separation of church and state and thus a theocratic society.
After reading Romney’s address I became aware that despite his personal religious beliefs he would preserve our country’s separation of church and state as president. He talks about his beliefs but goes on to say that as president he would protect the faiths of all people. It is clear he believes religion is important to freedom but in stating “ no religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion” he reassures that freedom and religion should be kept separate. He expresses the great fortune Americans have with religious liberty for it was not easy to achieve. He reassures our nation by saying “any believer in religious freedom, any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty, has a friend and ally in me” and I believe that Romney will keep his faith separate from politics.
Before reading Romeny’s speech the idea of having a Mormon be the future president of the United States appalled me. I have never fully understood the Mormon religion, except that they lay their religious beliefs in the Book of Mormon. The most shocking thing to me about this religion’s past was the practice of polygamy. However, after reading Romney’s speech I believe that he has made some strong points concerning our nation’s past and the separation of church and state, and I am able to look past the fact that he is a Mormon. I agree with him when he states that the religion of a president does not matter, as long as that president has a deep and strong belief in his faith. Our nation was a country that fought hard for religious freedom for all, and Romney provides ample support for this through his references to Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams. I believe that our country, after fighting so hard to religious freedom should maintain the separation of church and state and that Romney should have equal opportunity as the other candidates in the upcoming election, and should not be judged by his religious beliefs. I believe that if Romney were elected he would make a good president and work hard to maintain the separation of church and state.
It seemed that he was simply trying to please everyone and not really express his policies. He also expressed that he would combine his religion and governing policies. He gave many examples of how our country has collaborated religion into our government throughout history. I believe the situation is much more complex than he apparently does. Although our founding fathers might have intended ours to be a Christian country we have prided ourselves for decades on being a country that does not discriminate.
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