We Should Lay off Using Romney's Mormon Beliefs as a Criticism

[Jack Rabbit]

112. The short answer is yes. Now, the long answer

It is not OK to criticize a candidate simply for simply for adhering to this or that religious belief. It only becomes an issue when the candidate wants to impose his religious beliefs on those of us who do not share them. Even then, it's not really what his beliefs are that is the issue but whether the government is going to force any citizen to embrace a religious belief that he doesn't share or even believes is abhorrent.

I have never seen anything to make me believe that Mr. Romney would make use the power of the government to make us all Mormons. I don't expect him to say in his State of the Union message that it is urgent that Congress pass laws to discourage drinking coffee, something that has been a morning ritual with me for about 45 years. He passes the separation of church and state test. It was a little more problematic to give Rick Santorum a pass, but then I don't see being a Roman Catholic and taught by nuns that the Crusades were a noble cause and that homosexuality is an abomination to God that should not be tolerated is an excuse for thinking there should be laws against homosexuality or that we should go to war to wipe Islam from the face of the earth. Personally, I wouldn't dream of telling Mr. Santorum that he should stop going to Mass or even that he should change his beliefs, as abhorrent as they are, just that he shouldn't expect my vote in any election for any office.

I won't vote for Mr. Romney, either, but that's because I think his ideas about economics are foolish, about foreign policy dangerous and about human rights, such as the right not to be tortured or not be be given an unwanted haircut, a wee bit too soft. There are good reasons to oppose Mitt Romney's quest to become president. That he's a Mormon is not one of them.