Mitt Romney is a picture perfect Republican candidate for President. Some on the left have suggested that Romney carries extra baggage: He is a member of the LDS (Mormon) Church. Will traditional Christians vote for a Mormon?
Traditional Christians believe their faith can inform politics. Other faiths can reach similar conclusions and become allies. Americans are electing the President of the United States not the Patriarch of Antioch, the Bishop of Rome, or the President of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Any labeling of Mormons as too “weird” to serve the public sets a risky precedent that will come back to haunt traditional Christians.
Most such attacks on Mormonism are name calling, the result of bigotry or ignorance, but not always. If bigotry narrows the field too much, it is possible to be too open-minded about religion.
Is Mormonism too “weird” or “dangerous?”
A traditional Christian should only make political alliances with groups that embrace reason, with a theology with agreeable public policy implications, and with a history of successful participation in the Republic. Fortunately for Romney, Mormonism easily passes these tests.
First, the religious beliefs of the candidate should be held by a significant number of people willing to defend them (even if unsuccessfully) in a rational manner.
The mere existence of a fully accredited Brigham Young University and Mormon apologetic groups settles this question. The Evangelical Torrey Honors Institute has hosted thoughtful Mormons willing to debate their ideas.
Second, the group in question should not make religious claims that will naturally lead to horrific, or at least far out, public policy. If the Mormon Church ever had views that would have led to weird public policy positions, they are part of its past. The LDS Church has a remarkable record of care for others and support for family values. LDS opposition to abortion and gay marriage are well within the American political mainstream. There is no good reason to think that Mormon ideas will lead to “weird” public policy.
Third, the group should have a long track record of generally playing by republican rules in areas where it is dominant. The Presidency is too powerful a prize to trust to a new group that might have secret authoritarian leanings.
The Mormon community has an excellent track record on this issue. Utah has been “majority Mormon” for over one hundred years, has a republican constitution, and allows free and fair elections. Mormons have served with honor in both Houses of Congress, in Presidential cabinets, in prominent roles in the Armed Forces, and as cultural and business leaders. Harry Reid is a Mormon and so is Orin Hatch. Both men are more remarkable for being unremarkable than for political “weirdness.”
Traditional Christians are commanded to love their neighbor and so cannot vote their fears or prejudices. Mitt Romney deserves a chance to make his case to traditional Christians without his religion being an issue.
Dr. John Mark Reynolds is director of the Torrey Honors Institute at Biola University and of Wheatstone Academy. He is a visiting professor of philosophy and writes at Scriptorium. Reynolds was interviewed for a book on Romney by Hugh Hewitt.
