Red Meat for Theocrats

Mitt Romney’s speech on Faith in America was both encouraging and disappointing. I appreciate the tone of his speech and the fact that he seriously addressed the issue of religious liberty. I commend him for clearly stating that religious tolerance is not reserved only for faiths with which we agree and for warning against imposing a religious test on any candidate for public office.

At the same time, I’m concerned with how much of the speech was designed as red-meat for conservative Christian voters. He equated the right to life movement with the struggle for civil rights and abolition. He warned of the secularist boogeyman who would take religion out of the public square. And he completely ignored the values, rights, and contributions of millions of non-religious Americans.

By saying, “freedom requires religion, just as religion requires freedom,” Mr. Romney showed a clear misunderstanding of American history and our Constitution. Fortunately, those who founded this nation and wrote the Constitution understood that freedom would endure and religion would thrive only if the institutions of religion and government were kept separate. Too many of our elected officials today believe in their religious freedom but not yours; they want to use government to impose their narrow religious values on the rest of us.

While Mr. Romney declared that religious doctrine should not determine public policy, a few lines later he articulated a ringing promise that his religious convictions would inform his political decisions if he is elected to sit in the Oval Office. It also struck me as a cheap shot when he spoke out against those who would defend a high wall between church and state. Personally, I prefer the vision of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison over Mr. Romney’s.
Whoever is elected president will stand in the great tradition of national leadership only by underscoring his or her commitment to the founders' vision and, thus, their commitment to assuring separation between the dictates of religious faith, and the promise that every president must make to protect and defend the Constitution.

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Anonymous:

My sentiments exactly. Where is the discussion on Romney's speech and the Reverend's essay?

With little doubt you are cheated. Just think of all the things that could be said.

Posted by: What is this world coming to!! | December 11, 2007 11:12 PM
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Reverend Gaddy,
How does calling fear of secularism the "boogeyman" make it so. Perhaps a more reasoned explanation of what you mean is in order. Is the idea that free speech and freedom of expression could be subjugated by secularism really that unreasonable. In France, Muslim women can't wear head scarves, in the name of banning religion from the public square. One may argue that leaving out unbelievers is picking a fight, but the venom with which the other side fires back indicates to me that it is every bit a fight of passion and not reason on both sides.

Posted by: Doc | December 11, 2007 9:08 PM
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I feel so cheated! Three comments and one is Jacob Jozevz and another is Bgone...responding to Jacob Jozevz!

Posted by: Anonymous | December 11, 2007 12:43 PM
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Jacob Jozevz:

Did I understand you to say for me to stop referencing that ridiculous web site? Which one did you mean?

Is it http://www.hoax-buster.org with proof the Bible is a hoax?

Not http://www.hoax-buster.org/sellyoursoul that uses the Bible and other "official" writings to prove the God that one nation is under is really the leader of Devils, Lucifer?

Look about you. Where did all this come from? There must be a Devil. Which man of great faith, (in ball-of-fire God) Lucifer shall lead us through these troubled sub prime times.

Stats to ponder while deciding how to vote.
43% of American homes have prime, not sub prime mortgages on them. 17+% of them are in foreclosure. 17% of 43% = 7.31% of all homes in America. 43% of all homes with sub prime mortgages are in being foreclosed.

Not to worry. Nero fiddle while Rome burned and he didn't get thrown out of office, (the office of "son of God") either. Things were just fine except no one had anywhere to live. Is this election about selecting a "son of God" or just one with faith "son of God?"

Yes Reverend, it was a good speech but why is religion such a problem? Is that hoax buster fellow onto something we all need to know? Before we take what politicians say as "Gospel?"

Welton Gaddy

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