Romney To Give "Religion Speech"

Mormon Candidate Will Address His Faith As His Lead In Iowa Falls To Huckabee

(CBS)  By CBSNews.com Senior Political Editor Vaughn Ververs.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney will deliver a much-anticipated speech on religious faith at the George H. W. Bush library on Thursday, CBS News has confirmed. Romney's Mormon faith has been an underlying theme of his presidential candidacy but, until today, it has been an area he and his campaign have shied away from addressing directly.

"This speech is an opportunity for Governor Romney to share his views on religious liberty, the grand tradition religious tolerance has played in the progress of our nation and how the governor's own faith would inform his Presidency if he were elected," said Romney spokesman Kevin Madden in a statement released Sunday evening.

On Monday, Romney said he decided to give the speech because the subject is of interest in early voting Iowa, according to the Associated Press.

"I can tell you I'm not going to be talking so much about my faith as I am talking about the religious heritage of our country and the role in which it played in the founding of the nation and the role which I think religion should generally play today in our society," Romney said in an interview with WBZ-AM.

He added: "I will also talk about how my own values and my own faith will inform my thinking if I were lucky enough to become president of the united states."

Romney also compared his run to when his father, former Michigan Gov. George Romney, ran for the White House in 1968, AP reports.

"…Times have changed and particularly in a state like Iowa, there's been interest in religion generally and I think religion does have a very important role in our society and therefore it's important to talk about our religious heritage," Romney said.

Throughout this campaign year, Romney has frequently been asked whether he would address his faith directly. Many evangelical Christians view the Mormon Church, officially known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, critically. And voters in general have expressed hesitance about voting for a presidential candidate who subscribes to that faith. Last June, 43 percent of registered voters in a CBS News poll said they would not vote for a presidential candidate who is Mormon.

Romney has frequently been asked whether he would consider delivering a speech about his faith along the lines of the address John F. Kennedy gave when his Catholic faith provoked a similar discussion in the 1960 presidential campaign.

When asked about the possibility of giving such a speech by CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer last month, Romney replied, "I probably could never do something that would compare to what John F. Kennedy did - his was a masterpiece in American political history." Romney continued, "Maybe there's a time when I talk mostly about religion. Although, I don't know, at this stage I'm getting good support across the country, people want to know a bit ... a bit about my faith. They learn a bit about it, and they'll say, 'OK, that's fine, now what do you think about the jihad? What do you think about being competitive with China? How can you fix your schools? What're you going to do about health care?' And those issues overtake any differences with regards to religion they might see."

The speech comes at a moment in the campaign when Romney's once-dominant lead in Iowa has eroded. He trails former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, an ordained Baptist minister, in the most recent poll in the first-in-the-nation caucus. Social conservatives in Iowa, who wield plenty of influence in the caucuses, seem to have vacillated between candidates like Romney and Fred Thompson but appear to be coalescing around Huckabee. Romney's decision to address his faith directly looks to be an attempt to soothe evangelicals who may be having second thoughts.

"Governor Romney understands that faith is an important issue to many Americans, and he personally feels this moment is the right moment for him to share his views with the nation," Madden said in his statement. For Romney, it is a crucial moment in the campaign, one which will put his faith under the kind of spotlight he has sought to avoid until now.

I just read "A Mormon in the White House", which is another good history of Romney written by a non-Mormon. Read it and judge for yourself the kind of person Romney is.

[spch84]

For those who would like to read a fairly concise survey of Mormonism, please read "When Salt Lake City Calls" by Rocky Hulse. I found it very interesting to learn about the history of the church and politics. It''s fresh off the press as of Nov 1, but check with local bookstores or it''s on Amazon.com. It may answer many people''s questions that are debated here. It asks whether there is a conflict in Mormonism and the public trust, not just at the presidential level, but down to city counsel and all levels between. Judge for yourself.

[sjr123-2009]

Religion, religion. 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13. Christians should have it memorized. So many that profess it, yet so few that ever practice it. So sad, so sad, so sad.

[truths1]

Being a NON-mormon Utah resident I have experienced the negative side of mormonism. Yes they are unselfish, but only to other church members. If you are not "in the club" ... forget it. Mormons denounce gambling, drinking, and smoking, but really only around other mormons. When surounded by other lds they are on their best behavior because everything must ''appear'' a certain way. Ah yes, the ''Beehive State''. You can look at it two ways, one, everybody working together for the greater good, or two, just a bunch of non-thinking mindless drones just taking orders. No thanks Mitt.

[felkner-2009]

John 10:16 does not refer to MORMONS. If Jesus is the Sheperd, then all who follow the Sheperd are sheep. The lost sheep are those who have strayed from the Sheperd, the sheep may not recognize them but the Sheperd does. At the least, the lost sheep are Gentiles.

In Revelation, the last 4 or 5 sentences/definatley the last chapter, JESUS says woe unto those who add to or take away one letter of the Holy Bible for all the plagues mentioned here will befall those who do. I would say that is CLEAR warning for those who wish to hold the book of mormon and its teachings as though it were a part of the Bible in any way.

Hey, you are good you mormons, you are at the elite of all cults as the common man understands cults to be.

A religious man or not, no other cult could get one of its minions to the status of power which you have succeeded in attaining with the level of acceptability you all have achieved. That really is not a compliment as much as it is a warning to those that they have no clue what they "agree" to when they accept such false doctrines and its false prophets.

[denn034]

What is or isn''t a cult differs from psychologists, sociologists, and religionists. It may surprise some to know that evangelical Right Wing Republicans view liberalism as cultic. What is or isn''t cultic is subjective and being dogmatic about it when there is no set approach to such makes no sense.

[ianlou]

The Right Wing Republicans believe Mormonism is a cult, the rest of us believe Right Wing Republicanism is a cult.

[lsg0411]

fibonacci_, to claim that only "stupid followers" follow those who claim they are messengers of god is to include almost the entire human species since the beginning of history. The followers of Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad comprise the majority of the human race today and all of them claimed to receive personal revelation from God. The majority of America still believes in these messengers, and that is who our politicians try to represent.
As for claims of "magic underwear", your understanding of Mormon theology is obviously lacking. It''s for ignorant people like you that Romney feels the need to make a speech. And instead of cutting people down for their beliefs, build off of what beliefs you have in common--whether you are religious or not, there are values we all share. I think that is what Romney is trying to say.

[lsg0411]

fibonacci_, to claim that only "stupid followers" follow those who claim they are messengers of god is to include almost the entire human species since the beginning of history. The followers of Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad comprise the majority of the human race today and all of them claimed to receive personal revelation from God. The majority of America still believes in these messengers, and that is who our politicians try to represent.
As for claims of "magic underwear", your understanding of Mormon theology is obviously lacking. It''s for ignorant people like you that Romney feels the need to make a speech. And instead of cutting people down for their beliefs, build off of what beliefs you have in common--whether you are religious or not, there are values we all share. I think that is what Romney is trying to say.

[fibonacci_]

mvslkv, what is a smart thing to believe?

1 + 1 = 2
in gravity
in not hurting others
in the transforming power of art

NOT magic underwear
NOT some guy who says hes a messenger of god

There are still people who say they are messengers of god...there will always be these people. Only stupid followers fall for that.

[brianbwb-2009]

"And it is these self-proclaimed non-believers when faced with their own mortality, suddenly turning to the one thing that they have denounced all their life. Little hypocritical isn''t it."
Posted by Edward1975

When it is true it is indeed hypocritical, but I have yet to see your anecdotal and or statistical proof that people who claim atheism have "death bed conversions", I have only very infrequently heard of such, and don''t accept that the numbers are high enough to make such a conclusion.

Your post might be likened to the assertion, "lightning always strikes cows, because it has happened a few times, and I saw it once."

[brianbwb-2009]

"And it is these self-proclaimed non-believers when faced with their own mortality, suddenly turning to the one thing tha

[edward1975-2009]

I love the self-proclaimed people of no faith that find fault with people who base theirs on a belief of a higher authority. And it is these self-proclaimed non-believers when faced with their own mortality, suddenly turning to the one thing that they have denounced all their life. Little hypocritical isn''t it.

[memerider]

This is disgusting. It''s time to get religious talk out of politics. Religious views should be private. At this point in time, I don''t trust anyone who claims to have an invisible friend based on some ancient religious myth who wants to be president.

[kansas1946]

Call him what you want, we know there is someone up there who has the bigger power. Posted by famulla at 10:38 PM
***********************************
That "we" is pretty broad. There are some that don''t think that at all.

[famulla-2009]

In God''s name, November 3rd
In Allah''s name or I phrase this, in the creator''s name. Why do I quibble about the name of the creator?
The doctors around the globe, after stitching the patient''s head will tell the panicked relative waiting outside the ICU chewing their nails," I have done all I could, Now we leave the matter in the hand of God." Does that sound familiar?
Why quibble over the name of the creator. Call him what you want, we know there is someone up there who has the bigger power. What is more, knowingly or unknowing, we turn to him in grief only (self human st that too), then forget the whole episode.
Well there it is I, you, him, they, she, and all.
I am amazed after Darwin we still are on the expedition to find the creator.
I thank you
Firozali A Mulla MBA PhD
P.O.Box 6044
Dar-Es-Salaam
Tanzania
East Africa

[kansas1946]

Romney needs to just give it up. Huckabee has the inside track!!
*************************

Breaking News -

In a bold move that could dramatically alter the playing field of the 2008 G.O.P. presidential race, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee today named Jesus Christ as his vice-presidential running mate.

The Reverend Pat Robertson, a supporter of former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, said he was %u201Cblindsided%u201D by the news of Huckabee%u2019s decision: %u201CI talked to Jesus last night and He didn%u2019t mention anything about it.%u201D

If the Huckabee-Christ ticket makes it all the way to the White House, it could be historic in more ways than one: %u201CIf Huckabee is elected and then something happens to him while in office, we would be looking at our first Jewish president.%u201D

[candide777]

You wouldn''t want your financial advisor to tell you what to invest in based on the conversation he had with God last night, why would you want a president who can''t make a decision until he "prays on it"? Grow up people, if prayer could solve our problems, we wouldn''t need a president.

[candide777]

Our future is at stake here, people.
Posted by bookaholic at 07:37 PM : Dec 03, 2007

I agree -- we can''t afford another politician who believes that his religion should guide his decisions. Religion, by definition, is faith-based; Any honest religious person will admit that faith is, by definition, irrational; we''ve had enough irratinal decisions from the current idiot-in-chief to last us another century. Let''s have a leader who can keep his or her religion out of it, and who can make decisions based on evidence and rational analysis! A politician who is too afraid to admit that he or she adheres to the religion of "reason" when it comes to public policy doesn''t deserve to be elected.

[candide777]

I myself am among the rarest and oft unwelcome of sorts, a politically independent Christian working in the entertainment field.
I say again that inflammatory rhetoric only breeds more inflammatory rhetoric. It''''s a self-fulfilling prophesy, to use a little biblical language.
Posted by tunesmithCCR at 07:30 PM : Dec 02, 2007

I''d encourage you to give up the irrational religious beliefs and join the movement toward reason. You''ll find that it''s a very enlightened and liberated place to be, where you can work toward the best that humanity is capable of achieving, free from the absurdities that have kept humankind in the dark ages for far too long, and that continue to enable lunatics to convince their sheep to fly planes into buildings.