Pay Close Attention to This Talk by Mitt Romney
As reported, among other places, on Huffington Post, former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney plans to make a "major address" from (of all places) the President George H. W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, TX, explaining how his Mormon faith will influence his decisions if he's elected President.
Pay close attention.
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS, or "Mormons") are decidedly not entirely free agents in the exercise of the private or public lives. Speaking as a former member of that church I assure you that to the extent that Romney offers any explanation that diminishes the fact that he is ultimately responsible and accountable to a man he believes to be God's prophet on earth today, he will be lying to you.
When I was very active in the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City in the mid and late 1970's, I took a strong personal stand against the infamous execution of Gary Mark Gilmore in the name of the people of the State of Utah. I was reprimanded by my superiors and summoned to the downtown headquarters of the church and instructed not to attend a vigil protesting his execution. I was an Elder in that church. I had been an active and willing participant in many work projects. I worked for a church-owned computer company. But it was made very clear to me that the church's doctrine of "blood atonement" -- a doctrine, by the way, of which I was never informed until it became an issue in this case -- absolutely forbade me from acting on my conscience in this situation.
Gov. Romney is a former bishop and stake president (chief leader of a local and regional church body) in the church who can be presumed to understand very well the beliefs of his faith and the degree to which they make it impossible for him to remain a faithful Mormon in good standing and take any action opposed by the President and Prophet of his church.
The comparison with President John F. Kennedy and the questions he faced with respect to his Catholicism is specious and seems designed only to distract from the fundamental difference. The Pope claims infallibility only with respect to matters of church doctrine; the prophet claims to be a singular pipeline to God on matters such as social issues and political stances.
I will never support a Mormon for President of the United States. I am an interfaith spiritual leader and thinker and I am not anti-Mormon. I believe firmly and strongly that it is every individual's right to pursue whatever faith path they wish, or to pursue none at all. But when you've chosen a path that clearly conflicts with a request for public trust, I think you should have the courage of your convictions and stand up and admit that.
I doubt Romney plans that course of action.
