Can a Conservative Christian Vote for Mitt Romney for President?

 *** Though this post will seem to be an endorsement on my part for Mitt Romney, it is rather an attempt to encourage a different perspective on the issue of his faith in regards to his candidacy.  I personally am undecided on which candidate I support.***

The presidential politicking and debating have been in full swing for quite some time now as Democratic and Republican presidential hopefuls try to gain the nomination of their respective party.  While the Democrats seem to have their two clear-cut front-runners, the Republican front-runner(s) is (are) still in the air. 

What’s been very distinctive in this nomination process as opposed to previous times is the amount of pandering Republicans have done to gain the votes of the Religious Right.  Past presidential elections, especially the past two, have seen the rise of and influence of religious voters.  Today, these voters play a more crucial role for Republic hopefuls as there is no clear-cut nominee that fits perfectly into the mold of the Religious Right’s ideal candidate.  Some do not support Rudy because of his stance on homosexuality and abortion.  Some do not support McCain because of his recent debacle in immigration reform.  Fred Thompson – well, who is he?  (Did his late entry hurt him?)  Most Christians, however, tend to count out Mitt Romney because of his Mormon faith.  Thus, it seems that most from the Religious Right have only two choices – Ron Paul or Mike Huckabee.  But, should this be the case?

Today it seems, in my opinion, that some in the Religious Right have defaulted to either Paul or Huckabee primarily because of their professed faith in Jesus Christ all the while providing the most criticism and venom for Romney because of his faith.  Hence, a candidate is chosen because of his identity over his political convictions.  But, should a Christian automatically disregard a candidate just because he is not a Christian as defined in the Bible, or even a Christian at all?  I do not think so.

America was founded in part to offer religious freedom to all who come to her shores.  In addition, the Constitution guaranteed that America would be a pluralistic society – no religion favored above another.  Implied in this is the freedom of any person from any religious background to run for public office with the stipulation that he or she be a legitimate U. S. citizen of good standing.  The President, therefore, need not be a Christian – he can be Roman Catholic, a Mason, Mormon, whatever.  Any presidential hopeful, therefore, need not run based upon his religion, but on his political stances and his ability to uphold and govern by the Constitution and the freedom granted by it.

The closest example in America’s history to what we’re seeing with Mitt Romney’s election is JFK’s election in 1960.  Throughout the election, Kennedy had to defend his Roman Catholic faith and convince Americans that he would not abuse the office of president by making America a pawn to the Pope.  Kennedy fulfilled his words until his untimely death, showing most Americans’ fear of a Catholic takeover to be nothing more than a paranoid conspiracy theory.  Fast forward to today and we have the same situation with Mitt Romney and his Mormon faith.  Many are fearful that the Mormon Church is behind Romney’s candidacy and, if elected, American would Mormonized.  Like Kennedy, Romney has had to do a Kennedy-esque press conference to assure American people – mostly the Religious Right, I assume – that he would govern as an American, not as a Mormon, and would uphold the Constitution to the best of his ability.  Like Kennedy, Romney has more of an uphill battle to win over Americans just because of his religion.  Unlike Americans did with Kennedy, Americans, especially conservative Christians, should judge a candidate not on his identity alone, but on his political agenda and values.

Am I saying that a candidate’s faith/religion does not come into play when one elects a president?  No.  But I am saying that one should not dismiss a candidate based on his faith/religion alone.  In his article titled “Who’s Afraid of a Mormon President?” in the Southern Seminary paper “Towers,” Dr. Russell Moore states that one’s conversion should not be  a litmus test for the presidency of the United States:

I do not think personal regeneration is a necessary prerequisite to serve as president of the United States. Romans 13 responsibilities are given to those powers that wield the sword with justice. The Scriptures make clear that the church in this epoch does not rule the world (1 Cor 4:8; 6:1-2; Rev 2:26-27).

Consider this scenario: Candidate A is not a Christian(for example), but his political values and record closely matches the political values those of a majority of Christians, and candidate B, who confesses Christ and is a Southern Baptist, but whose political values and record is suspect and questionable in regards to the majority of Christians’ political values.  Who then should one choose? In the same article, Dr. Russell Moore mentions this exact scenario from recent American history:

Imagine applying the 1 John tests of Christian spirituality in 1980 to a family man Sunday School teacher with a clear conversion testimony and an active church life and then to a divorced, non-churchgoing, Hollywood actor who was alienated from his own children. The choice is obvious, right? And yet, most conservative Christians (and everyone else) went with Ronald Reagan over Jimmy Carter.

Christians are in a very similar situation now with the slate of Republican presidential hopefuls,[1] instead having to chose between candidates who are confessed Christians but whose political background doesn’t fit the office of the presidency, candidates who are professed Christians but probably nominal at best, and a Mormon.  In light of the American Constitution and the example of the 1980 presidential election, Christians should consider which candidate is best suited and whose political record best supports his ability to uphold the Constitution and the freedoms guaranteed therein, not him who passes the “1 John tests of Christian spirituality” (Moore, 23 Oct 2006, Towers).  It may be that the candidate whose religion and/or faith that doesn’t line up with conservative Christianity may very well be the best qualified candidate for the Presidency. 

So, then, can a conservative Christian, more specifically a Southern Baptist (since that’s what I am), with good conscious vote for Mitt Romney?  I believe the answer is yes.  First, any attempt to discredit him, or any other candidate for that matter, on the basis of his conversion, or lack thereof, is to apply a religious test for a candidate forbidden by the Constitution of the United States.

Second, any fears that Romney, if president, will be a mere pawn to the Mormon Church is nothing more than a fear based on paranoia or a hunger for a conspiracy theory.  I believe that our government is set up such that, if one were to attempt to establish a church-led government, he would be exposed and prevented from doing so.  I believe history has shown us with Kennedy’s presidency that such fears of a church takeover are unfounded.

Lastly, for those who believe that a Mormon in the Oval Office is un-American and threatens Christianity, I would say, “Quit worrying.”  Romney’s Mormon faith does not threaten Christianity in America or any other religion/faith in America, nor does his religion go against American heritage.  Let us Christians not forget that Christianity is not the favored, though we are the majority, religion in America.  As stated by Dr. Land, we live in a pluralistic society when it comes to religion; that is, our government is intended to accommodate all religions without discrimination or persecution.  It is American that a Mormon can rise to the presidency of the United States, just as a Roman Catholic did over 40 years ago, because we live in a land of complete religious freedom.

With this said, is Mitt Romney the best choice for the Republican nomination for president?  To be honest, I’m not sure.  But, I believe he deserves a fair chance from conservative Christians when considering their candidate, just as any other candidate running.  I do feel, however, if he wins  the nomination by the Republican Party, that I would prefer Romney in office over any other Democrat nominees. 

Let us prayerfully consider the candidates this political season and not rule one out based on identity alone.

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[1] The context of Dr. Moore’s article is one of his uncertainty on where to stand in regards to Romney’s candidacy.  While he stated that one’s conversion is not to be a litmus test for the presidency, he also states his concern that:

My real fear in this vein is not that Romney is a Mormon but that he is not Mormon enough. After all, in all of his political races (including the last one 3 1/2 years ago) he took a “pro-choice” stance on abortion, a stance he has now changed. Is this genuine? Will he prove to govern like his fellow Mormon Orrin Hatch legislates, stem-cell research, IVF approval, and so forth? I doubt it. But do we yet know?

Also, the issue of Mormonism, for Dr. Moore, is not similar to Kennedy’s Catholicism in 1960 and should not be dismissed by Evangelicals in that Romney is more inclined to be informed by his church than was Kennedy.  Dr. Moore fears, however, not a Mormon President, but Evangelicals’ response if Romney is elected President. Will Evangelicals begin to equate Mormonism with Christianity when they are in fact not equal or even remotely similar?  Dr. Moore concludes his article with the following open-ended question:  “I suppose the possibility of a Romney presidency might be a test for American evangelical voters. Would we be able to go to the White House and ask for pro-life, pro-family legislation from a pro-life, pro-family president and then share the Gospel with him before we leave?

written by Danny McDonald  © 2007 Musings of a Wannabe Muser blog