Mitt Romney's Faith in America Speech

As many of you know (and may have blogged about), Mitt Romney is going to give an address on Faith in America this Thursday. Unless you've been living under a rock, you also know that Romney is a Mormon - a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

All of this has come about because of a fumbled answer on the Bible during a presidential debate in Iowa, and the rising of Mike Huckabee in some polls.

Just out of curiosity, where is the ACLU in protest to that question? They were all over ranting about the LDS Church buying a very small section of main street in Salt Lake City just a couple of years ago. All in the name of "separation of church and state," of course, but I digress.

Getting back to Romney, let's ignore the fact that most polls show Mitt still in the lead of the Republican pack. Let's ignore the fact that the AP poll in Iowa shows them neck and neck. Only one poll I'm aware of that was mentioned on TV (and I can't even find where it came from to verify it) showed Mike Huckabee in the lead in Iowa.

I understand the problem all too well. I'm a Mormon and I was persecuted for it nearly every day when I lived in North Carolina.

The is has less to do with theology than with theocracy. I can understand, and agree with, the anti-theocracy line. I don't want a U.S. president acting as a puppet for his (or her) religion's leaders - even my own.

I don't think this is a real issue, just a percieved one.. The LDS Church has gotten politically involved in far less causes than many other churches have. They never promote one candidate over another in any election. At least during my lifetime.

I know many of you will find that hard to believe, given how red the state of Utah is, but trust me. The Church has never said, "Vote Republican." Instead, they encourage their members to vote their conscience.

So let me ask, when you consider the idea a Mormon in the Whitehouse (or a Catholic, or a Jew, or a Jehova's Witness, or a Wiccan, or a Buddhist, or ...), what do think? Do you worry about their faith, or their politics?