When the Dallas pastor called Mr. Romney’s faith – Mormonism – a “cult” at a recent convention of Christian conservatives, he brought into the open a simmering issue: whether a leading Republican presidential candidate should be judged over religious beliefs some Americans see as outside the mainstream.
Romney’s “Mormon Faith” was bound to be addressed sooner or later in this campaign. Four years ago, during his first presidential campaign, it happened when the talk over Mormonism got loud enough that the former Massachusetts governor saw fit to deliver a major speech on faith. Most memorably, it was presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, who made headlines by wondering out loud if Mormons believe Jesus and the devil are brothers. He later apologized to Romney, but the damage may already have been done.
This time, polls show continuing public reservations about electing a Mormon president – especially among white Evangelicals, an important part of the Republican base. In June, a Pew Research Center poll showed 34 percent of white Evangelicals are “less likely” to support a Mormon for president; 25 percent of the overall population feels that way. Those numbers are little changed from 2007.
So, with Romney standing an excellent chance at winning the GOP nomination, the question was not if, but when he would have to address his faith.
If nothing else, the clumsiness of the comments by Mr. Jeffress, senior pastor at a Southern Baptist megachurch in Dallas, made Romney an object of sympathy and put Texas Gov. Rick Perry, whom Jeffress endorsed, on the spot. Governor Perry’s campaign has said the governor does not view Mormonism as a cult, but he has yet to disavow Jeffress. On Oct. 11, Romney called on Perry to repudiate the pastor’s comments.
“I think it ends up in some small way helping Romney,” says the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “People don’t want to be associated with an attack on someone’s religion like this.”
But even if Romney doesn’t gain from the episode, it’s still early enough in the presidential cycle that the Romney campaign has time to contain any negative fallout from the attention to his faith, should it come.
“I don’t know if this was a favor to Romney, but it’s probably better from the point of view of any campaign to have criticism like this come out early rather than last minute,” says John Green, an expert on religion and politics at the University of Akron in Ohio.
When the controversial Mr. Huckabee quote about Mormons came out in the last campaign, it was just a few weeks before the first nominating contest, the Iowa caucuses, which the former Arkansasgovernor went on to win. But, the dynamic of this cycle is wholly different. Republicans are passionate about defeating President Obama and getting the economy on track, so a candidate’s electability and conservative economic credentials are essential – not his or her religious faith.
Mitt Romney's Mormonism will certainly hurt him in the preliminaries,but should he win the nomination, conservatism and not religion will triumph.
Mormonism is "Another Gospel."
Galatians 1:
6I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed.
10For do I now seek the favor of men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
Paul's Calling Is from God
11But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
12For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
13For you have heard of my manner of life in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
14And advanced in the Jews' religion above many of my equals in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
15But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
16To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
17Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them who were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
Paul Accepted by Apostles and Others
18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
19But other of the apostles saw I none, except James the Lord's brother.
20Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.
21Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;
22And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judea which were in Christ:
23But they had heard only, That he who persecuted us in times past now preaches the faith which once he destroyed.
24And they glorified God in me.
Revelation 22:
18For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:19And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
20He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Notice verse 20 points out that Jesus is the one that "testifieth"...John gives the last Amen, and this is the final "Revelation" of Jesus to the Church, before his return.
He did not send an Angel to Joseph Smith with "another Gospel or book."
8"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Paul refers to "we" as the apostles! (and scribes authorized by them as was Luke)| But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. | |||
      |  2Cr 11:4 | For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or [if] ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with [him]. So another Gospel creates "another Jesus" and another spirit. Romans 8: |
Mormons are good people. But they do not have TRUTH. Ghandi was a good person, but without the Gospel of Jesus Christ, his goodness is in vain.
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