In Theory: Is the U.S. ready for a Mormon president?

A new poll of Mormons has found that one-third of them believe that Mitt Romney’s religion will count against him in the run-up to the presidential election, and that America is not ready to elect a Mormon president.

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life said, “With a Mormon candidate among the front-runners for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, a musical about Mormons playing on Broadway and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) running television ads about ordinary Mormons, America is in the midst of what some media accounts have dubbed a ‘Mormon moment.’” But the findings don’t hold much cheer for the religion’s adherents.

Forty-six percent of the Mormons polled said there is anti-Mormon discrimination in America. More than half of the respondents, 62%, say the average American is ill-informed about the religion and 68% say that Mormonism is not seen as part of mainstream American life and culture.

In a June 2011 Gallup poll, one-fifth of the registered Republicans polled said they wouldn’t vote for a Mormon candidate, but Romney’s successes this month in Iowa and New Hampshire point to him as being best placed of all the candidates to capture the Republican nomination.

Even Pastor Robert Jeffress, who backs Texas Gov. Rick Perry and who in October described Mormonism as a cult, recently said, “[I]t looks like Gov. Romney’s nomination is inevitable.... Evangelicals, come November, might have to hold their noses and vote for the lesser of two evils. But it’s not November yet.”

Whether Romney can conquer South Carolina remains to be seen, as Rick Santorum is hoping to clean up among Southern evangelicals who dislike Mormonism and, by extension, Romney. Some 60% of people there consider themselves born-again Christians and don’t see Mormonism as being a “real” Christian denomination, a problem Romney’s campaign is fighting by emphasizing his “secular” credentials such as his business experience.

As Romney currently looks like the shoo-in for the nomination, conservatives are stuck between defending and supporting Romney as their best hope of regaining power in 2013 or continuing their search for a candidate more suitable to their beliefs.

Is Romney electable? Is America ready for a Mormon president?

This column reflects my personal views and not the views of the LDS Church.

Is Governor Romney electable? As I write, he has won two Republican primaries and is leading in both the South Carolina and Florida Republican polls. He also is leading, or tied with, President Obama in several national polls. These polls do not mean that he will be nominated or elected as president. There is still much campaigning and vetting to be done. They do suggest that he is electable.

The more interesting question is whether America is ready for a Mormon president. The Pew survey found that 56% of Mormons believe that America is ready, but a June 2011 Gallup survey found that more than 20% of voters would not vote for a Mormon president. Presumably this would be the case regardless of a Mormon candidate’s qualifications. Why is that? Yes, religious prejudice and bigotry play a part. However, I believe that a lack of understanding about Mormons plays a bigger part.

A November 2011 Pew poll found that 50% of U.S. non-Mormons say they know “not very much” or “nothing at all” about Mormonism. An example of this is the polygamy question. A 2008 poll, “How Americans View Mormonism,” found that nearly 40% of Americans think Mormons practice polygamy today. Yet this practice was officially banned by the Church in 1890, and its practice today will result in excommunication. The recent Pew survey found “little acceptance of polygamy among Mormons,” with nearly nine of 10 Mormons saying it is morally wrong.

Another example is the question of whether Mormons are Christian. Ninety seven percent of Mormons say yes, but only 51% of the U.S. general population agrees. To get a better understanding of why Mormons believe that they are Christians, I refer readers to the following church websites: www.lds.org and www.mormons.org.

Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution prohibits a religious test for public office. So what role should a candidate’s religious affiliation play? For me, a candidate’s religious affiliation, or lack thereof, is something to take into account in vetting a candidate’s values and views, but is not a disqualifier, by itself, for public office.

Rick Callister

I believe it’s a bit of a long shot, but I do believe Mitt Romney is electable. His Mormonism isn’t a “plus” in the public eye, but I don’t think that will be the final deciding factor.

When John Kennedy was running, his Catholicism was an issue, but it didn’t keep him out of office. When Bill Clinton was running, his campaign’s war cry was “It’s the economy, stupid,” not whether or not he was a Baptist.

While Mormonism departs from historic orthodox Christianity, I believe Evangelicals will prefer him over a candidate that supports abortion and a departure from biblically-defined marital morality.

During the 2008 presidential election I had the opportunity to have a brief personal conversation with one of the men running for his party’s nomination. His opinion was that if no candidate met your preferences on the basis on conscience, you shouldn’t vote for any of them. I disagree. If all you do is vote for “the lesser of two evils,” it still means you’re participating, even if only to curtail the amount of evil in leadership.

The apostle Peter urges all Christians to “gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13). It’s easy to get caught up in the emotions and the temporary consequences of national elections. May we never forget that God has ordained that his son Jesus Christ will return and rule over and restore the entire earth. The most important vote any of us will ever cast is the personal choice to receive Jesus Christ as our lord, and thus to be reconciled to God and given a hope that will endure throughout eternity.

Pastor Jon Barta

Valley Baptist Church

Burbank

Yes, Gov. Romney is electable, and yes, America is ready for a Mormon president. There’s a lot of sound and fury right now as the Republicans fall all over each other trying to be the most conservative and the most “religious,” as the evangelicals define that term.

But the truth is, as I heard in a recent poll, virtually all the conservatives will support the GOP nominee, even if it’s Mitt Romney. True, those of the religious right would prefer somebody else, but if Romney is nominated, virtually every Republican will vote for him.

Usually it’s the Democrats who tear themselves apart as they try to find their nominee. But this time the Republicans, who mention Ronald Reagan every chance they get, are going against what the Gipper used to say was the 11th Commandment: Thou shalt not say anything bad about any fellow Republican.

And something else: The Obama White House expects to run against the former Massachusetts governor. When Newt Gingrich was ahead in the polls, one could almost hear a cheer going up at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Obama would love to run against Gingrich, or any of the other extremist conservatives that the evangelicals are trying to nominate instead of Romney.

I’m not a conservative, either politically or theologically, but my advice to the GOP would be to nominate Mitt Romney. Give your party — and the country — a chance to win. I think Obama will be reelected in a very close race, but it will be close only if he runs against Romney. Otherwise, Barack Obama will win in a landslide.

The Rev. Skip Lindeman

La Cañada Congregational Church

La Cañada

Although a strain of anti-Mormon sentiment definitely runs through some segments of our society, I have no doubt that Mitt Romney is electable. This is, after all, the United States of America in the 21st Century, where anything and everything is possible. Proof of this is evident by the fact that the occupant of the highest office in the land is a black man. A mere 10 years ago, an African American’s chance of being elected president was fairly remote — and 40 years ago, it was downright impossible. Yet today, whether one agrees with President Barack Obama’s policies or not, we are all proud to live in a country which overcame its racial prejudices and elected him to office.

As time has passed and attitudes evolved, various voter biases that might previously disqualify a candidate have fallen by the wayside. In 1960, John F. Kennedy became our first Catholic president — something which just a few years prior was deemed impossible. In 1980, Ronald Reagan became the first divorced man to be elevated to the White House. Democrats offered a female candidate for vice president in 1984, and Republicans did the same in 2008. In the 2000 contest, Senator Joe Lieberman joined with then-Vice President Gore to become the first Jewish member of a major national ticket. And today we have a black president in office because the majority of Americans felt he was best suited for the task. Come next Election Day, if most Americans feel that Romney can do a better job than Obama, I truly believe that he’ll win the presidency and his Mormon faith will not be of consequence.

There are certainly some people who would discriminate against a Mormon candidate, just as there are some individuals who cling to views that are racist, sexist or anti-Semitic. But I believe that we as a people will continue to overcome these biases and judge each person on the ballot based strictly on his or her ability to lead the nation. Regardless of the vitriol so prevalent in today’s political climate, I’m convinced that once we step inside the voting booth, the overwhelming majority of Americans will ignore the color of a candidate’s skin or the nature of his religious beliefs and vote for the individual we believe is best for our country. This is one of the defining characteristics of our great nation, and is one reason why our democracy provides a beacon of light for others to follow.

Rabbi Simcha Backman

Chabad Jewish Center

Glendale

The truth is that I don’t know if America is ready to vote for a Mormon president, whether that person is Mitt Romney or someone else. What I do know is that there is still a great deal of prejudice against Latter Day Saints within the Christian community. As a member of an interfaith clergy and laity group in the community in which I live, I was surprised that a retired Mormon bishop joined our group rather than the local Christian clergy group until I discovered that that group would not have accepted him. However, he and a second retired bishop after him were welcomed and became active in our interfaith association.

Then I remember that the same sort of question was asked in the 1960s about the election of a Catholic U.S. president. And that Catholic, President John F. Kennedy, was elected by a wide margin after considerable debate. For many, the election of a Catholic president is no longer an issue; and we look back with wonder at the many accomplishments of Kennedy’s presidency, as well as to his tragic death by an assassin’s bullet.

I have not always agreed with the theological or political beliefs of many of our presidents, nor will I publicly state my support for a particular candidate. But I would be sad indeed if any candidate were to be rejected simply because of his (or her) religious affiliation. The United States is a country of individuals from many different religions, and we profess to be supportive of that diversity. My hope is that the presidential candidates who are nominated will be the best people we can find for the job, whatever their religion. The important thing is that we all take part in the election process to assure that we are a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” May it be so.

The Rev. Betty Stapleford

Unitarian Universalist Church

of the Verdugo Hills

La Crescenta

According to the Constitution, there should be a separation between church and state. The Founding Fathers were concerned with religious intolerance and power. So in the United States we should not be concerned with the religious practices, or non-practices, of candidates.

A candidate for office in the United States, including the presidency, should be evaluated based on his/her ideas and trustworthiness. I am glad that there are no religious tests for office in most states, and I think most people do not worry about the religion of candidates. It seems likely that Americans would vote for a Mormon candidate for president if that candidate was qualified for the highest office in the land because of his/her other traits, skills and qualities.

Steven Gibson

South Pasadena Atheist Meetup

Altadena

I know that there are many people who worry about having a president with any religion at all, mostly because the word has been reduced in the political arena to litmus tests around abortion and homosexuality, with insufficient attention paid to core Judeo-Christian-Muslim values of justice, peace and mercy.

Ideally, a candidate’s faith shapes the value system that would underpin his/her decisions when in elected office. A Jesus-follower would tend faithfully to “the least of these” in decisions about policy and budget, while also blessing the peacemakers and turning the other cheek (see Matthew, chapter five). Of course, we have far too many recent examples of both candidates and elected officials who consider faith to be an accessory that one dons and doffs at will, depending on how attractive it looks with the rest of the outfit for that day. There are, after all, many other value systems in play, and perhaps it is not always easy to know when, in the thick of the fray, one has compromised one’s faith.

Mitt Romney’s history includes a long and sustained commitment to his Mormon faith, evidenced by his appointment to a leadership position, testimonies of people he has helped, and six generations of Mormon ancestry. I am confused by his reluctance to state clearly how his beliefs have impacted his work as an elected official and as a senior partner at Bain Capital. Everyone knows that he is a Mormon, and a large percentage of that “everyone” is unclear on, or suspicious about, what that means.

My point is — more or less — how would America know if she were ready? Neither Romney nor Huntsman has stated clearly what being a Mormon means for them in elected office, and even if they did, they’d have to tell us why to believe them.

I think America should be ready to push back at candidates who loudly claim religion but don’t live it, as well as those who live it but don’t claim it loudly. But I’m kind of a purist that way.

The Rev. Paige Eaves

Crescenta Valley United Methodist Church

Montrose

Politics is as close to a religion as I get. Even so, I haven’t made a serious study of the GOP presidential field.

I think the prevailing wisdom is that Romney is the most electable, to the continuing frustration of the so-called evangelicals and the tea partiers, who keep hoping and searching for someone — anyone — else.

Our second question is inevitable, I suppose, yet annoying.

The same amendment to the U.S. Constitution that allows the religious to freely exercise their beliefs also makes this question unnecessary.

Since our country has no established religion, the U.S. president’s affiliation is neither here nor there.

How a candidate conducts her or his private and public life is germane. If you think church membership always equals morality, then ask away. But given the frequent gap between personal conduct and professed religion, what does the answer you get really tell you?

Lest you think I am picking on religion, I also don’t care if a candidate would be fun to have a beer with.

It is the brains, skill, will and heart that the candidates would bring to their secular, public role as our head of state that I care about. I also want to know if they are as serious about separation of church and state as I am.

I claim my right to be free from religion in our secular government, and thus also in the campaign.

If you cherish the liberties guaranteed by our Constitution and you haven’t claimed this right already yourself, maybe you should. It goes hand in hand with your right to practice a religion — or not.

Roberta Medford

Atheist

Montrose

The great Reformer Martin Luther remarked, “I’d rather be ruled by a competent Turk than an incompetent Christian.” That’s where a lot of us evangelicals sit. We have a president that claims to be Christian, but shows little evidence of the ability to govern, and we face the duty to find someone capable who doesn’t apologize for our country, who doesn’t run it aground, and who doesn’t say he’s something that he doesn’t evidence.

So we look to the Republicans for reprieve, and our options are narrowing to where the possibility is that our next president may not be Christian, but will perform better than our current one.

I speak of Mitt Romney. We aren’t sure if he’s the guy, but he’s certainly a high possibility. If he is, Christians will turn out to vote for this candidate holding their noses — not because Christians hate Mormons. We view them as patriotic, conservative, and morally akin to our own sensibilities. But we are obliged to uphold the biblical view of God and his salvation, and the Mormons follow a fairy tale of God that totally destroys it.

LDS President Lorenzo Snow taught that, “As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become.” This Mormon belief is an affront to Christians, and when their missionary teens come knocking on neighborhood doors, riding bicycles, wearing their oxford shirts and carrying “‘another’ testament of Jesus Christ,” we pray their efforts fail, lest people go to hell.

When they pervert the trinity of God, and preach that Mormon men (not women) will be gods on their own planets one day, with the power to call up (or not) their earthly wives to join them, you can’t possibly categorize them as Christian.

God declares, “Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me” (Isaiah 43:10 NIV). Romney thinks he will be God one day. It’s not him, it’s the hope of every Mormon man. Does it matter that a president may be voted to the ultimate American power believing himself to be God in the dock? Something to reasonably consider.

The Rev. Bryan Griem

Montrose Community Church

Montrose