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The Laying On of Mitts

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from: Bonnie Goldstein

Posted Friday, Oct. 12, 2007, at 1:28 PM ET

Mark DeMoss is president of the De Moss Group, an influential Georgia-based religious communications firm (click here for a lengthy client list), and the author of The Little Red Book Of Wisdom, a collection of homilies about work and family. He takes a very practical approach to choosing whom he and other evangelicals should support for president. More than a year ago, DeMoss found himself "surveying the landscape of potential candidates" in search of someone who shared his values and could "beat Hillary Clinton." After months of researching, he settled on Mitt Romney, because he was convinced the candidate's "values practically mirror my own." Echoing comments he made last spring at the National Religious Broadcasting Convention, DeMoss wrote to 150 conservative and evangelical leaders last week (see below and the following four pages) urging them to "pray fervently for this election" and assuring them, "I am wholeheartedly convinced that Mitt Romney can be trusted to uphold the values most important to me as a political conservative and an evangelical Christian" (Page 5).

Admittedly, DeMoss "had to deal with concerns in my own heart" about "supporting a Mormon for the office of president," but he concluded that the question should be not "Could I vote for a Mormon? but Could I vote for this Mormon?" (Page 4). DeMoss says he was inspired to set aside any prejudices by "my friend of nearly 30 years, Jerry Falwell," from whom he learned "the value of working closely with people of other faiths" who "shared our convictions about ... the value of God in public life." Indeed, DeMoss points out that the Moral Majority was "built with coalitions of evangelicals and like-minded Roman Catholics, Jews and yes, Mormons."

DeMoss admits he is "troubled by skeptical sentiment in some corners about the legitimacy and sincerity" of "Romney's 'conversion' on the abortion issue." The former Massachusetts governor, DeMoss says, "will be held accountable on this if elected" (Page 4). Of the three leading candidates, ("Hillary, Rudy or Mitt") DeMoss believes only Romney will "welcome evangelicals and people of faith into the White House"; the others will "shut them out of deliberations and consideration for … appointments." In closing his five-page rallying letter, DeMoss reminds the devoted that "if Mitt Romney should become the 44th president … I'm confident he won't forget how he got there." DeMoss is a chair of Romney's "National Faith and Values Steering Committee" but insists he is "not interested in a job in a Romney administration."

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from: Bonnie Goldstein

Posted Friday, Oct. 12, 2007, at 1:28 PM ET
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Bonnie Goldstein is a former special investigator to the U.S. Senate and investigative producer for ABC News.
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Remarks from the Fray Editor:

To those of us with little understanding of the Mormon faith, Mitt Romney's candidacy has dislodged an avalanche of dubious "information" (such as the user's comment directly below).

Contemporary Mormonism remains a mysterious faith to most of us. One of its most notable features is the famous discipline of its adherents. While I strongly doubt the veracity of fryde67's claims, the Fray could sorely use some non-misleading education on the relationship between the Mormon faith and civic affairs. Are there any practicing Mormons out there willing to discuss what, if anything, non-Mormons should think about Mitt Romney's religious beliefs and how they might distinguish his Presidency from that of other candidates? –G.A.

Remarks from the Fray:

The question that needs to be asked of Mitt Romney or any other Mormon who wants to hold public office is this: "Suppose someone had taken the following oath and had sworn on pain of death to keep the oath secret: 'I promise that I will sacrifice my time, talents, and all I may now or hereafter possess of to the upbuilding of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints.'" Does such a secret oath disqualify one from the oath of office of the Presidency? Would the Presidency of the United States be included in something "possessed" by a Mormon and covered by this oath?

Like every other adult male Mormon, Mitt Romney secretly swore this oath. But he cannot admit that he did so on pain of death. Most Mormons of Mitt Romney's generation also secretly swore to pray for god to take vengeance on this nation (the United States) for the death of Joseph Smith and to teach his children and children's children to do the same. But this latter "oath of vengeance" is no longer required of newly initiated Mormons, so I assume it is no longer in force.

So, the problem with a Mormon President is not his system of beliefs, which are his own business as far as I am concerned. It is that he has secretly sworn to put the Mormon Church above everything else, including the country.

The is not analogous to a Catholic's holding office. Catholic lay people like John F. Kennedy do not take a personal oath of loyalty to the Catholic Church or to any priest, bishop or the Pope. Furthermore, if they did, it would be a public, not secret matter. Cardinals publicly take an oath of personal loyalty to the Pope. Bishops and Priests publicly take oaths of obedience as well. It is because of this that Catholic clergy are forbidden by the Pope to hold elected offices.

I could not support a Mormon for President unless the Mormon Church itself were to reveal and publicly relieve the candidate of the secret oaths he has taken and the candidate were to agree that the oaths were of no effect.

--fryde67

(To reply, click here.)

(10/12)

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