Mitt Romney talks about his faith (possibly the most politically-oriented post you will ever see on my blog)

If you're in the loop, you probably know that Mitt Romney gave his much-anticipated religion speech today. I've been trying to follow the presidential race a bit more closely than I have the last two times I was able to vote, because when I vote this time around, and even when I follow the primaries, I want to be informed. Sure, I like Huckabee because he ran a marathon and has an awesome public personality and I think it would be sort of amusing to have a President Huckabee (just rolls of your tongue, doesn't it?), but those aren't exactly solid reasons to put my support behind him. I want to know where the candidates stand on the few things that I think are genuinely important right now (I'm not going to agree with everyone on everything, of course), and that's what I've been trying to pay attention to these days.

But for all my talk about wanting to be an informed voter, I will admit that I've been particularly drawn to this race because of all the attention it's brought to my own faith. I've been a little startled to hear how skewed some people's understanding of our doctrine is, and especially how vehemently some American citizens will attack the Mormon faith or those who profess faith in the church. They may be a minority, but they're pretty vocal, and what has bothered me most is not that something deeply personal to me is being attacked, but that a lot of people see nothing wrong with these attacks. I believe that lots of faiths, some with beliefs very different from my own, still have a lot of good within them, as well as that people of many faiths are still capable of doing bad things, sometimes in the name of that faith, and that therefore people should be judged on their own character and actions, whether they be Mormon or Evangelical Christian or Jewish or Muslim or Buddhist or Atheist.

Of course, with Mitt Romney it's more personal. I have heard my faith repeated back to me in ways that bear little resemblance to my own experience or the experience of any church member I know. But I think both good and bad can come from the spotlight, and the negative publicity has been countered by quite a bit of positive publicity as well. Romney's speech is all over the news today, and the last ten minutes of Talk of the Nation on NPR were devoted to fielding questions about Mormons. The correspondent fielding the questions is a non-Mormon 25-year resident of Salt Lake City who I actually thought was quite fair and positive in his answers. I don't ever expect someone to say exactly what I would want them to say, but he handled some hard questions very well, and directed an oddly-phrased doctrinal question to the Church website, which is precisely where detailed doctrinal questions ought to be directed.

Anyway, seeing the whole thing play out has been very interesting to me. And I was pleased that Mitt Romney decided to give this speech, and, for the most part, pleased with the speech he gave. I was a bit bothered by the fact that parts of the speech seemed to focus on Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and in a way isolated other religions, and particularly atheists and agnostics. "Freedom requires religion, just as religion requires freedom" rubbed me wrong because, as important to me as my faith is, I also think that non-religious people can be good, moral people and contribute every bit as much to a free and just society).

But overall, I really liked a lot of what he said, and the bits and pieces I've heard in radio soundbites seemed well-delivered and sincere. He was unapologetic about his faith:

"There are some for whom these commitments are not enough. They would prefer it if I would simply distance myself from my religion, say that it's more a tradition than my personal conviction, or disavow one or another of its precepts. That I will not do. I believe in my Mormon faith, and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers – I will be true to them and to my beliefs.

"Some believe that such a confession of my faith will sink my candidacy. If they're right, so be it. But I think they underestimate the American people. Americans do not respect believers of convenience. Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world.

But he also didn't dwell on doctrinal details, because that is not relevant to the question at hand. I especially liked how he addressed differences between religions:

My church's beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths. Each religion has its own unique doctrines and history. These are not bases for criticism but rather a test of our tolerance. Religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it were reserved only for faiths with which we agree.

"There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the Constitution. No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes President he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths.

"I believe that every faith I have encountered draws its adherents closer to God. And in every faith I've come to know, there are features I wish were in my own: I love the profound ceremony of the Catholic Mass, the approachability of God in the prayers of the Evangelicals, the tenderness of spirit among the Pentecostals, the confident independence of the Lutherans, the ancient traditions of the Jews, unchanged through the ages, and the commitment to frequent prayer of the Muslims. As I travel across the country and see our towns and cities, I'm always moved by the many houses of worship with their steeples, all pointing to heaven, reminding us of the source of life's blessings.

"It's important to recognize that while differences in theology exist between the churches in America, we share a common creed of moral convictions. And where the affairs of our nation are concerned, it's usually a sound rule to focus on the latter – on the great moral principles that urge us all on a common course.

There's some good stuff in there, and if you have a moment I suggest you read the whole thing. I don't think it's anything that will sway people who are dead-set against Romney and his religion, but I think it may put some concerns to rest for those who are just a little uncertain, and at the very least I think it opens up some much-needed dialogue about the place of religion in this presidential election, and even in our relationships with one another as citizens of this country.