News & Views

A Missouri newspaper recently published an opinion piece by one Jane Pitt, who just happens to have a son named Brad. You may have heard of him. Anyway, she defends Mitt Romney’s religion against all of those evangelicals that don’t like the fact that he’s a Mormon. Mrs. Pitt writes:

"Any Christian should spend much time in prayer before refusing to vote for a family man with high morals, business experience, who is against abortion, and shares Christian conviction concerning homosexuality just because he is a Mormon.

"Any Christian who does not vote or writes in a name is casting a vote for Romney’s opponent, Barack Hussein Obama — a man who sat in Jeremiah Wright’s church for years, did not hold a public ceremony to mark the National Day of Prayer, and is a liberal who supports the killing of unborn babies and same-sex marriage."

Then the media reported on her “anti-gay” opinion piece. What, exactly, is anti-gay about that? A person can absolutely be pro-traditional marriage and have no problem with the gay community. My gay friends know I love them dearly, will absolutely stand up for them to make their own life choices, and that I’m pro-traditional marriage. Some of them agree with me on that issue and some don’t. They all respect my beliefs and opinions.

Moving beyond the gay issue, can we talk about what the letter really says? There’s a faction of evangelical Christians that do not want to support Mitt because he is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I’ll be the first to admit that Mormons have some wacky beliefs (seriously, go look up Kolob), but don’t we all have beliefs that seem wacky to “outsiders”? Try explaining eating and drinking the body and blood of Christ to someone unfamiliar with the concept of communion. 

My point is that I don’t think Mitt Romney’s Mormonism should be a make-or-break issue for evangelical voters. Barack Obama has been bad news for our country, has skyrocketed our debt, and saddled the middle class with the biggest tax hike in history, aka Obamacare.

And besides, how can people complain about Mormon beliefs while accepting Obama’s religious past, which includes two decades in Jeremiah “God Damn America” Wright’s church? There is nothing inherently contradictory to the Constitution in the Mormon religion. Unless you consider beer an addendum to the Bill of Rights, since Mormons don’t drink. In my opinion, that might be their wackiest belief of all.

Evangelical Christians would do well to remember that a vote Against Mitt Romney is a vote for Barack Obama. Thanks for pointing that out, Mrs. Pitt.

Image via Adam Glanzman/Flickr