The results of a  poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute and  released in May 2012 shows Mormon Mitt Romney gaining favor with white Evangelical voters, with incumbent Democrat  Obama carrying Catholic and mainline Protestant voters.  Obama carried Catholics 46% to 39% and mainline Protestants 50% to 37%, the survey said.   In choosing between Mitt Romney, whose Mormon religion has been a bothersome factor for Evangelicals, and Barak Obama, white Evangelicals preferred Romney 68% to 19%. [1]

Evangelicals, especially in the conservative South, had thrown their support behind Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich.  Many Evangelicals had objected to Romney’s Mormon faith, and anti-Mormon rhetoric abounded until Santorum and Gingrich bowed out of the race.   The PRRI poll showed that two in three white evangelical voters said shared beliefs were important or very important.  Evangelical support of Romney was only 40% in October 2011. [2]

…the survey’s authors pointed to a “strong correlation between similarity of candidates’ religious beliefs and voting preference.” Each candidate leads among voters who believe the other candidate’s religious views are different from her own.  [1]

However, even those Evangelicals polled who noted the difference between Romney’s beliefs and their own, choose Romney over Obama.  The poll was taken before Obama’s announcement that he favors gay marriage.  That announcement could swing more Christian voters over to Romney’s side.

The survey showed that some Christians and the general population at large are just not paying attention to the religious beliefs of Obama and Romney.  Just over a third of voters identify Obama as a Protestant, and 51% of voters identify Romney as Mormon.   However, two-thirds of Evangelicals can identify Romney as Mormon.

Understanding of Romney’s faith seems to be growing, even though Romney hasn’t been discussing his membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this election season.  Plenty has been in the press, for better or worse.  Knowledge of Obama’s faith does not seem to be increasing, and responses to the poll seemed to show that people cannot define Obama’s beliefs.  One-sixth of responders consider Obama a Moslem, a perception he has been unable to correct.

Additional Resources:

Mitt Romney’s Charitable Donations

The Lord Jesus Christ in Mormonism

The Bible in Mormonism

Mormon GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney edged closer to sealing the Republican nomination after easily winning the Nebraska and Oregon primaries on May 15, 2012.

Nebraska won’t formally award its 32 delegates to the Republican National Convention until the state party’s own July convention. After Tuesday night, Romney will have won the majority of the 25 delegates at stake in Oregon.

According to the Associated Press, Romney remained 171 delegates short of the 1,144 needed to clinch the nomination. [1]

On May 12, 2012, Mormon Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney delivered the commencement address at Liberty University, the university founded by the late Evangelical leader Jerry  Falwell.  The University is considered a bastion of conservative Christianity, but Falwell desired to bring all U.S. Christians under the umbrella of a “moral majority” to affect American social values for the better, and favored cordial relations with Mormons.  Romney called Falwell a  “cheerful, confident champion for Christ.”  In attendance were more than 6,000 graduates and some 30,000 of their friends and family members.

Mark DeMoss, an alumnus of the university, introduced Mitt Romney.  DeMoss is an Evangelical and adviser to Romney’s campaign.  DeMoss said that although he might not agree with Romney on everything, “I trust his values, for I am convinced they mirror my own.”

DeMoss recalled bringing Falwell and other religious leaders to meet Romney in Massachusetts in 2006, after which Romney sent Falwell a chair with a seal that said, “There’s always room for you at my table.” The founder’s son and school chancellor, Jerry Falwell Jr., sat on the chair during the commencement. And the school presented Romney with a chair of his own, saying, “There’s always a seat for you at our table.” [1]

In his speech, which was deeply spiritual, Romney avoided specific references to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or to specific doctrines of Mormonism.

“Central to America’s rise to global leadership is our Judeo-Christian tradition, with its vision of the goodness and possibilities of every life,” Romney said. “From the beginning, this nation has trusted in God, not man. . . . There is no greater force for good in the nation than Christian conscience in action.”

“People of different faiths, like yours and mine, sometimes wonder where we can meet in common purpose when there are so many differences in creed and theology,” Romney said. “Surely the answer is that we can meet in service, in shared moral convictions about our nation stemming from a common worldview.”

Romney made only one reference to the gay marriage issue, which was in the news in the days leading up to the graduation event, as President Barak Obama came out in favor of gay marriage, and Romney took the opposite stand.

“Culture — what you believe, what you value, how you live — matters,” Romney said. “As fundamental as these principles are, they may become topics of democratic debate from time to time. So it is today with the enduring institution of marriage. Marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman.”

This statement brought Romney a standing ovation from those in attendance.

Read the full transcript of Mitt Romney’s speech.

Additional Resources:

Basic Mormon Beliefs and Real Mormons

The Lord Jesus Christ in Mormonism

The Holy Bible in Mormonism

Mitt Romney’s Mormon Tithing

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often misnamed the “Mormon Church”) stands neutral on all party politics. Church buildings are not used for political events, the Church will never endorse a politician (Mormon or not), and Church records may never be used for polling, fundraising, or campaigning. Latter-day Saints (“Mormons“) are strongly encouraged to be active in their communities, especially in politics. They are not urged to join one party over another, but to do the best they can do improve their communities where they are.

Additional Resources:

More about Mormon Beliefs

Mormon Newsroom: More about the Mormon Church’s Stand on Politics

Osteen says Romney is a Christian

Just after the May 8, 2012, primaries, President Obama had his hands full since Vice-President Joe Biden and others in the administration had come out in favor of gay marriage.  Mr. Obama, supposedly an Evangelical Christian, had begun his original 2008 coming out against gay marriage, but then over time claimed that his opinion was evolving.  Caught in a difficult position by the gay marriage support of others in his administration, he finally came forward saying that now is in favor of gay marriage.

“I had hesitated on gay marriage, in part, because I thought civil unions would be sufficient,” the president said. “I was sensitive to the fact that — for a lot of people — that the word marriage is something that provokes very powerful traditions and religious beliefs.” [1]

Mitt Romney, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in reaction to Obama’s statement, reiterated his opposition to gay marriage, but refused to criticize the President on the issue, calling it “tender.”

“I have the same view on marriage that I had when I was governor,” he said. “I believe marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman.” [2]

Romney has previously backed certain benefits for gay couples — for instance, the right to visit with a sick partner in the hospital — but said each state should be free to determine their own laws.

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who endured her own shift toward supporting gay marriage, also hailed the president’s announcement as “a watershed moment in American history.” [2]

Obama’s new stand draws a line in the sand between moral liberals and moral conservatives in the United States.  Most voters would prefer to vote according to platforms and policy ideas, but conflict on social morality has been stealing away that opportunity.  Because of Obama’s stand on social morality, there is a clear delineation between the Democratic and the Republican tickets on abortion, gay marriage, and other sensitive issues.

Before Tuesday, 30 states had voted in favor of constitutional amendments that seek to defend traditional definitions of marriage as a heterosexual union.  All of the states that now allow same-sex marriage do so because of laws enacted by their legislatures and courts, and not by a vote of their citizens.

However, a CNN/ORC poll, taken in late March, indicated policies towards gays and lesbians were tied for last in the most-important issues facing the country.  Thus, voters may choose to concentrate on the U.S. economy and foreign policy when they make their choices at the voting booth.

Additional Resources:

Basic Mormon Beliefs and Real Mormons

Threats to Traditional Marriage

Ann Romney

Mormon candidate for U.S. president, Mitt Romney, swept three more Republican primaries on May 8, 2012, after Santorum and Gingrich bowed out of the race and threw their support behind him.  Romney added 107 delegates after winning in Indiana, West Virginia and North Carolina. [1]

Romney now has 963 of the 1,144 delegates needed to secure the Republican presidential nomination before the Republican convention in August (according to MSNBC’s calculations).  Ron Paul has won no primaries, but has not conceded the race.  According to CNN’s calculations, Paul has 82 delegates.

Rick Santorum held back until just before these primaries to fully endorse Mitt Romney.  He wanted to make sure Romney would fully stand up for conservative values.  Romney and Santorum met for 90 minutes in Pittsburgh to discuss Romney’s stand on the issues.  As a result, Santorum sent an “email to supporters, assuring them that he’s convinced the former Massachusetts governor with fight for the issues important to social conservatives, tea party members and working families.” [2]

“We certainly agree that abortion is wrong and marriage should be between one man and one woman. I am also comfortable with Governor Romney on foreign policy matters, and we share the belief that we can never allow Iran to possess nuclear weapons. And while I had concerns about Governor Romney making a case as a candidate about fighting against Obamacare, I have no doubt if elected he will work with a Republican Congress to repeal it and replace it with a bottom up, patient, not government, driven system.” [2]

Santorum called this election the “most critical of our lifetime,” and said Republicans would have to be united in order to beat Obama, the Democratic incumbent.

Money was a huge issue for the trailing candidates, and Romney’s acumen at acquiring  funds and organizing his staff are probably an indication that he will likewise succeed in recovering the U.S. economy.  Santorum ran out of funds, and Gingrich ended his campaign deeply in debt.

Gingrich began to campaign for Mormon Mitt Romney almost immediately after bowing out of the race, saying, ” I believe Mitt Romney will be a dramatically better president for the United States than Barack Obama….There is no [economic] recovery since World War II that is as weak and lacking in jobs as this one.” [3]

Mr. Gingrich said to reporters that he couldn’t imagine being chosen as the vice-presidential candidate, because of his age.  He mentioned the very young Marco Rubio as a possible choice.  Rubio has refused to answer questions as to whether he’s being considered.  He has said that Mr. Obama has no record to run on, so he’s inventing ways to divide America, a stance Rubio called “very sad.”  [3]

Michele Bachmann,  endorsed Romney during a campaign stop in Virginia, which is viewed as a key swing state in the presidential election this fall.  Bachmann left the race early on and is a staunch conservative.

Additional Resources:

Mitt Romney’s Tithing

Anne Romney

Basic Mormon Beliefs and Real Mormons

Mitt Romney chose an openly gay man, Richard Grenell, as his foreign policy spokesman and was disappointed when he resigned for personal reasons just a short time after his appointment.  Grenell made the following statement:

“While I welcomed the challenge to confront President Obama’s foreign policy failures and weak leadership on the world stage, my ability to speak clearly and forcefully on the issues has been greatly diminished by the hyper-partisan discussion of personal issues that sometimes comes from a presidential campaign,” Grenell told the Post. “I want to thank Governor Romney for his belief in me and my abilities and his clear message to me that being openly gay was a non-issue for him and his team.”

An article in the Washington Post seemed to imply that ultra-conservatives had forced the issue because of Grenell’s sexual orientation, that he had been hounded from his position.

The argument that Grenell could essentially not be openly gay and serve on a GOP presidential campaign was belied by the fact that Grenell has been a loyal Republican for many years, working for esteemed foreign policy figures including former Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton.

The stand of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints differs from that of ultra-conservative Protestantism, in that Mormons favor equal rights for gays, stopping short of marriage and adoption.  Thus, Mormons favor rights for gays and access to civil unions with all the rights of married partners.  Mormons consider the marriage covenant to be a religious one, sacred, and know through modern prophets that marriage was ordained by God to be between a man and a woman.  Through participation in sacred temple ordinances, Mormon couples may enter into a marriage covenant binding for eternity.  Mormons do not consider sexual orientation to be sinful, but decry any sexual activity outside the bonds of matrimony.

Additional Resources:

Gay Mormons

Mormon Church and Gay Rights

Basic Mormon Beliefs and Real Mormons

With his five-state sweep in the April 24, 2012, primaries in the northeastern U.S., Mitt Romney, in spite of his Mormon religion, became the last man standing in the Republican race.  Shortly afterward Newt Gingrich bowed out.  Santorum had “suspended” his campaign before the primaries.  Ron Paul remains in the race, still not capitulating, though he holds only a handful of delegates.  Paul’s goal is simply not to win the nomination, but to make a statement at the convention, so he may hold on as long as possible.

In the press since Romney clinched the nomination:

Religion & Politics, is an online journal scheduled to launch on May 1.  The first article will be about Mitt Romney’s Mormon religion — he is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  (Anti-Mormon articles ignited controversy during the primaries, but have completely quieted down since his victory, and the Church is getting some positive press for a change.)  The publication has been part of the plan of the John C. Danforth Center on Religion & Politics at Washington University in St. Louis since its creation in 2010.

Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, House Speaker John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican, praised Mitt Romney’s success.  Although some Americans have seemed put off by Romney’s wealth,  Boehner says Romney should be seen as a role model for Americans at all strata of society.  Boehner said,

“The American people don’t want to vote for a loser,” Mr. Boehner said. “They don’t want to vote for someone who hasn’t been successful. I think Mitt Romney has an opportunity to show the American people that they, too, can succeed.”

According to an article in the Washington Times, “the networks didn’t cover the victory speech Tuesday after Mr. Romney finally sealed up the Republican presidential nomination, and the New York Times, America’s paper of record, had only a front-page photo referring readers to a brief back-of-the-book story.”

In just 14 minutes and 48 seconds, Mr. Romneyintroduced himself to America — on his terms, not Chicagoland’s — and laid out, in crisp, passionate prose why he is running for president.

“Americans have always been eternal optimists. But over the last 3½ years, we have seen hopes and dreams diminished by false promises and weak leadership. Everywhere I go, Americans are tired of being tired, and many of those who are fortunate enough to have a job are working harder for less.

“For every single mom who feels heartbroken when she has to explain to her kids that she needs to take a second job; for grandparents who can’t afford the gas to visit their grandchildren; for the mom and dad who never thought they’d be on food stamps; for the small business owner desperately cutting back just to keep the doors open one more month — to all of the thousands of good and decent Americans I’ve met who want nothing more than a better chance, a fighting chance, to all of you, I have a simple message: Hold on a little longer. A better America begins tonight.”

For those worried whether Mr. Romney can twist the knife, he can: “The last few years have been the best that Barack Obama can do, but it’s not the best America can do. Tonight is the beginning of the end of the disappointments of the Obama years and the start of a new and better chapter that we will write together.”

“You might have heard that I was successful in business. And that rumor is true. But you might not have heard that I became successful by helping start a business that grew from 10 people to hundreds of people. You might not have heard that our business helped start other businesses, like Staples and Sports Authority and a new steel mill and a learning center called Bright Horizons.”

“Because he has failed, he will run a campaign of diversions, distractions, and distortions. That kind of campaign may have worked at another place and in a different time. But not here and not now. It’s still about the economy … and we’re not stupid.”

“I see an America with a growing middle class, with rising standards of living. I see children even more successful than their parents — some successful even beyond their wildest dreams — and others congratulating them for their achievement, not attacking them for it.”

To those who doubted Mr. Romney, all is forgiven. So, rejoice Republicans. He really does know what this crucial campaign is about, and he knows how Mr. Obama will try to talk about anything but his record. “But not here, and not now” indeed. Game on.

Additional Resources:

Mitt Romney, the Person

Basic Mormon Beliefs and Real Mormons

Mormons and Jesus Christ

The Bible in Mormonism

Mormon Temple Ritual

In an interview with Wolf Blitzer on April 24, 2012, respected pastor Joel Osteen stated categorically that he accepts Mitt Romney as a member of the Christian faith. “When I hear Mitt Romney say that he believes that Jesus is the Son of God–that he’s the Christ, raised from the dead, that he’s his Savior–that’s good enough for me.”

While Osteen admitted he sees Mormonism as a bit different than traditional Christianity, he also says that he still considers members of the faith to be his “brothers in Christ.” It is refreshing to hear someone recognize that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the official name of the frequently misnamed “Mormon Church”) are in fact Christian, something they have always both declared and shown themselves to be.

Watch the full interview from the Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer:

Five Republican primaries were held in the northeastern states on April 24, 2012, and candidate Mitt Romney made a clean sweep of all of them.  Although he still needs to total the 1,144 delegates to be formally made the Republican nominee, it is just a formality at this point.  [1]

Romney swept the Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island primaries.  Newt Gingrich had hoped that Deleware would be his and revive his campaign.  Romney made this comment as he acknowledge his victories:

“Tonight I can say thank you, America,” Romney told a cheering crowd in the Granite State. “After 43 primaries and caucuses, many long days and more than a few long nights, I can say with confidence — and gratitude — that you have given me a great honor and solemn responsibility. And, together, we are going to win on Nov. 6.”

Rick Santorum, the favorite of Evangelicals, quit the race two weeks before, due to a lack of funds and his trailing delegate count.  At this point, he had still not endorsed Romney.  News leaked of a possible meeting between the two, but there is no hint of a forthcoming endorsement thus far.  Anti-Mormonism in the press has been rampant during the campaign thus far, and that has calmed in the last couple of weeks; however, it is expected to pick up again as the left begins its attack on Romney’s character.  The Democratic party has vowed not to attack Romney’s faith (as it has already done), so attacks on Romney’s religion will have to come from liberal groups and liberal press.  Romney promised to reveal more about himself as a person as he launches his campaign against President Obama.  Many still perceive Romney to be stiff and elitist.

The breakdown for the five states is as follows:  Romney took 62% of the vote in New York, 58% in Pennsylvania, 63% in Rhode Island, 56% in Delaware, and 67% in Connecticut.   Paul beat Gingrich in every state but Delaware, where Gingrich hoped for victory (he garnered 27% of the vote there).  Santorum was still on the docket in Pennsylvania, his home state, and took 18% of the vote, even though he had already bowed out of the race.

Pennsylvania will not allocate delegates from the primary; Connecticut, Delaware and New York are winner-take-all; Rhode Island apportions its delegates.

Additional Resources:

Joel Osteen: Mormons are Christians

Basic Mormon Beliefs and Real Mormons

Jesus Christ in Mormonism