Mitt Romney: Mormon Candidate at Baptist Liberty University Moves Catholic Editor

By Keith A Fournier
5/15/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

This was a well delivered speech filled with excellent content which the Romney campaign should use more frequently in the campaign ahead

Governor Romney did not attempt to argue the compatibility of his own religious faith and that of most of the graduates. I was relieved. He told the graduates and their guests, "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. Surely the answer is that we can meet in service, in shared moral convictions about our nation stemming from a common worldview." He is right.

A crowd of over thirty thousand heard Governor Romney's commencement speech at Liberty University

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LYNCHBURG,VA (Catholic Online) - On Saturday May 12, 2012, Mitt Romney, the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party who will contend with President Barack Obama in one of the most important Presidential elections in the history of the United States, surprised many, including me.

The fact that a Mormon, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, would be the commencement speaker at the Baptist University founded by Dr Jerry Falwell speaks to the urgency of the hour. Add to this the fact that this Catholic Editor in Chief of Catholic Online would consider the speech important enough to make it the lead article, and the point is made even clearer.

Governor Romney addressed a graduating class of 14,012 and a crowd estimated at over 30,000 people. That made it the largest crowd of the 2012 campaign. His speech was deeply respectful. He affirmed the founder of the University, the late Dr Jerry Falwell:

"The calling Jerry answered was not an easy one. Today we remember him as a courageous and big-hearted minister of the Gospel who never feared an argument, and never hated an adversary. Jerry deserves the tribute he would have treasured most, as a cheerful, confident champion for Christ.I will always remember his cheerful good humor and selflessness"

He affirmed the Liberty graduates noting, "You know what you believe. You know who you are. And you know Whom you will serve. Not all colleges instill that kind of confidence, but it will be among the most prized qualities from your education here. Moral certainty, clear standards, and a commitment to spiritual ideals will set you apart in a world that searches for meaning."

"That said, your values will not always be the object of public admiration. In fact, the more you live by your beliefs, the more you will endure the censure of the world. Christianity is not the faith of the complacent, the comfortable or of the timid. It demands and creates heroic souls like Wesley, Wilberforce, Bonheoffer, John Paul the Second, and Billy Graham. Each showed, in their own way, the relentless and powerful influence of the message of Jesus Christ. May that be your guide."

Mitt Romney even managed to weave in an affirmation of his former rival, my friend and preferred candidate, former Senator Rick Santorum. In his emphasis on the importance of the culture, he told the graduates, "You enter a world with civilizations and economies that are far from equal. Harvard historian David Landes devoted his lifelong study to understanding why some civilizations rise, and why others falter. His conclusion: Culture makes all the difference. Not natural resources, not geography, but what people believe and value. Central to America's rise to global leadership is our Judeo-Christian tradition, with its vision of the goodness and possibilities of every life."

"The American culture promotes personal responsibility, the dignity of work, the value of education, the merit of service, devotion to a purpose greater than self, and, at the foundation, the pre-eminence of the family. The power of these values is evidenced by a Brookings Institution study that Sen. Rick Santorum brought to my attention. For those who graduate from high school, get a full-time job, and marry before they have their first child, the probability that they will be poor is 2%. But, if those things are absent, 76% will be poor. Culture matters."

Then, in the line quoted most from the speech by the media, Romney stood firmly and squarely for marriage and the family and free society founded upon it noting, "As fundamental as these principles are, they may become topics of democratic debate. So it is today with the enduring institution of marriage. Marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman."

He was equally firm on the vital issue of religious freedom noting, "The protection of religious freedom has also become a matter of debate. It strikes me as odd that the free exercise of religious faith is sometimes treated as a problem, something America is stuck with instead of blessed with. Perhaps religious conscience upsets the designs of those who feel that the highest wisdom and authority comes from government."

"But from the beginning, this nation trusted in God, not man. Religious liberty is the first freedom in our Constitution. And whether the cause is justice for the persecuted, compassion for the needy and the sick, or mercy for the child waiting to be born, there is no greater force for good in the nation than Christian conscience in action."

"Religious freedom opens a door for Americans that is closed to too many others around the world. But whether we walk through that door, and what we do with our lives after we do, is up to us. Someone once observed that the great drama of Christianity is not a crowd shot, following the movements of collectives ...

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1 - 10 of 22 Comments

jon.v.woods
11 months ago
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_and_abominable_church

I don't understand how I, a Catholic, could vote for someone who believes my religion is "the whore of all the earth" and that my church was founded by the devil?

The great and abominable church is the Roman Catholic church as well as ANY OTHER CHURCH besides the mormons. Please see below:

"According to the Book of Mormon, the great and abominable church was formed soon after the life of Jesus and is responsible for killing the Apostles, and for the Great Apostasy. The abominable church was said in the Book of Mormon to have been instrumental in strategically removing "plain and precious" passages and covenants from the Bible to cause confusion to readers.

Some people interpret the reference in the Book of Mormon to the formation of a "great and abominable church" (after the bible is given to the gentiles) to mean the Catholic church due to the fact that the Roman Catholic church was formed relatively soon after the killing of Jesus' original apostles. However these references in the Book of Mormon are clearly a metaphor for more than just the Catholic church, because according to the Book of Mormon: "...there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth".

The Book of Mormon also states that "The devil founded the great and abominable church,..." The great and abominable church, also known as the whore of all the earth, is, "...he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female...for they are they who are the whore of all the earth; for they who are not for me are against me, saith our God.". The men who took out "plain and precious" parts out of the Bible, belonged to the great and abominable church."
Delbert Spiegel
11 months ago
Keith, I liked your litmus test of Rommney's faith. Your reference to other spiritual path finders was also needed. Like you I also had a great experience in the 70's with Chuck Colson at a retreat on experiencing the Holy Spirit along with a signed book of his. I have been a registered Democrat my entire voting life and JFK was one of my first picks. I have also voted for 3 or 4 Republican presidential candidates. Rommney will be one more. I have bought 3 books to inform me on the Mormon faith (Mormonism A Latter Day Deception, The God Makers,and The Mormon Mirage) I started reading one and it all of sudden I realized I was falling prey to something that is wrong with society today, we have scores of voices telling us what is wrong and different with other people and their beliefs. I was raised in a small Iowa community of 800 souls served by 8 religions and churches. There were 8 different faiths to tell us how we were different than the others. Two different economic stations and two different cultural differences. Polarity is something the world does not need. Kindness, forgiveness and love along with tolerance of other beliefs was what in that community shined the brightest though. I choose to pick a man embracing God and Country rather a man with no God or country . Del
Trip
1 year ago
@ Awesomeness, the Masons have no part in the Mormon church. They may have had members in the early church that were members as I have studied about their history. But I really laugh at people like you who toss "sensationalistic" catch phrases out there that really don't know much about it at all. I would also like to clarify another historical mis-truth you portray. Mobs in Missouri and Illinois were responsible for driving the Mormons west. Not the US military. However you might be refering to Governor Boggs extermination order which if you are a true American should see as a blight on the State of Missouri....It was done, NOT because of Mormons beliefs, but because they were changing the political landscape in Missouri. It was a political move plain and simple. NOT a belief based move. Which isn't a good excuse either frankly. The US Government actually asked the Mormons to help with the war with Mexico and the Mormons sent their Militia south while their women, Children and old men were driven acrossed the midwest to Salt Lake. The Government did nothing to protect their families they left behind but were happy to have them fighting for the good ol US of A...... There.....THAT is a big more factual........
Nick
1 year ago
Michael, though I believe homosexual marriage to be morally disordered, I would never stop being friends with someone simply because they are homosexual. This borders on bigotry. The church asks us to "hate the sin and love the sinner." In addition, I wonder why so many people here refuse to support Romney for the single reason that he is a Mormon. A candidate's religious beliefs should not play a role in one's electoral decision. If there was a Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Jew, or even an atheist who shared my views on morality and politics, I would certainly vote for him over a so-called "Christian" who rejects fundamental teachings of our religion.
Eduardo
1 year ago
This is a very positive article. It is unfortunate how some people come and say bad things about this and that and try to divide us in complete opposition to the way this article was trying to lead us, to meet in the middle, to find enthusiasm to remove from power the most secularist president of all, and now a gay marriage promoter. If Christians don't unite behind a candidate, Mormon or not Mormon, facing the evil without a mask we have in Washington, what hope does America have? I came to America because it is blessed with proper Christian attitude, America gives a lot to the world. I travel all over and I see charities from all faces going to less prosperous nations to help the poor and all that. With the economy the way it is, the owner of a hotel in Honduras told me: "The Americans are not coming anymore. Obama is destroying our economy. We need missionaries (he was talking about Baptists, Catholics, etc) to come over and do what they do so our hotels are filled, the people have the help they need and so on." A nation in trouble is a nation of slaves. Obama does not like religion and does not like Christian values. Let's try to unite behind Romney because he is our best option now. I am a Mormon and I don't like what he said about gays adopting children. That needs to be stopped. Maybe Christian leaders and every people who will vote can talk him out of it. We need to make sure the people that promote that lifestyle is stopped. There is right and wrong. The Bible is being used by some Evangelicals to adapt to these people who cannot see right from wrong and they need to stop too. It is very unfortunate. I heard pastors defending gay marriage. It is so unfortunate. Mitt needs to make sure he does not try to attract votes that belong to Obama if the votes come from the hands of those who fight against the doctrine of Christ. Same-sex was never approved by God and will never be. Bad economy stops many people from reaching out to others. The sooner Obama is gone, the better. We can always unite and win battles against the people that work to destroy America. Let's not find reasons to divide. Great article. Bad people making comments. I hope more people that are true Christians comment in the direction we need to go. Thanks.
Tom Johnson
1 year ago
Thank you, Keith Fournier for complimentary remarks about Mitt Romney. As a "Mormon" (member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), I do not contend that Mitt Romney is perfect or even a perfect example of what a good Mormon should be, but he is a good man and sincere about his religious beliefs. He is a sincere Christian (as all good "Mormons" are). Our Church has had many cooperative ventures with Catholic Charities in many communities and cooperation on Proposition 8 in California. More often than not, the Catholic Church and the Mormon Church cooperate because of shared values and Christian ideals. Our true adversaries are not each other, but the many secularists in our society who have no faith in God and no belief in Christianity.
Jeff
1 year ago
I liked his speech, it did not seek to judge differences so much as build bridges of understanding. To be Christ like, even if one is not Christian, is to seek to do service to others, and have that service be sincere and from the heart. Paul was right, it is about Charity the most Christ like love. Romney is right, we seek to do service in the best way we know how, even for those who revile us in our beliefs. Even Santorum would approve.
Johnny
1 year ago
Republicans only talk well. As long as God keeps getting kicked out of different things as we go along through the years, then it really "doesn't" matter who's in charge of things because it will go down fast or faster dependiong on the ones in charge.
Barb
1 year ago
Our government is doomed to fail if it continues on the path of legislating morality. Once that starts then no one is safe. Everyone on this board who is throwing rocks at the Mormons is showing their intolerance.
So what that JFK wiggled through. Did that make him the perfect president?
We've had Quakers, bakers and candlestick makers. Now what were we saying about America? OH that's right how liberty prevails and what qualities seperate us from the tyrannical regimes of Iran, China etc.
Wake up people! Mitt Romney is not perfect but if you wait to get involved in your future the OWS and the gays and the radicals are more than happy to fill that void.
If you want to make difference and you dont like the candidates start on your local level. Help create the kind of environment that promotes family. If you only wait around for the 4 year battle for president and then just cry about your choices you will continue wailing right into communsm or fascism. They are doing their footwork and banking on people who will refuse to vote for a Mormon. How pathetic.
Yes wouldnt it be nice to have George Washington running?
abey
1 year ago
No effective works can come out of a person, if the truth against gay orientations & its promotions is omitted. In the Biblical understanding to the worst kind of destruction after the flood was the total annihilation of Sodom & Gomorrah to dust unto this very day & to this nothing else has been judged so severely which proves that gayness & its applications is the worst kind of sin ever & to this is the Anglicans , Episcopals & others have fallen away, as is seen also of the Evangelicals moving in the Obama delusion to "Complacency" to becoming Complacent on the said matter again to the prophecies & to what seems to a GOP where Economy is greater than gay relations to the non- seriousness of History, to complacency is setting themselves on the wrong side of God, to the action of God on the gay culture of S & G. Unfortunately this again shows that warning has not been headed & to this again is the prophecy to the total annihilation of end time Babylon in its accumulation & every sign of it shows that this Biblical Prophecy to be true & to be fulfilled & further to it is that it once was & so will be, when Grace "The Restrainer" that holds evil to covering man will be withheld or removed, thus exposing the sin of man in the nakedness before God , which is to nothing but to Judgement forthcoming.

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