Is Mormonism a Cult? Can Mitt Romney Be Elected President?
Those two questions occasion the first installment of a series of posts John Schroeder has begun over at Blogotional. He intends to tackle the question of whether Mormonism can be considered a cult and whether Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney, is eliminated for consideration for the 2008 GOP nomination because of his religion.
I wrote this response to John:
One of my seminary professors, Trygve Skarsten, gave us this definition of what constitutes a cult from a Christian perspective. [I should add that this references those groups claiming to be Christian.] A cult...
1. doesn't believe in salvation by grace;
2. repudiates the deity of Christ; and
3. repudiates the doctrine of the Trinity.
By these terms, Mormonism would be considered a cult.
But the issue of whether a person who is a Mormon should be elected the presidency or to any other public office is altogether different from how one views his or her religion.
People of all faiths must be committed to not using their public offices to give preferred treatment to the doctrine or the adherents of their faith. I see no reason why a Mormon could not serve as president or be considered as a candidate for the presidency. Many Mormons have served in other public offices, including Eisenhower's Secretary of Agriculture, Ezra Taft Benson, who also was a luminary in his faith group.
I don't think that someone should be blocked from consideration for the White House just because they're Mormon.
More specific to Mitt Romney, the Massachusetts governor who occasions so much of your posting on this subject:
Romney appears to be gaining traction in his bid for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination and seems to have gotten the tacit endorsement of Jeb Bush. Romney might well take the nomination.
But Romney has decided liabilities as a candidate, none of them having to do with his faith.
His father ran in 1968, you know, and at one point was considered one of the top contenders. But following his famed "brainwashed" gaffe, he was out of the field. The son seems paranoid about making the same mistake as his father. Mitt Romney appears to be scripted. When one adds to this what looks like a natve woodenness, there is an air of detached inaccessibility about him, not unlike that of John Kerry.
As he continues to campaign though, Romney may shed some of his obvious fear and become a more relaxed, likable campaigner. That would enhance his prospects.
Another thing that may hurt him is a mood is that appears to be taking hold of the American people, a mood to no longer reward political dynasties. It's one reason among many, for example, that Hillary Clinton will probably not run for the 2008 Dem nomination or have it denied to her if she does. Bush, Clinton, Gore, Taft, Kennedy, Romney: They've been important political names for anywhere from thirty to more than one-hundred years. But, even if the latest members of these dynasties are qualified to be president, the American people are presently in no mood to elect them.
The big advantage that Romney does have is in being from Massachusetts. No matter what he does in the Iowa caucuses, he'll have a fighting chance for the nomination because he will likely perform well in the New Hampshire primary. Massachusetts pols, because of their proximity to the Granite State, have always fared well in NH. Consider the list that immediately comes to mind: John Kennedy, Henry Cabot Lodge (on an unauthorized write-in campaign), Ted Kennedy, Michael Dukakis, Paul Tsongas, and John Kerry.
[THANKS TO: Andrew Jackson of SmartChristian.com for linking to this post.]
[THANKS ALSO TO: NewsforChristians.com for linking to this post.]