December 29, 2006
The Romneys of Michigan II Posted by John Steele Gordon at 04:10 PM EST Joshua Zeitz points out that while George Romney’s religion (Mormonism) received minimal discussion when he sought the 1968 Republican nomination for President (before his brainwashing remark knocked him effectively out of contention), today his son’s religion (likewise Mormonism) is a subject of much discussion as the son prepares to run for the nomination himself. Mr. Zeitz wonders if this is a step backwards. I don’t doubt that George Romney’s religion received little attention. I certainly don’t remember any discussion at all (and I do remember much discussion as to whether his having been born in Mexico disqualified him). One reason for this, perhaps, was that this was only a few years after John F. Kennedy had tackled the Catholic question head on and proved that it was no impediment to gaining the White House. In 1968, I think, even bringing up the subject of religion in politics was considered déclassé among the commentariat. But I wonder (I don’t know the answer), just exactly who is continually bringing up the subject of Mitt Romney’s religion today? Is it the religious right or commentators on the right? Or is it liberal commentators (atheists or at least agnostics to a man and many of them profoundly theologically ignorant) assuming, as usual, that the “religious right” is a monolithic group of intolerant bigots, who will reject anyone who is not one of them? After all, Mormon theology—at least the theology of the dominant sect headquartered in Salt Lake City to which the Romneys belong—is pretty mainstream conservative Christian these days. Mormons don’t drink or smoke and are very family oriented. They tithe and devote much time and effort to missionary work. The theologically wild and woolly days of Mormonism—plural marriage, for instance—are long, long in the past. It seems to me that if the “religious right” is going to object to a candidate’s particular Christian sect, it is candidates who adhere to the Episcopal Church (drinking okay, smoking okay, plural marriage okay—at least plural marriage conducted serially—gay bishops okay, etc., etc.) who had better have their answers regarding religion carefully prepared when wooing the “religious right.”
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