The Mormonism Romney Didn't Talk About
12/4/2006

Eric Francke

On Thursday, Dec. 6th, Presidential contender Mitt Romney will attempt to calm the fears of the religious right and the secular left with respect to his Mormon religion. No doubt, we will all be assured that if he ever did assume the office of President, he won't be carrying out the dictates of the sect President in Salt Lake City, and Dunkin Donuts coffee will still have plenty of caffeine in it the day after he is sworn in.

He may acknowledge, if anyone is interested, that like all organized religions, Mormonism has it's fair share of chequered incidents. Many people know of the early policy of polygamy, the condescending position they held on blacks and native Americans, and some of the historical claims made by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint that even most of them won't even attempt to defend. Even less important to mainstream America is the differences in Trinitarian theology that Mormonism has in contrast to orthodox Christianity. I don't think anyone ever insisted that Ronald Reagan sign off on the Nicene Creed before he could be deemed worthy of serving as President. Although conservative Christians like myself don't trivialize the issue, we recognize that certain issues regarding Romney's Mormonism just aren't material to whether or not he would make a good President. There issues, however, based on Romney's patterns of behavior, and their parallel in Mormonism, that ought to give everyone pause.

In particular, it is the question of political expediency. Mormonism, being one of the few religions that is purely an American product, is awash in examples of when principle and the absolutes that Mormons had defined for themselves, were quickly brushed aside for the sake of temporal or political gain. Take the above mentioned question of Polygamy, for example. Joseph Smith, the Founder of Mormonism, had said that Polygamy was an "eternal" decree. His successor, Brigham Young, also affirmed that, and the Church consistently held that one must practice it in order to be "exalted" in the next life. However, when the U.S. Federal Government threatened to deny Utah statehood over the issue and seize all church property, polygamy was tossed overboard with a hastily produced "revelation" from the headquarters.

Similarly, Mitt Romney embodies that same idea of expediency over principle. Much has been made of his shifting views on abortion, for example. In 1994, he publicly stated that abortion should be kept "safe and legal". An expedient position while running for Senate against ultra liberal Ted Kennedy in a liberal state. When his national aspirations began to well up while serving as Governor of Massachusetts, he suddenly became a pro-life champion, which would endear him to the religious right, and give him an edge in the Bible belt.

Likewise, he had no qualms about meeting with the homosexual Log Cabin Republicans when he was first running for Governor, and promising them that he would never sign off on discriminatory legislation. He kept his promise in part, by assenting to the dictates of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in creating gay marriage, yet used his national soapbox to rail against gay marriage, even though he was party to creating gay marriage in his state!

Watching Mitt Romney is an exercise in watching a man carefully triangulate his positions, based on his next prospective political conquest and the audience that is present at the moment. He seems to never be grounded by an internal moral code or conscience that might command his actions and opinions. Rather, he jockeys for a position that will generate the most political capital in the future, in a similar vein to how he oversaw his business as a venture capitalist.

Perhaps Mitt Romney is the Mormon extraordinaire. Basically, a good person, nice family, but ultimately driven by agenda and expediency, rather than by unwavering principle. That is the Mormonism that Romney lives. The Mormonism that he won't talk about. A religion where pragmatism eclipses piety. There is no doubt about it. Mitt is a Mormon.