My Analysis of Romney's Speach

[_beastie]

If Bush Sr. did not make these remarks, why didn't he, or his representatives, just state that he never made the remarks attributed to him? They certainly had abundant opportunities to do so in the following exchanges:

http://www.robsherman.com/advocacy/bush/thirdfax.pdf

[_Coggins7]

Stop behaving like Mr. Scratch Beastie, and get the funny looking flying monkey off your back.

[_dartagnan]

Beastie you are smart enough to realize that this doesn't make the allegation true.

Politicians avoid all kinds of allegations.

Addressing this, even to deny it, would probably create more attention than it deserves. And if something gets a certain level of attention, it doesn't matter if it was denied.

[_beastie]

I'm not talking about making a public statement. I'm talking about simply informing any of these concerned citizens that the comment was incorrectly attributed to Mr. Bush. They never once made any such statement or even insinuated it.

At any rate, I don't want to derail this entire thread on this point. If you want to discuss it further, perhaps another thread would be in order.

[_Mercury]

I thought he was pointing to non-believers as the common enemy, to which all freedom lovin' believers could oppose by joining together with Romney.

That was my take as well. Freedom needs religion? What an arrogant scumbag. Tyranny needs religion.

[_The Dude]

Beastie you are smart enough to realize that this doesn't make the allegation true.

Are there websites and books dedicated to denying this like there are for the Holocaust? I've heard of this allegation for years and never knew anyone who denied it. Kevin is the first.

Of course this doesn't make Kevin's challenge wrong, just extremely novel... for me. ;)

[_moksha]

Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.
- Mitt, 2007

Jan at MAD asked the following question: Do you agree with this? Does it rub you the wrong way?


Here was my answer: I disagree with Romney. I think non-believers cherish freedom as much as any of us do, and I do not like them made out to be the common enemy to which we can rally against by backing Romney. No one should gain political hay by putting some other group down.

[_asbestosman]

No one should gain political hay by putting some other group down.

I think it might be ok to gain political hay by putting child-molesters, rapists, and drug lords down.

As an aside, I suffer from hay-fever.

[_moksha]

I think it might be ok to gain political hay by putting child-molesters, rapists, and drug lords down.

Possibly Romney's focus group found that these subgroups would be more likely to vote Republican, so it was better to not antagonize them.

[_Abinadi's Fire]

Some believe that such a confession of my faith will sink my candidacy. If they are right, so be it. But I think they underestimate the American people. Americans do not respect believers of convenience. Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world.

Yes, Mr. Romney, we tire of politicians that change their beliefs for political reasons, even to gain the world. Just as you have done with your belief about abortion. What other beliefs are you willing to compromise to get elected?

There is one fundamental question about which I often am asked. What do I believe about Jesus Christ? I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. My church's beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths. Each religion has its own unique doctrines and history. These are not bases for criticism but rather a test of our tolerance. Religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it were reserved only for faiths with which we agree.

I believe that every faith I have encountered draws its adherents closer to God. And in every faith I have come to know, there are features I wish were in my own: I love the profound ceremony of the Catholic Mass, the approachability of God in the prayers of the Evangelicals, the tenderness of spirit among the Pentecostals, the confident independence of the Lutherans, the ancient traditions of the Jews, unchanged through the ages, and the commitment to frequent prayer of the Muslims. As I travel across the country and see our towns and cities, I am always moved by the many houses of worship with their steeples, all pointing to heaven, reminding us of the source of life's blessings.

It is important to recognize that while differences in theology exist between the churches in America, we share a common creed of moral convictions. And where the affairs of our nation are concerned, it's usually a sound rule to focus on the latter – on the great moral principles that urge us all on a common course. Whether it was the cause of abolition, or civil rights, or the right to life itself, no movement of conscience can succeed in America that cannot speak to the convictions of religious people.

I'm surprised that he said these things, in light of his being "true to the faith of his fathers."

He left out some things:

1 Nephi 13:26 And after they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of that great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away.

27 And all this have they done that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men.

28 Wherefore, thou seest that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God.

29 And after these plain and precious things were taken away it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles; and after it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles, yea, even across the many waters which thou hast seen with the Gentiles which have gone forth out of captivity, thou seest—because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God—because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them.

And:

JS-H 1:18 My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.

19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”

It's really strange to hear him applaud the virtues of what the faith of his fathers consider to be an abomination.

It was a good speech, painting Romney as tolerant. Maybe it is just Romney's fathers that were intolerant.

The best line? Right here:

No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith.

He couldn't have said it better, and it appears he is living up to these words.