COMMENTARY | Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney responded last weekend to claims by First Baptist Church of Dallas leader Robert Jeffress that Romney is a Mormon and therefore not Christian. The Rick Perry backer even went so far as to refer to Mormonism as a cult. Romney's response at the Values Voter Summit on Saturday was to "let no agenda narrow our vision or drive us apart."
How much does religion matter to voters? It has been a front-and-center issue for Republican candidates to date. Most candidates have made it clear where they stand on religion and why it is imperative for the president to be a Christian. They can't agree on what constitutes a Christian.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints considers itself to be a Christian denomination. It holds the Bible up as one of its guiding doctrines, along with the Book of Mormon, which is considered a testament of God's dealings with America from 2000 BC to 400 AD. It also holds sacred many of the writings of their founding leader, Joseph Smith.
Many other Christian denominations believe that, because of the Mormons' views on Smith's divinity and the afterlife, they do not count as true Christians.
Where is the line between "legitimate" religion and cult? It really is in the interpretation of each individual. According to most definitions, it means a system of religious beliefs. Under that definition, all religions are cults. There will always be dissention between various religious groups over who follows the "true" religion.
As to whether religion even matters to running America, many candidates and voters say the country was founded on Christian principles. While many of the founding fathers identified as Christian, most were concerned about the influence of the church in state matters -- one of the reasons they left behind the Church of English and Britain itself.
The Constitution makes little reference to religion other than in the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from basing its laws upon religious tenets and protects the right of each citizen to his own religious expressions. The founding fathers believed in the fundamental divide between church and state.
And yet, here we are in 2011 discussing whether a candidate is Christian (and the right kind of Christian). If there is a heaven, Thomas Jefferson is shaking his head at how his intentions have been twisted.
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