He Ain't No JFK

We separate church and state affairs in this country, and for good reason. No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It's as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America — the religion of secularism. They are wrong.

The founders proscribed the establishment of a state religion, but they did not countenance the elimination of religion from the public square. We are a nation "under God" and in God, we do indeed trust.

The original meaning? As opposed to original intent? It's interesting to note that Romney's church-state philosophy parts ways with the "jurisprudence of original intent" promoted by Christian Right leaders since the Reagan era. Everyone from former Attorney General Edwin Meese to the late Chief Justice Rehnquist to nutcases like David Barton have argued consistently that the Founders proscribed the establishment of only a National Church.

According to the Christian Right originalists, the religion clauses of the First Amendment were not intended to apply to the states. Thus, they rejected the historic decision of Everson v. Board of Education which applied (incorporated) the Establishment Clause to each state via the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment. With statements like "the founders proscribed the establishment of a State Religion" - Romney seems to part ways with the Christian Right by seemingly siding with ardent Baptist separationists like Hugo Black.

Or does he? Mitt's philosophy is ambiguous at best and inconsistent at worst. You'd think being the Mormon candidate trying to woo the evangelical wing of the Republican Party good ole Mitt would offer some consistency in this area?

And then he claims that those who adhere to the separation principle are seeking to remove religion from the public square. Give me a break.

Religion is cheapened when we try to secularize the sacred.

Does Mitt not realize that the Baby Christ is trivialized when placed next to Santa and Rudolph?

For someone who freely talks about his faith day in and day out, it seems a bit disingenuous to claim that religion has been given the boot from the public life of Americans everywhere.

Read more: Brent Walker of the BJC on Mitt Romney.

Mitt Romney and The Mormon Speech

Mitt Romney delivered his "Faith in America" speech this morning at the George H.W. Bush Library in College Station, Texas.

And a snippet from the speech:

Almost 50 years ago another candidate from Massachusetts explained that he was an American running for president, not a Catholic running for president. Like him, I am an American running for president. I do not define my candidacy by my religion. A person should not be elected because of his faith nor should he be rejected because of his faith.

Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions. Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin.

As governor, I tried to do the right as best I knew it, serving the law and answering to the Constitution. I did not confuse the particular teachings of my church with the obligations of the office and of the Constitution — and of course, I would not do so as president. I will put no doctrine of any church above the plain duties of the office and the sovereign authority of the law.

I'm not sure what Mitt Romney accomplished, if anything, with this speech. A large number of Southern Baptists and other very very conservative evangelicals view Mormonism as a cult. Did Mitt relieve their fears and concerns with this speech? Well, out of 2,540 words he only mentioned the word Mormon once.

Overall, Mitt's Mormon speech *may* have been a good tactic. With all eyes on Mike Huckabee, Romney's speech may divert attention away from Huck for at least a day or two. Lots of free press coverage at least. However, I don't think the Mormon questions will cease any time soon.

What do you think?