Romney’s Religious Faith Questioned
That headline struck me as odd, and mildly inappropriate. Why should Romney’s religion matter? And how would we all react if the media were questioning, say, a Jew’s religion?
First of all, there shouldn’t be a religious test for public office in this country. As Article 6 of the Constitution reads:
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.
Second, while Mormonism isn’t exactly dominant denomination among America’s citizens, it’s certainly a mainstream religion. I know many are very skeptical of the practitioners of Mormonism, but ultimately it seems to me that Romney should be judged on his career achievements and policies as a political leader. Not what church he worships in.
Frankly, some of this criticism of Romney smacks of the anti-Catholicism bigotry JFK faced in his 1960 campaign.
