Dear Mitt
Board of Education of Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Grumet, 512 U.S. 687 (1994), Justice David Souter, writing for the majority, concluded that “government should not prefer one religion to another, or religion to irreligion”.
Freedom of religion necessarily includes freedom from religion. Almost 15% of Americans are reportedly non-religious. That’s about 45 million Americans, who have exactly the same rights as the other 255 million people in the United States. There is no religious test for office in the United States, it says that right in the Constitution.
If you think what you said is going to help you win against a Baptist preacher, you are missing a few teeth on the main gears in your brain. Going down to the river with James Dobson might have helped, but not that much.
You choices of people to quote displays a certain naiveté about American history. Samuel Adams is appropriately remembered today for the beer and ales with his name on them, as he spent more time in taverns than churches.
John Adams, as President, signed the Treaty of Tripoli that explicitly states that: “As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion”. The treaty was approved unanimously by the Senate. He also sounded rather atheistic in letters to his son, John Quincey Adams, for spending so much time on the Bible. Adams is normally identified as a Unitarian.
Abraham Lincoln probably spent as much or more time reading the Bible as any President except John Quincey Adams, but he was plagued with charges of atheism throughout his career because he belonged to no identified church, and the name, Jesus, is notably absent from his writing.
You are not going to gain any evangelical voters and you have seriously insulted 45 million Americans – this is not a winning strategy.
7 comments
It shows he lacks faith, truthfully.
This had nothing to do with his faith, it was political pandering, plain and simple.
Yep, just Multiple Choice Mitt, checking off the checkbox “pander to religion right” on his list. If he got the nomination for the general election, undoubtedly he’ll uncheck that checkbox. Still wouldn’t make him anything other than a dishonest panderer though.
Never fail to remember where Romney came from and that is the business world. He was very successful because he always did what it took to close the deal. That is exactly what he is doing today…trying to close the deal and morals, religion or common sense have nothing to do with it.
It wouldn’t be quite as offensive if he weren’t a Mormon, a group that experienced religious persecution in this country, that has been required to alter its religious views on marriage and race because of government intrusion.
I accept that people have a right to believe whatever the want, no matter or absurd I may personally feel those beliefs are as long as they don’t require me to act like I accept their beliefs. When their beliefs intrude I have a right to react, as in turning on my Mother’s sprinkler system because Baptists believe they have a right to park on her lawn to attend their church.
The sprinkler system is a great idea…it’s non-violent, beneficial to the foliage, and it makes the point.
And if there are any minerals in the water, it makes a nice grey stain on the car’s paint after several visits.
Because of the iron content of the red clay the water passes through you get a rust stain that doesn’t come off of anything.