Today’s Reading List – September 8, 2006 | Article VI Blog

Romney's stance on Khatami has been all over the news. The transcript of his Hewitt appearance on Tuesday is here. Video of his O'Reilly appearance Wednesday is here. KLo calls the O'Reilly appearance a "breakthrough." This causes a bit of friendly back and forth between her and Podhoretz. He is also lauded by the New York Sun.

Something is up in Michigan as Romney's former sister-in-law rises to his defense on the RINO charge, particularly as it applies to pro-life issues. There is something personal going on here – if it's not the religion thing, it's something familial going back to his dad or some such stuff. This stinks of the same kind of personal undertones as the Perot/Bush business way back when.

Southern women and the GOP on the outs? Don't be so sure – this is agenda journalism at its worst. For one thing it only talks about Georgia, last time I checked there were more southern states than that. Secondly, it is entirely anecdotal – not a poll to be found, just a couple/three women lipping off, that does not a trend make in a country, or even region of millions.

A really great Christianity Today article on the lack of thoughful underpinning for much of Evangelical political action. [registration required} (HT: The Reformed Angler) I like it because it is from that lack of thoughtful background that an anti-Mormon prejudice could arise in Evangelical voters. On the other hand, the article talks about how a "prophetic model" affects current Evangelical activism negatively. Given the heavy prophetic role in Mormonism, I'm looking forward to Lowell's reaction to the piece.

Lowell: It is an excellent article, and John's question is also characteristically excellent. I'm happy to report that the Mormon "prophetic model" is quite different from the one Paul Marshall worries about. Our prophets exercise what I call "prophetic modesty." They are spiritual, not political leaders, and do not make the sweeping pronouncements that Pat Robertson makes (for example, his proclamation that Ariel Sharon's stroke was God's retribution for Israel's withdrawal from Gaza). Rather, the presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints focus on urging members to develop personal righteousness, from which true safety springs. "Righteousness," to us, is serving God and our neighbors and otherwise keeping the commandments of God. This statement by Ezra Taft Benson, a former President of the Church (and therefore God's prophet, to Mormons) is a typical expression of that view:

The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.

So, getting to the theme of this blog, assuming Mitt Romney to be a devout Mormon (which by all accounts he is) he would not be coming at politics and faith from a Robertson-type perspective. He wouldn't expect our Mormon prophet to proclaim the eternal meaning of every political development. I believe he'd be trying to follow the prophet's admonition to be a good follower of Jesus Christ– a universal Christian aspiration.