Article VI Blog

A view of "The Mormon Question" from the left - from Slate. They use what appears to be emerging as a standard tactic from the left (we saw it yesterday in the L.A.Times) - in this case they quote an Roman Catholic Evangelical leader - Richard John Neuhaus - as stating that Mormons are not Christians, a religious statement, and casting it as a vote against a Mormon candidate. Yet on this very blog the following exchange with Fr. Neuhaus occurred:

Article VI Blog: In your opinion, if two people arrive at the same political position via different paths, say one based on their particular religious faith, and another by purely secular reasoning, can they be effective political allies? What potential pitfalls lie in such an alliance? How can they be avoided?

Neuhaus: Of course people can arrive at the same political position by different paths. For purposes of witness and action in the public square such convergences are to be welcomed and cultivated. The risk in all alliances or coalitions is the possibility of immoral compromise, but legitimate compromise is not immoral. The way to avoid the danger is to nurture and practice the cardinal virtue of prudence.

Article VI Blog: In your work, have you met and worked with Mormons on political issues? Would you describe them as allies or opponents?

Neuhaus: Yes, and, if memory serves, always as allies.

Seems to me that even if Fr. Neuhaus doesn't think Mormons are Christians, he'd be more than willing to vote for one. His statement is no political disqualifier at all.

Lowell adds: In this First Things piece Fr. Neuhaus addresses Mormonism at length, and concludes it is not Christian, using the creedal definition of that term. But he also concludes:

[W]e owe to Mormon Americans respect for their human dignity, protection of their religious freedom, readiness for friendship, openness to honest dialogue, and an eagerness to join hands in social and cultural tasks that advance the common good. That, perhaps, is work enough, at least for the time being.

Those are not the words of someone who thinks a candidate's Mormonism is a disqualifier for public office.

The Slate piece also quotes Dobson as we have looked at carefully here. Even if Dobson wasn't acting against a Mormon candidate, the left appears to be using his statement to that end. Sadly for Dobson, I have no counter as I did for Neuhaus.

Lowell: We've seen enough of this selective quoting from the left to start asking this question: In a general election, will Democrats and left-leaning pundits use the issue of Romney's Mormonism as a wedge issue to weaken support for him? I think the answer is clearly yes. If I am right, then lots of other questions arise. One of them is, What's the proper response to that tactic– from Romney and from Christians of all stripes who detect the efforts to manipulate them?

Interesting comments on religion and politics, linking to even more interesting comments. Money quote:

Christians make a fair criticism when they react to being told that their beliefs are not an acceptable viewpoint in public life but that other “God-removed” perspectives are acceptable.

I wonder if Evangelicals who would exclude a Mormon voice understand that they are committing the same poltical sin as they have a problem with when it comes from the left?

Reading list update from Lowell: Hotline comments on the Romney appearance at the NRO dinner last evening:

As Romney stuck around after speaking to shake hands and take pictures with an audience that included such bold-faced names as Krauthammer, Blankley, Comstock, Matalin, Libby (!) and Bonjean, the buzz was almost audible: McCain alternative.

(HT: Hugh Hewitt.)

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