Romney Shouldn't Have to Make a Speech on His Religious Views to Appease Religious Right

It seems to me that religious Conservatives shouldn't be criticizing Mitt Romney over his religious views. If he adheres to his religious beliefs, which at it's base professes a belief in God and in Jesus Christ, then there really shouldn't be an issue.

This all sounds familiar. The arguments being made against Romney's Mormon faith are similar to what fundamentalists have made against Catholic candidates ever since the country was founded. "That religion isn't even Christian" is nothing but 18th and 19th Century Protestant propaganda. Yet it shares some of the beliefs of both Protestant and Catholic churches, despite having some major differences.

People have a narrow view of history. Since our country was started, there have been four Baptists, one Catholic, one Congregationalist, three Disciples of Christ, two Dutch Reformed, twelve Episcopals, one Jehovah's Witness (later a Presbyterian), four Methodists, five Presbyterians, two Quakers, four Unitarians, and four people who did not belong to a religious denomination (including Abraham Lincoln) or didn't have a belief in God at all, who have served as President of the United States.

People use the JFK speech on his Catholic beliefs to justify what Romney is doing now. I don't think it's necessary. Haven't we, as a nation and as an electorate, evolved beyond this?

What should be worrisome should be where Romney stands on abortion now, where he stands on seeking an eventual end to the ground war in Iraq, what kind of judges he will nominate, and where he stands on protecting the Constitution vs. "National Security."

There are aspects of the Mormon faith that I do find very troubling, but I've known enough Mormons to know that there's two sides to an issue when discussing this religion. And it seems that those who are criticizing Romney are focusing on one side exclusively (their issues with Romney's religion) versus how the man has lived his life, which is quite a bit better than some of the others on the GOP ticket that the fundamentalists themselves are supporting.

Personally, I think Huckabee and Romney would be a great GOP ticket against the eventual Democratic nominee and his/her VP choice.