Could I in good conscience vote for Mitt Romney? I could if his Democratic opponent is Hillary Clinton or any of the other announced Democratic candidates. Although I lean toward Fred Thompson, I would probably vote for Romney over McCain or Guiliani. Whether Romney's present conservative positions would remain if elected cannot be answered in the affirmative with any certainty. While there has been much debate about whether a Christian could vote for a Mormon, I have yet seen anyone ask what the challenges would be for the Church in America if there would be a President Romney in the White House.
What if Romney wins the Presidency and governs as a true Conservative. He would gain many supporters within the Evangelical community who would become emotionally tied to him as many have with Bush. This would put great pressure on those within the Church to legitimize Mormanism as a valid expression of Christianity. Could those involved with such issues such as the right to life seek support from Romney while not granting his religion orthodox status? Would these activists moderate their views in the hope that their access to the Executive Branch would remain open? If a pastor spoke against Mormanism, would some of those in his flock criticize him for not supporting the President? Would public figures be denied a platform if they did not tone down their criticism of the President's religion? Would they be labled bigots by those within the Church? While I would vote for Romney over any candidate that favors abortion and who would weaken the war against terrorism, I do wonder what challenges the Church would face from a Romney presidency. While many ask Romney how his religion would effect his governence, he should be asked whether or not he could cooperate with evangelicals while allowing them to hold on to their convictions regarding the Mormon Church.
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