Can Christians vote for a Mormon on 11-6-12 ?

“The Kingdom is not riding on whatever happens on election day and the church’s mission isn’t going to change regardless of what happens . . . on Election Day.”

Dr. R. Albert Mohler

January 20, 1961, marked the Inauguration of the 35^th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, a Catholic. January 20, 2013, could mark the Inauguration of the 45^th President of the United States, Mitt Romney, a Mormon. Evangelicals across the fruited plains are weighing carefully the potential consequence that electing a Mormon will present Mormonism as more acceptable to Americans as electing a Catholic in 1961 did for Roman Catholicism; it seemed to cast it as more mainstream.  I suggest that the particular competence of the candidate for governing and protecting the American people is the question that should be answered, rather than “Is this candidate a born-again Christian?” or “Will this candidate’s faith, if elected, make his faith more acceptable world-wide?”  So, without endorsing any one candidate, here are some compelling questions to ask:

Morally, does the Mormon candidate support and protect the sanctity of human life?

 In the June 2011 edition of the National Review, Mitt Romney stated his position on life by saying,

“I am pro-life and believe that abortion should be limited to only instances of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. I support the reversal of Roe vs. Wade because it is bad law and bad medicine.” He continued, “I support the Hyde Amendment, which broadly bars the use of Federal funds for abortions. . . . I will support efforts to prohibit Federal funding for any organization like Planned Parenthood.”

 President Obama, when speaking about the nearly 40 years of the consequences of Roe v Wade and 50 million babies legally killed, said,

“As we mark the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we must remember that this Supreme Court decision not only protects a woman’s health and reproductive freedom, but also affirms a broader principle: that government should not intrude on private family matters. I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose and this fundamental constitutional right. . . . And as we remember this historic anniversary, we must also continue our efforts to ensure that our daughters have the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities as our sons to fulfill their dreams.”

Morally, does the Mormon candidate support the Biblical, traditional definition of marriage?  Mitt Romney, while speaking at the Liberty University commencement ceremony in Lynchburg, VA, on May 12, 2012, said to the 30,000 attendees:

“Marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman.”

A few days prior to Romney’s stated position, President Barack Obama became the first sitting President of the United States to affirm same-sex marriage.  In a sit-down interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts, the President stated,

"I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or Marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married."

Domestically and financially, does the Mormon candidate have a record of competence in managing and balancing a governmental budget responsibly? As of today, the National Debt Clock had $16,211,381,872,754.61 as the total indebtedness of the United States. Now that is a snapshot, because as you know, the numbers are constantly rising at a mind-boggling rate! The National Debt continues to increase an average of $3.88 billion per day! With an estimated population in the USA of 313,773,479, each US citizen’s share of this debt is $51,665.88! The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. (Proverbs 22:7). Do not be a man who strikes hands in a pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you. (Proverbs 22:26-27) This is the Word of the LORD! President Obama’s answer to the country’s indebtedness was a 787 billion dollar stimulus, a mandatory health care system that will remove 700 billion dollars from Medicare, and looming penalties for over 6 million Americans who fail to purchase healthcare. In addition, the President submitted a budget with $1.5 trillion in deficit spending. It was so abysmal, when the Senate brought it up for a vote, not even one Democratic Senator voted in favor of the Obama proposed budget. The vote was 0-97! As Governor of the state of Massachusetts, Governor Romney presented a balanced budget each year.

Militarily, does the Mormon candidate believe in “peace through strength” and is he pro-Israel?  A Gallup poll reported that the United States Military overwhelmingly supports Governor Romney by a margin of 58% to 38%, and that veterans’ support was even more significant at 59% to 32%. One of the main reasons is because the military doesn’t believe that the President supports them fully. For instance, the President has supported a “Sequestration” as part of the Budget Control Acts that would devastatingly reduce our Defense. These cuts come as a result of a fairy-tale narrative that the President and his administration believe, namely, “that war is receding.” Osama Bin Laden is dead, and that pretty much ended the “war on terrorism,” in their mind. This “living in their own world” for foreign policy seems to have played a significant role in the Benghazi debacle.

Earlier this month, a lawmaker from the Israeli Prime Minister’s political party said of President Obama, “He is no friend of Israel . . . . His policies have been catastrophic.”  Governor Romney, in contrast, has enjoyed a personal friendship with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for over 35 years. Romney has convincingly argued that under President Obama, the USA has “downgraded Israel from being our ‘closest ally’ in the Middle East to being only ‘one of our closest allies.’” Romney’s perspective appears to be true by considering the President’s own words: "During the [Bush Presidency] there was no space between us and Israel, and what did we get from that? When there is no daylight, Israel just sits on the sidelines, and that erodes our credibility with the Arab states."

Practically, are you voting for a “President” or a “pastor?”  President Obama claims to be a believer in Jesus Christ. Do you have fundamental disagreements with him morally and domestically? Governor Romney claims to be a believer of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Do you support much of his political platform? When I vote for a President, should their particular doctrinal statement be a litmus test for whom I should vote? Maybe an illustration would bring clarity. When flying in an airplane, how concerned are you that the pilot is a believer? (Now, this question should not figure in in one’s view of the Rapture! :-) Mostly, we are concerned that the pilot is qualified, alert, and experienced as a pilot. What about an upcoming surgery? Do you ask about the particular orthodoxy of the surgeon prior to the surgery? Again, probably not. So, what about a President? Similar logic should guide us. 

So, CHRISTIANS SHOULD VOTE  on November 6, 2012! Be informed. To be properly informed, visit Cornerstone to find out how the candidates running in our town voted on these issues in the last legislative session. Click Here