Carol Platt Liebau: What Needed To Be Said

Thursday, December 06, 2007

What Needed To Be Said

Here is the text of Mitt Romney's speech on religious faith from this morning.

I didn't have the opportunity to see him deliver the speech, and there can be many a slip 'twixt cup and lip -- but from the text, it's a winner. For my money, Romney hit all the right notes. He made it clear he was a friend to religion generally, that his creed has much in common with others that predominate in this country, and that he respects people of all faiths. And he refused to back off from his own beliefs -- which should answer the objections of those who try to assert that he is someone who changes his mind for political gain -- while making it clear that his highest duty would be to follow his oath of office.

Some of the speech was downright moving:

Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone. . . .

There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the Constitution. No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes president he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths. . . .

I will take care to separate the affairs of government from any religion, but I will not separate us from 'the God who gave us liberty.'

Nor would I separate us from our religious heritage. Perhaps the most important question to ask a person of faith who seeks a political office, is this: Does he share these American values _ the equality of human kind, the obligation to serve one another and a steadfast commitment to liberty? . . .

You can be certain of this: Any believer in religious freedom, any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty, has a friend and ally in me. And so it is for hundreds of millions of our countrymen: We do not insist on a single strain of religion _ rather, we welcome our nation's symphony of faith.


Romney said all that needed to be said.

2 Comments:

Blogger Greg said...

I'm likin' this guy more and more!

12:39 PM  
Blogger Righty64 said...

Most important is the contrast Mr. Romney makes between the religious liberty we enjoy in the United States and the tyranny of the enemy, radical Islam. And, the fact Mr. Romney calls it what it is and does not sugar coat it is very impressive. I think this will be the next President Of The United States.

10:19 PM  

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