Published: November 26, 2007 11:35 pm            

Romney campaign frames debate on role of religion in politics

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. — Mitt Romney's presidential campaign has pushed the Mormon faith into the national spotlight, but it's also raised broader questions about the proper place of religion in political debate, voters say.

Romney is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the Mormons. The church has 5 million U.S. members, which makes it the fifth largest in the nation.

Locally, according to David Berndt of Londonderry, 160 to 200 people worship every Sunday at the Derry ward, which is politically neutral. Romney is by no means the only politically prominent Mormon, Berndt pointed out. Democratic Sen. Harry Reid is also a Mormon. So is Jackie Dodd, wife of Democratic hopeful Sen. Chris Dodd.

Berndt, an attorney who was asked to be the Derry ward's spokesman, said he has been sorry to "see the bias coming out" against Romney during the primary.

As recently as last week, Romney's religion was being bashed by so-called "push-polling" in New Hampshire. Romney responded by calling the tactic un-American and his campaign pointed out the former Bay State governor is in a political, not a theological, contest.

"He's running for president. He's not running for theologian-in-chief," said Craig Stevens, spokesman for the Romney New Hampshire campaign.

Stevens said it's unfortunate if people choose a president based on their opinions about a candidate's religion.

There is too much talk about religion in this presidential campaign, according to Ola Lessard, 38, a Londonderry business owner, who is participating in The Eagle-Tribune's voter project.

"I find it a little bit disturbing that people's personal beliefs have an impact on whether people would vote for them," Lessard said.

She would prefer to see voters focus on candidates' voting records. Unfortunately, Lessard said, the focus is all on the trappings of religion.

"A lot of people make a big show of going to church every Sunday, but have few morals," she said. "I guess what disturbs me is the public or the media or the combination seem to be determining people's moral values based on how overtly religious they are. I don't think one has a lick to do with the other."

Pat Webb, 63, of Manchester also is dismayed by the squabbling over religion.

"It's 'my god's better than your god.' Let's get over it," she said. "I was just reading about Thomas Jefferson when he was running against (John) Adams. Religion was just as involved as it is now. Jefferson almost didn't get elected."

Rick Hartung, 61, a computer programmer from Hampstead, said religion might cause some bumps for the Romney campaign. But ultimately, Hartung said, he thinks people who want to make it an issue will be canceled out. Hartung, who believes in separation of church and state, said issues like the economy and people's finances are more compelling and will dominate when Election Day nears.

However, Maria Green, 45, an East Hampstead engineer, said a candidate's religious beliefs do play a part in their political decisions.

"I'm glad we have a Christian president," said Green, who approves of the tactics Karl Rove used to get President Bush elected.

Phil Johnson, pastor of Derry's Seventh-day Adventist Church, said this election is raising questions about the place of religion in politics and causing debate over whether candidates are being subjected to a test of religion based on beliefs.

He thinks voters are looking for values, like integrity, but not for church doctrines.

"Jimmy Carter didn't mix religion and politics," Johnson said. "He made a point of not doing that. Yes, his being a biblically based Christian has a part in the public work he does. But it's value-based, not sectarian.

"If a candidate lets a sectarian bias be obvious, that would probably be the end of his career," Johnson said. "As for Mr. Romney, I've never heard anything where he is promoting Mormons."

Rabbi Louis Rieser of Etz Hayim Synagogue in Derry drew a distinction between questions about a candidate's personal beliefs | such as evolution | and questions about policy.

"Religious teachings address the substance of the important issues of life, and I don't think it's terrible to know how that influences a person," Rieser said. "If somebody says, 'I am of this religious persuasion and therefore I cannot consider other policy positions other than what comes from my particular version of religious teaching,' that tells the electorate something about the narrowness of their policy options that may not be acceptable."

Rieser said he thought it was fair to question how a candidate's religion would influence policy positions, but questions about "very personal world views" are probably not the electorate's business.

He said he thought President John F. Kennedy delivered an eloquent statement on the separation of church and state 47 years ago in his address to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association.

"He made it clear. Yes, he was a Catholic; yes, he was going to work on policy," he said.

But the policy work would be in the best interests of all the people in the country, Rieser said of Kennedy, not just one group.

Romney has not decided whether to make an address about his faith similar to the speech Kennedy gave, Stevens said.

"John Kennedy was a strong-minded person," said Peg Donahue-Turner, director of religious education and pastoral associate at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Windham. "He made his decisions for the good of everyone in the country, not just for the religious."

But times have changed, and moral questions | due especially to scientific advancement | come up in politics more often.

"(Kennedy) would face more criticism today," Donahue-Turner said.

Last week, for example, Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley called Bay State Catholics' support for the Democratic Party "bordering on scandal," due to the party's frequent abortion rights stand.

O'Malley's remarks were timed with the release of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' faithful citizenship statement. It calls on Catholics to consider not voting for candidates whose position on an "intrinsic evil," such as abortion, is contrary to church teaching.

"I work for the church, and I'm a practicing Catholic," Donahue-Turner said. "I also believe there's a separation between church and state. I need to look at some of the moral issues and balance that with my freedom as an American to vote. I choose my own decisions. I don't vote the way someone tells me."



Material from The Associated Press was used in this report by Margo Sullivan, who writes for The Eagle-Tribune of North Andover, Mass.

        

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