So the big story this week was the blatant attack on the Mormon faith. In case you missed it, Robert Jeffress a Texas pastor and Rick Perry supporter, called the Mormon faith a “cult” and “not Christianity.” The pastor made these remarks at a Values Voters Summit in Washington and has since said that he has not changed his position (Wiley). I thought those remarks were disgusting and extremely offensive. I also found it interesting that when Rick Perry starts doing worse in the polls, a Rick Perry supporter makes a remark directed at Mitt Romney’s faith. Coincidence? Maybe, but I find the timing and location to be very suspicious.
Another thing that surprised me about this whole debacle, was the civility shown by some of the Republican politicians. Foremost, Perry tried to distance himself from the pastor saying "I don't think the Mormon Church is a cult. People who endorse me or people who work for me, I respect their endorsement and their work, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I endorse all of their statements"(Camia). Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich also had a very mature opinion on the whole situation saying, “None of us should sit in judgment of somebody else's religion”(Camia). On the other hand, Herman Cain disappoints me more and more with the things he says. At first I was impressed with how he handled the issue, saying the following on a CNN show, “I am not running for theologian in chief. I am not going to get into an analysis of Mormonism vs. Christianity. I'm not getting into that"(Wiley). However, then on CBS he said the following, "I believe that they believe they are Christians"(Camia). That last comment seems very underhanded and offensive especially when discussing someone’s religion. Also, I think it’s strange that somebody who is hoping to be the next Republican presidential nominee is saying this about one of the most conservative groups in society.
Mormons in the U.S account for only 1.7% of the total population (Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life). The Catholic and Protestant population are much larger accounting for 23.9% and 26.3% of the U.S population (Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life). Although they are a small demographic, they are very beneficial to Republicans. About 65% of Mormons identifies themselves as Republican ( Pond). Only 22 % of Mormons identify with the Democratic Party (Pond). Mormons are also extremely conservative when it comes to certain issues. According to Pond, 70% of the Mormon population says that abortion should be illegal. That is an interesting statistic since only 65% of the population identifies with the Republican Party. Also, 56% of Mormons say they prefer a smaller government (Pond). These statistics make Mormons sound like a very beneficial demographic for Republicans. However, to this day people still have negative views towards the Mormons. According to a Gallup poll, 22% of Americans said they would “not support a Mormon for president”( Camia). This statistic makes me curious to see if the Republican Party will overlook the Mormon issue and nominate Mitt Romney as their nominee.
Works Cited
Camia, Catalina. "GOP Rivals: Romney's Mormon Faith Off-limits in Campaign." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. Web. 09 Oct. 2011. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2011/10/herman-cain-mitt-romney-mormon-/1.
Pond, Allison. "A Portrait of Mormons in the U.S.: Social and Political Views." Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Web. 09 Oct. 2011. http://pewforum.org/Christian/Mormon/A-Portrait-of-Mormons-in-the-US--Social-and-Political-Views.aspx.
"A Portrait of Mormons in the U.S." Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Web. 09 Oct. 2011. http://pewforum.org/Christian/Mormon/A-Portrait-of-Mormons-in-the-US.aspx.
Wiley, Judy. "Texas Pastor Stands Ground on Cult Comment about Mormons| Reuters." Business & Financial News, Breaking US & International News | Reuters.com. 09 Oct. 2011. Web. 09 Oct. 2011. <http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/09/us-usa-campaign-jeffress-idUSTRE7982DV20111009>.
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