Mitt Romney gave his religion speech today and, as expected, we found that he is no John Kennedy. He is also no Arnold Vinick, who would have told those who asked about his religion, as in this clip from The West Wing, that it was none of their business. Neither Kennedy’s speech or Vinick’s fictional comment would be accepted in today’s Republican Party.
He also spoke of “our grand tradition of religious tolerance and liberty,” but he does not appear to understand these principles. Nor does he understand secularism. Romney said:
We separate church and state affairs in this country, and for good reason. No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They are wrong.Romney makes the same mistake made by many conservatives in
confusing secularism for opposition to religion. When Romney cites the founding fathers he fails to understand that many of them were simultaneously religious and believers in secularism. As historian Joseph Ellis recently explained in his book American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies At The Founding Of The Republic, the creation of a secular state was one of the great accomplishments of the founding fathers.
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http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=2477