Our reaction to Mitt's speech

Thursday, Mitt Romney gave his much anticipated speech, "Faith in America," in which he publicly confirmed to a nationwide audience that if he wins the presidency, he would not be unduly influenced by the Mormon prophet in his decision-making. Almost every news source compared the setting of the speech to JFK's similar address when he was running for President, in which JFK declared he would be independent of the pope.

Tricia and I listened to a recording of Mitt's speech over the Internet while we did dishes that evening, and we applauded it.

First, he did an excellent job of steering the conversation to where the issue truly lay, which is how he would act as President. Though some critics were disappointed that he didn't go into details on the beliefs of the Mormon church, other pointed out that Mitt had nothing to gain by becoming a spokesman for his church (something he has consciously avoided) and applauded his decision to focus on the more relevant picture of how his faith would inform his presidency.

Mitt also found time to praise other religious traditions in America, and mentioned that as many adherents to Lutheranism, Judaism, and Catholicism were honoring the religion of their fathers, so was he in his conviction to Mormonism.

Here are some of my favorite lines from the speech. You can find the complete text of the address here.

"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."

"Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions. Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin."

"I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and the savior of mankind. My church's beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths. Each religion has its own unique doctrines and history. These are not bases for criticism, but rather a test of our tolerance."

"Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world."