We should have seen this coming. I’m sure some people did. But it caught me by surprise. One of the major impacts of the 2012 presidential campaign was the insertion of Mormonism into the good graces of mainstream Christianity in the United States. Will that situation last? I’m not sure.
Mitt Romney was the first member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints (LDS) to be nominated for president by a major party. In some ways, the situation was similar to that of John Kennedy, a Catholic, in 1960. The major difference I see is that white evangelicals overwhelmingly supported Romney in this election. (that designation by race and religious belief is used by pollsters; it reflects the fact that this group tends to vote as a bloc) That wasn’t true of the Kennedy campaign.
American Christians had to decide between a man whose politics they disliked (Obama) and a man whose religious views they disliked (Romney). Many accuse Obama of holding to other religious views, but for the purposes of this article, let’s take his statements about his personal beliefs at face value.
This was a complicated choice. Many in this voting group, the religious right, hold to the ideas of returning America to mainstream Christian values. Historically, they have considered the LDS to be outside of those values. Could someone who didn’t fit their definition of Christianity be the champion of Christianity in the U.S.? Many decided that he could.
So how to deal with the cognitive dissonance between political and religious beliefs? Many chose to redefine how they viewed Mormonism. Probably the most famous example is the Billy Graham Evangelical Association, but others did the same. While stopping short of embracing Mormons as brothers, they toned down their teachings against Mormonism.
Will that attitude remain? Has Mormonism turned the corner and become an accepted part of the evangelical community? Time will tell. They’ve certainly worked hard at it. (I hadn’t heard of the book The Mormonizing of America until recently, but it seems to express well what is going on)
To me, especially considering my views regarding kingdom and politics, this was perhaps the biggest impact of the 2012 campaign.
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Tim,
Your analysis of the “religion” factor in this year’s presidential election is as accurate as it is concise.
Well done,
Mark Edge
Greetings Tim,
I don’t think this “blip on the radar screen” will have much of a lasting impact as to whether Mormonism enters the mainstream of evangelicalism. People had to make a choice, for good or ill, about the future of America at least for the next 4 years. Many, such as myself, voted with one hand while they held their nose with the other. We simply did not know how Romney would govern, but we certainly knew how Obama was governing.
My vote had nothing to do with whether I accepted Mormonism into the realm of Christian belief. It had everything to do with a hope, however dim and illusioned, that somehow Romney could restore decency and fiscal responsibility back into the office of the presidency. To me Mormonism has always been, is now, and will always be a cult built on the personalities of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young (and others). IMO, we have not had a “Christian” president in my lifetime (Carter included). Some have been genuinely nice men, (this is where I would put Carter) but none have risen to the level of disciple of Christ.
Just my .o2 worth. Maybe less. Thanks for the question.
Paul,
While I don’t think this will bring them into the mainstream, I think it will affect how many deal with Mormons and Mormonism. Many had to rationalize their support for Romney, especially those who want to “make this nation Christian again.” They had to tell themselves that Romney stood for what they stand for. It will be hard for them to back off from that.
Grace and peace,
Tim
Hence the danger in rationalizing an irrational process. :-)
(I’ll just get me coat and show myself to the door…)
Paul
More than what this does to the perception of Mormonism is what it does to the perception of conservative evangelical Christianity. Evangelical Christianity has shown that it is happy with any conservative, as long as they are conservative. I could not believe their acceptance of Gingrich, when he was leading. Clinton is still immoral, but Gingrich has changed. For them, I guess that divorce and remarriage is better than working it out and staying married. Then came Romney. After a 30 minute visit with Billy Graham, Mormonism ceased to be a sect and adds were taken out in the NYT promoting Romney. Where is the prophetic voice from God? And I don’t refer to the one on Kolob.
I remember a new brother in Argentina. In his work, a coworker was an official in a denomination with responsibility over a large group of pastors. One day the new Christian confronted him, and asked him if he really did hold that post, and if so, how could he talk and act like he did in the factory. The other man replied that he did hold that post, and that “Life is one thing, but the church is something else.” Christian values are good at church, but don’t really work in the factory or in life. The answer appalled him, and I can imagine that many are becoming appalled at the conservative church’s double standard; the church is one thing, politics is something else where morals, ethics and values are different and that is OK.
I don’t know if our country is post-Christian, but our politics definitely are.
Well lets see the Christian right kind of melted into the woodwork on this presidential election and well it should. I maintain and always will a separation of church and state.
Once the Santorums of the race were rejected the Christian Coalition vanished. Not supporting a Morman running for president IMO stood their ground not backing a person who is a member of a cult. Not my words but the words of many protestant denominations. Prophetic words from God? Really, is that what you really think God is doing? Prophecy is for Israel, or at least was 2000 years ago. Prophetic words no longer echo in the halls of the synogogues or any building for that matter. Prophecy ended with John the Baptist. Again confusion reigns with the heavenly kingdom and the earthly kingdom of priests…….