One More Thing
Maybe some voters who are inclined to hold Romney’s Mormonism against him will feel guilty when Romney cites the principle of religious tolerance. ~Marc Ambinder
Perhaps, but for them to feel guilty they would have to have done something they actually thought was wrong. Not voting for Romney because of his Mormonism is not intolerance, and it is a measure of how distorted, or rather inflated, the concept of tolerance has become that strong disagreement over religion can be equated with religious intolerance.
Strong religious disagreement? He’s running for President, not Pope.
While we’re on the subject, I mocked those complaining about de facto “religious tests” for officer here.
Yes, that’s true. But the charge of intolerance assumes that you cannot express your strong disagreement with a candidate from another religion through your voting preferences. The charge implies that it is unethical and wrong to take that into account. How does that work? If a candidate deeply believes something that you regard as false, or perhaps even nonsensical, you can’t make your voting decision based on that disagreement? Secular voters will no doubt take exception to a candidate who doesn’t accept evolution for what are pretty clearly religious reasons, and they will probably be opposed to voting for him, perhaps just becauuse of that issue alone. Is that also intolerance against the religious candidate, or a judgement based on a strong disagreement?
The entire discussion typically assumes that the theological differences between religions are basically trivial and have no importance unless they are translated into action. I don’t know where to begin to explain how misguided I think that is.
Here’s a thought experiment:
Would you vote for an otherwise articulate, attractive Scientologist?
I wouldn’t.
I grant that some religious beliefs would incline one to think their adherents are buffoons or crazy. Mitt Romney does not seem to be either, and as you point out he seems to be devoid of any consistent principles for good or ill. Declining to vote for him on the basis of Mormonism does not seem to me reflective of “strong disagreement over religion” but the yuck factor. Rod Dreher discusses this comparing willingness to vote for a jew vs a mormon here.