“Most people in South Carolina want a person of faith as their leader,” he replied. “But they don’t care what brand of faith that is … I believe Jesus Christ is my savior. I believe in God. I’m a person of faith and I believe that’s the type of person Americans want.” Romney’s contention that the “brand of faith” doesn’t matter is debatable—but if he keeps saying it, and enough people take up the mantra on his behalf, some skeptics might change their minds. ~Adam Reilly, Slate

Via GetReligion

This line about “brand of faith” reminds me of Barbara Bush’s 1992 “whatever family means to you…” line. What Romney means to say is that conservative South Carolinians don’t care what kind of Christian you are, as long you are at least a Christian. But that begs the question of whether you believe Mormons are Christians in the same way Pentecostals, Catholics and Methodists are Christians. I think it’s clear that they’re not. For many people, the answer doesn’t matter, because Mormons generally have a good reputation for being upstanding, decent folks. However, voters in South Carolina and elsewhere might be a bit more anxious the more exotic or unfamiliar the “brand of faith” of a candidate was.

But is it really only a question of differences over “theological minutiae” (a sort of phrase so dismissive of religious doctrine that it always irritates me)? Do evangelicals (or any other Christians) baptise their dead? Obviously, no other church (and no other religion) does this. I think many Christians would find the idea appalling and more than a little bizarre. Some might sympathise with the reasons for doing it, and I can appreciate the respect for ancestors it connotes, but theologically it makes no sense at all. For folks who take these things fairly seriously, how can it not matter that Romney believes in things like this? It isn’t simply a difference of “brand,” but a difference of the entire “product.”