Mitt (what's his real name?) Romney's Don't-Fear-My-Mormanism-Speech made me fear for something Romney doesn't value enough even to mention: Freedom of Belief. He mentioned freedom of religion aplenty, but that means churches and their dogma and tax-free status. He spoke to the churches like a CEO would talk to fellow corporate entities. His assurances of freedom do not appear to apply to the individual's freedom to believe as he/she chooses SEPARATE from the dogma of a religious institution.
I want Freedom of Belief! I don't want to be quizzed on my denomination or membership in a specific church, or lack of such things.
When it comes to the government, my beliefs are my business alone. And I don't need Mitt Romney telling me how churches would be safe should he become president, because I believe the Constitution already assures churches are free, including tax-free! What I want is inclusiveness, and Mitt Romney does not embrace inclusiveness; his statements CLEARLY excluded secularists, and therefore indicated he excludes Freedom of Belief!
Romney's anti-secular position indicates he does not even acknowledge the secular aspect of the charity and lovingness preached by Jesus Christ: Be in the world and make it better as part of your expression of your beliefs, strivings, ideals. (But maybe Mormons don't teach that?)
Yeah, Romney's anti-secular talk indicates he sees government not as our means to be with and serve each other peacefully in this world but rather as a means to express his religion! Mitt Romney's speech showed me he is a THEOCRAT.
Romney's speech was being placed in the same category as the speech made by John F. Kennedy in which then Senator Kennedy mentioned his Catholicism and assured voters that when president he (Kennedy) would hold the Constitution highest and resign if he couldn't. In his speech Romney gave no similar reassurance, but did the opposite; Romney indicated he'd end up being another George W. Bush, sitting in the oval office, listening to hear God's voice guide him! Putting the God Voice Thing above the Constitution indicates that Romney sees the Presidency as God's work, not the work of The People. Oops. There's that smell again -- the Stink of Theocracy.
[Concerning Mormonism: Anyone who's spent time in Utah may have observed how this state IS the Mormon state, and Mormons run the show greatly. I can't help it, but must say it: When a church resembles a profit-motivated corporation more than any church since the Vatican's, I've got to pause and wonder if there is actually respect for other religions there or rather merely a willingness to tolerate other religions for the sake of smooth corporate functioning and continued profit$.]