Mitt Romney Is No JFK

Mitt Romney's December 6 speech, "Faith in America" shamelessly pandered to the religious right:

"But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism.

"The founders proscribed the establishment of a state religion, but they did not countenance the elimination of religion from the public square. We are a nation 'Under God' and in God, we do indeed trust.

"We should acknowledge the Creator as did the Founders – in ceremony and word. He should remain on our currency, in our pledge, in the teaching of our history, and during the holiday season, nativity scenes and menorahs should be welcome in our public places. Our greatness would not long endure without judges who respect the foundation of faith upon which our constitution rests."

In my estimation Mr. Romney, in his pandering, offered bad history about the founders and furthered a contemporary myth of a cabal of anti-religionists seeking to establish a secular religion. (And from a traditional view of religion, isn't the notion of a secular religion an oxymoron?)

To confirm that Mitt Romney is no John Kennedy, reread JFK's remarks delivered to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, September 12, 1960.