Does religion matter in our politicians?

Short answer is yes … and no. But why?

Religion is one indication of the values and principles that we ascribe to an individual. These values may or may not be true based on our truthful knowledge of any given subject, in this case religion. For example, many people have heard that Mitt Romney is a Mormon but what does that mean?

A Mormon is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church was founded 6 April 1830 by Joseph Smith Jr. in Fayette, New York and was originally known as the Church of Christ. On 3 May 1834 the name was changed to The Church of the Latter Day Saints and then changed again on 26 April 1838 to the current name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints based on revelation received by the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr.

The nickname Mormon comes from the book of scripture used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called ‘The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.’ This book goes hand in had with the ‘Holy Bible’ to declare unto the world that Jesus is the Christ. ‘The Book of Mormon’ can be found at many booksellers such as Amazon, or Barnes and Noble or if you would like to get a free copy you can go to http://www.mormons.org/ and ask for one. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has freely given away millions of copies to anyone who asks. The web site has a wealth of searchable information and is a great way to get a quick overview of the church and its basic beliefs.

There are of course many rumors and misinformation about members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I only want to dispel one here. Many have claimed that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not Christians. Nothing could be further from the truth. But don’t just take my word for it, or anyone else’s word for that matter. Find out for yourself. Check out the web site. Request a copy of the ‘Book of Mormon’ and read it thoroughly. Then follow the advice given in the New Testament. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” James 1:5-6. Find out for yourself.

So how does this relate to our current selection of politicians vying for the office of President? Well, if anyone aligns themselves with any organization and that organization espouses certain values then it is common to associate those values with that individual. In other words if a person claims to be a Christian, one would expect them to act like a Christian. It also seems that if one aligns their values with a religious organization; that we place a higher level of standards for them to meet as our expectations are raised to the level that the religious organization holds. Likewise, we don’t seem to expect quite as much from those individuals that do not align themselves with organizations that have high standards.

So first, what do they believe and second do they actually practice what hey believe? We had a Mayor in a town I used to live in whose attendance at church would go up on the month or two before his elections. Afterward he would fade away again. This seemed like a perfect example of pandering. As this election goes forward, there is much pandering going on from all sides. The question then is how can we discern what each candidate’s core beliefs and values are and how true to them will they be? And most important, are those beliefs and values similar to my own?

The question of religion and the politician will help decide the spiritual beliefs and values, especially if we know a little bit about where they are coming from and what they stand for. But a politician’s job is mostly temporal or more worldly in nature. Therefore the beliefs and values must be defined beyond just the spiritual. This is where the meat of an elected official’s values system should be measured. The spiritual values are not left out when facing challenges but they are not the only component.

It is better to look at the whole of the person than to get caught up with one single characteristic, or trait. Let us not focus just on a candidate’s sex, color, religion, age, or party. Let’s look at the whole person and try to decide which will be best. If a candidate has strong core values and practices what they believe, count that in their favor. In the coming years, it will be more important than you realize to find someone of good report to represent this nation. Good, strong values and beliefs are an important plus in this one.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.