A lesser of two evils?

By Bertram de Souza on 10:36, 1/16/12
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The Holier-Than-Thou wing of the Republican Party — the conservative Christian evangelicals — has settled on a candidate to support for the GOP presidential nomination. The keyword is settled.

The evangelicals gathered in Texas over the weekend and endorsed former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, even though former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney could well wrap up the nomination after the Florida primary at the end of the month. Romney is expected to win the South Carolina primary on Saturday.

Why did the holy rollers endorse Santorum — albeit with little enthusiasm — over the frontrunner? The answer is they are suspicious of Romney. He has been a moderate on social issues and, most importantly, he’s a Mormon. There are many hard line Christians who believe that Mormonism is a cult.

As for Santorum, his positions on social issues reflect those of the evangelicals, but he also is a devout Roman Catholic, which, to many Bible-thumpers, puts him in the same category as Romney. However, the GOPers in Texas realized that the former Pennsylvania senator is a viable contender — for now — for the nomination and, therefore, they needed to give him their blessing.

Had Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s candidacy taken hold, he would have been the unquestioned choice of the evangelicals.

So, what happens to the social conservatives if Romney emerges as the nominee? The true believers will sit on their hands for the November presidential election, while the others will justify voting for him by arguing that getting President Barack Obama out of the White House is a moral imperative.

Comments

Posted by psyker99 (anonymous) on January 18, 2012 at 9:42 a.m.

Its hard to discern what the intended social value of Aunt Bertram's religious musing could be with its shallow and insulting tone. Aunt Bertram's writing as usual is characterized by crotchety outrage but not insight. Its the old half-senile lady in the neighborhood yelling at the kids passing her yard with the radio playing. Auntie betrays her antiquated prejudice, her ignorance of Christianity and her contemptuous mind set by calling Evangelical Christians holly rollers and bible thumpers. Auntie is confused by the many who call themselves Christian because they sometimes attend church, but for whom it is a social activity and exercise in conformity. Its difficult to explain the difference to cynical atheists. Evangelical Christians commit themselves to being more zealous by studying scripture and by striving to follow its instruction. To people who care about the details of faith as articulated by Jesus Christ, there is a real difference between Christians and Mormons. See, for example, http://www.irr.org/mit/is-mormonism-c.... Its not a silly distinction to serious Christians, those who care about faith. However, evangelicals, like myself who are born again, bought by the blood, bible thumping Christians do not necessarily disqualify a Mormon for office in a corrupt society. Aunt Bertram's musing are fit for discussion with boozers and petty politicians in downtown cafes but not as a voice of a metropolitan newspaper. Unfortunately, in this area, one routinely passes for the other.

Posted by scarletandgray (anonymous) on January 20, 2012 at 7:13 p.m.

Holy Roller is as offensive as cow worshipper. Not cool.