FORT WORTH -- It's unclear how much influence presidential candidate Mitt Romney's faith will have on evangelicals' election decisions.
Some religious figures, such as Dallas Pastor Robert Jeffress, have labeled Romney's Mormon faith a non-Christian "theological cult." But others, like Newell Williams, president of Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University, believe that attacking a political candidate because of religion is unfair.A sampling of likely voters from among the thousands of evangelicals in Fort Worth this week to attend Kenneth Copeland Ministries Southwest Believers' Convention indicated a lack of enthusiasm for either major party candidate, with Romney's Mormon faith a factor.A national poll points to what may be a break along racial lines for the evangelical vote. Most Anglo evangelicals, the poll indicates, may back Romney despite concerns, while minority evangelicals are split.Rosalind Moore, a 55-year-old African-American from New York who lives in Dallas and attends Eagle Mountain International Church, hasn't made up her mind about which candidate to support."I don't vote just out of my head, but I vote for who will be best for the country," she said. "Right now, I don't like either one. I'm praying about it and counting on the Lord to tell me."A Pew Research poll conducted June 7-17 asked Protestants whether they leaned toward Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. Of 345 Anglo evangelical Protestants, 73 percent preferred Romney, 21 percent Obama.Among 292 Anglo mainline Protestants, 53 percent preferred Romney, 43 percent for Obama.Of 141 African-American Protestants, 95 percent preferred Obama, 1 percent Romney.Those numbers were familiar to Corwin Smidt, a professor at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., and executive director of the Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics.Author of The Disappearing God Gap?: Religion in the 2008 Presidential Election, Smidt said about 75 percent of Anglo evangelicals voted for George W. Bush in 2004 and about 74 percent for John McCain in 2008."Hypothetically, 73 percent will vote for Romney in 2012," he said, based on polls he's seen while working on a new book. He said Anglo evangelicals seem to have some hesitations about Romney but will probably vote Republican.The major difference between the 2004 and 2008 elections was a much higher turnout of minorities, who tend to vote Democratic, Smidt said. "It was that surge that helped elect Obama."Mormon issue lingersTo Charles Lyder, a 32-year-old Anglo Fort Worth resident and member of Calvary Cathedral International, Obama's support of same-sex marriage and Planned Parenthood makes him unsupportable."But I don't know yet if I can vote for Romney," Lyder said, because "Mormonism is a cult."However, "it would make a big difference if he picked someone from a mainstream Christian denomination for vice president," he said. "That would assure me of some agreement with our faith."Faith has nothing to do with how Laila Boyd, a 47-year-old African-American living in Houston, where she attends Jireh World Outreach, will vote."I'm a lover of Jesus, but I strongly believe that you can't mix politics with religion," she said. "God is truth, and politics is not."An Obama supporter, Boyd said she's convinced that he's a Christian but isn't sure about Romney because she doesn't understand Mormonism."I just think it's altered Christianity," she said.'Not electing a pastor'It's understandable that many evangelicals are not enthusiastic about the possibility of a Mormon president, said Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary."Our hope is that most will understand that Supreme Court appointments and such are crucial and that they will go ahead and vote for [Romney] in spite of the fact that he's a Mormon," he said. "We have to remember that we're not electing a pastor here; we're electing a president in a country where a constitution stipulates that religion will not be a cause to prohibit a man or a woman from serving as president."Patterson said he isn't advocating the Republican Party as a cure for all ills, and he doesn't think the election is about race or religion, but about other issues, especially the economy.Nathaniel Fairfax, 55, an African-American from Hampton, Va., and member of Rock Church of Newport News, feels much the same way."Faith is a lot of my decision," he said. "I'll be praying to find out who God wants me to vote for. My brother is a Democrat and wants me to vote for Obama. I probably won't, just because of some of the positions he takes on abortion, homosexuals and things like that."Fairfax said he also has a problem with Mormonism. "But I will vote for Romney if I feel that's what God wants me to do," he said.Romney also wasn't Lenny Bizzman's first choice. The 29-year-old Anglo resident of Belmont, Calif., and a member of Abundant Life Church said he, too, believes Mormonism is a cult. But his vote will be based on principles and against Obama."I vote according to issues clearly spelled out in the word of God," Bizzman said. "Marriage is one of those issues. I won't support a candidate that contradicts a biblical issue. Anyone who supports gay marriage won't get my vote."This report includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.Terry Evans, 817-390-7620Twitter: @fwstevans
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