Election 2012: Muslim or Mormon As distasteful and troubling as it is, realistically we must choose between Mitt Romney or Barack Obama in 2012. I do not sit out General Elections, yet, I see no other solution this year. While our President has openly admitted to his Muslim beliefs in his books and speeches, we still have millions from the “moderate Republicans and Democrats” who declare that Obama is a Christian. I must take him for his word when he states that he, “…will stand with his Muslim brothers…”. As far I am concerned, There is virtually little difference in Mitt Romney and Obama. Please remember that the Obama Healthcare Plan was patterned after the Massachusetts plan that Romney signed into law as governor. He even provided the White House with two state officials to assist in writing the federal version! Yet, we Southern Baptist have Association leadership pushing this “moderate” candidate and predicting association wide support for Romney. On April 14, Richard Land, who bills himself as President of Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Committee, launched a well orchestrated media campaign asserting, in effect, that “….[Southern Baptist] will embrace, enthusiastically support and vote for Mitt Romney…”. In a coordinated media blitz, his remarks appeared as an OpEd in USA Today, was widely distributed in the Associated Press, the Religious News Service and the top 10 stories in Yahoo News April 14. Mr. Land does not speak for this Southern Baptist and I am sure millions more! Obviously, Romney’s religious beliefs that totally contradict our Southern Baptist teachings and doctrine do not bother or influence Richard Land and those for whom he speaks in leadership of the SBC. Unfortunately, this is just another step further to the left by our SBC leadership coming on the heels of a move to remove the words “Southern” from the associational name because it sounds “too regional”. One does not have to be a rocket scientist to read publications distributed by the SBS publishing subsidary, Lifeway, and see the effort to move us further and futher left.

While we must submit to our leadership, I prayerful hope that we never lose our will and desire to make our own choices based on our values and beliefs. We do not need an elected bureaucrat in a far away city telling us we are no longer ”Southern”, that we must adopt a lifestyle we abhor and that we will vote for Mormon Mitt Romney for President!

James W. Anderson

Talladega