Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Doug Klembara Presidential hopeful, Mitt Romney, speaks Thursday at Bush Library about his Mormon faith. Romney's speech 'Faith in America' explained to the public his stance on his faith and the role it will have if he wins the election. [Click to enlarge]

Standing before a crowd of several hundred and a television audience of millions, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said that in a nation with religious freedom, his Mormon faith should not be the sole reason keeping him from the presidency.

Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, addressed the public's concerns with his faith in what political observers labeled the most important speech of his political career on Thursday at the George Bush Presidential Library.

With many family members and former President George H.W. Bush present, Romney said the public should question the faith of its leaders in a religious nation, but it should not be the only factor when electing them.

"Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom," Romney said. "Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religious endure together, or perish alone."

As the first Mormon running for president, many in the public have expressed concerns with his faith, as some tenets of Mormon are considered to be outside the mainstream. An aide to Romney told reporters prior to the speech that the candidate understood the address was necessary, even before he started his campaign.

"Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions," Romney said. "Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin."

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