Friday, December 07, 2007

Proud to be an American . . . and a Mormon


I was so moved by Mitt Romney's speech yesterday. Although it is a shame that he had to make a declaration of his religion, I believe that many of the things that he said were needed. It is time that we as Americans reunite in our commonality as children of God.

We have been blessed as a nation with incredible freedoms that were gifted to us by our ancestors. Sometimes I think that we take these things for granted and, in our pride, we forget the very source that blessed us with these privileges. I think that is it important to remember the motto "United we stand, divided we fall". For, if we forget the basic principles that our nation was founded upon, it will be our own downfall.

Mitt Romney made some very poignant statements about religious tolerance when he stated "my church's beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths. Each religion has its own unique doctrines and history. These are not bases for criticism but rather a test of our tolerance. Religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it were reserved only for faiths with which we agree."
I was so touched by the reminder that most of us do believe in a higher power. Although we as a people are diverse in many ways, our prayers are still answered by the same God. And it is only through that God that we can preserve our freedoms.

". . . No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes president he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths."

So, whether Romney is elected president or not, I felt that his speech was very motivational and uniting. I know that because of our freedoms, we have been given the voice to be unique, different, and individual. However, I feel that sometimes this produces dissonance in our society. If we can all learn to use our differences to work together for a common cause, the results can be miraculous.

Romney put it best when he exclaimed that "we do not insist on a single strain of religion -- rather, we welcome our nation's symphony of faith." I am proud to be a part of that symphony.

1 comment:

Lisa said...

very well said zoe. I loved it too. I think it's terrible that it had to be done but it did and I think he did a great job. Hey, Cass Barney left a comment on my blog and said, "hey bring zoe over sometime." How fun huh?