President Barrack Obama and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney both responded to questions about their religious experiences in the current edition of “Cathedral Age,” the quarterly magazine of the Washington National Cathedral. Their responses to the question “How does faith play a role in your life?” follow:
Romney: Faith is integral to my life. I have served as a lay pastor in my church. I faithfully follow its precepts. I was taught in my home to honor God and love my neighbor. My father was committed to Martin Luther King Jr.’s cause of equality, and I saw my parents provide compassionate care to others, in personal ways to people nearby and in leading national volunteer movements. My faith is grounded in the conviction that a consequence of our common humanity is our responsibility to one another – to our fellow Americans foremost, but also to every child of God.
Obama: First and foremost, my Christian faith gives me a perspective and security that I don’t think I would have otherwise: That I am loved. That, at the end of the day, God is in control – and my main responsibility is to love God with all of my heart, soul, and mind, and to love my neighbor as myself. Now, I don’t always live up to that standard, but it is a standard I am always pursuing. My faith is also a great source of comfort to me. I’ve said before that my faith has grown as president. This office tends to make a person pray more; and as President Lincoln once said, “I have been driven to my knees many times by the overwhelming conviction that I had no place else to go.” Finally, I try to make sure that my faith informs how I live my life. As a husband, as a father, and as president, my faith helps me to keep my eyes on the prize and focus on what is good and truly important.
So What?
While a great deal is communicated about the respective religious beliefs and practices of these two men, very little of it references their descriptions of their experiences. It is my hope that when such is available, it receives greater attention than the opinion of the commentator.
Do any firsthand accounts of Obama’s or Romney’s religious beliefs, values or experiences stand out in your memory? If so, what can you recall of each? If not, what would you welcome hearing or reading in their own words?