The Crux of Romney’s Evangelical Problem: Part II
By Kevin Lewis
Evangelicals are well aware that they are now in the process of electing a president, not a national pastor. However, Evangelicals also know that they are fighting two simultaneous battles. There is an ongoing “Gospel War” and a “Culture War.” When there is a conflict between the two tasks, the Gospel takes priority. The Gospel… war has eternal consequences —particularly, eternal, conscious separation from God. Failure in the culture war, on the other hand, produces only temporal consequences.
So how does this potential Evangelical dilemma apply to the Romney question?
Some Evangelicals believe a Mormon in the White House would only serve to legitimize Mormonism as a religion in American culture, making conversion to Mormonism far more acceptable than it has ever been. Thus a Romney presidency would quickly accomplish what the Mormon Church itself has failed to do in the last several decades — theologically legitimize itself in American culture. Should this scenario occur, it would simply help the Mormon Church make more converts. And many Evangelicals would rather have four years of bad government than indirectly aid a false religion by helping to legitimize it with their vote.
So, in sum, a vote for Romney is likely to be a de-facto vote to legitimize a false religion.
Evangelicals who believe that the Jesus Christ of Christian orthodoxy is the only Way of salvation (John 14:6) and eternal punishment awaits those who reject Him (Rev. 20:11-15) are simply not apt to throw caution to the wind and risk assisting a false religion that, if believed, would result in separation from God for all eternity.
For skeptics, atheists, and others who know little about Evangelical Christian theology, these Gospel related theological objections to Romney will appear meaningless and incoherent. This article is not for those folks. I know they don’t get it.
For Christians who are convinced of the eternal consequences of false religion, they will consider well these weighty factors before casting a vote for Romney. It may be a matter of eternal life.