Romney to Atheists: Drop Dead

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Drop dead? Well, not really. But close. In his much-hyped speech today, Mitt Romney offered this short observation to Americans eager to know his thoughts about theology and politics:

Freedom requires religion.

That’s an intriguing notion. Does that mean those who are not religious cannot be free? Are atheists or agnostics not truly free people? Is belief in a deity a prerequisite for embracing and living in freedom? Seems as if Romney does not fully appreciate an idea he pushed in his speech: tolerance.

Elsewhere in the speech, there was a line that took a fair bit of chutzpah to utter:

Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world.

Romney was, of course, talking about spiritual beliefs. He wasn’t talking about his beliefs regarding abortion, gay rights, stem cell research, or gun control–beliefs he has jettisoned for the 2008 campaign. During the address, Romney remarked, “Americans do not respect believers of convenience.” The coming election might put that proposition to the test.