I Repent! An Evangelical Christian Admits His Bigotry

One hot summer day in 2008 I was riding around with a friend waiting for a meeting we were conducting that evening. While we were killing time we heard an interview with then candidate Mitt Romney on a local radio station here in Colorado, just days before he won the state's Republican primary. He made the most sense of any of the candidates I had heard in the lengthy interview, and I concluded that, if we just had to have a Mormon candidate that it probably wouldn't be the end of the world. But then I said to myself, and then to my friend, "but I could never vote for a Mormon."

    And I continued to say that on a regular basis all the way until the election of one Barack H. Obama to the illustrious office of the Presidency of the United States in that next November. No doubt like all of you I hoped that, even though he wasn't my choice, that he would at least do a decent job, although there was no reason to think he would, owing to his extreme lack of experience in anything remotely like executive leadership. "Look at the resume, people!" I would say, wryly.
    Fast forward three years later to my new life under Mr. Obama as an underemployed Walmart cashier after having been laid off in October of 2008 and having worked five different part time positions before getting my great gig at WallyWorld. I am walking through the aisles of the Home Section and I have this surprising conversation with God. I was praying that he would bring great leadership to our country and turn things around for us.
     Then I heard these words, "Cliff, do you remember the last campaign? Remember how you said that if John McCain would really want to win and bring Democrats together with Republicans that he should select Joe Lieberman as his Vice Presidential running mate?"
My response was, "Yes...and...?
"Well, did you once think that people wouldn't vote for Joe Lieberman because of his Jewish faith?"
"No, not at all..."
And then it hit me. I was a religious bigot, plain and simple. I had let my passion for truth as a Christian get in the way of my thinking clearly and objectively about the issues. I was being truly intolerant against the beliefs of others, which is the very definition of bigotry. Seriously! Look it up!
    I still have major problems with Mormon theology and what they believe about Jesus, Joseph Smith and a whole host of other things, but I know and have known many Mormons who are good people and true Americans and patriots.
    So here it is, my confession of public repentance. I was wrong about what I said about Mormon candidates for office, and I humbly confess that I should have never even thought like that as a Conservative, a Republican, and an American, and especially as a Christian. I believe in an America with a big tent that includes all people, regardless of religion, race, or ideological bent.
    I have been looking at the lives of the two men running for the Office of the President of The United States this year and I am convinced that the man who better lives a life that looks like that of Christ from the outside is Mitt Romney. Mr. Obama claims to be a Christian, but has ignored and even snubbed people of faith, or tried to use them for his own political reasonings, quoting from the Scriptures to either shame them or mock them. I believe a true man of faith would not do this.
    Ultimately, we all stand before God on our own. He will be the best Judge of whether we were a true believer or not. But at least now I can look my God in the eye and say back to Him, "You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom(Psalm 51:6). May He give us all wisdom this year and all those after.