Religious liberty and soul competency

A Mormon president?

David Moore presents a good case for religious liberty and soul competency in "Should I vote for a Mormon?" (Sept. 17). But he fails to face Mitt Romney's own claim about his faith.

Romney dodges questions about what he truly believes as though the issues deep in his heart have no bearing on his qualification for the presidency. He was a Mormon missionary and a Mormon bishop. This is no nominal Mormon; the man has deeply held convictions he has steadfastly promoted.

Some might say faith does not matter. Would you vote for someone who sacrificed fish in their backyard to a statue of Neptune? Would you vote for a Raelian who teaches life on Earth was scientifically created by a species of extraterrestrials as a biology experiment? What a person believes tells so much about how a person thinks that it is beyond the pale of understanding that our national media have not pressed the issue with Romney and demanded answers.

We are at a sad day in our nation's history when we have written an unbreakable 11th Commandment: Thou shall not critique another person's faith.

Ben Macklin

Stephenville

I will vote for a Mormon, a non-Christian who is a person of character and honesty and is concerned about the welfare of our nation and people before I will vote for a person that professes to be a Christian but fails to exemplify the life of a Christian and desecrates the word of God (Sept. 3). I'll do it every time.

F.A. Taylor

Kempner

HBU: Not Fundamentalist

I want to reassure Wayne and Susan Clark Webb (Sept. 17) that Houston Baptist University is not Fundamentalist, but fits well into the Baptist General Convention of Texas tradition. As an adjunct professor in the HBU School of Christianity, I have complete confidence HBU is not Fundamentalist but is fundamental in Texas Baptist beliefs.

I was chairman of the BGCT Executive Board and BGCT president during those turbulent times when we dealt with those who tried to take over the BGCT and its institutions. I saw firsthand the Fundamentalist methods and doctrinal changes that group tried to impose.

To my knowledge, none of those attitudes is present at HBU. President Robert Sloan is an outstanding Baptist and personal friend. He actively participated with the BGCT against the unwarranted Fundamentalist attacks against our traditional Texas Baptist beliefs.

I am acquainted with the School of Christianity faculty. I admit I am not as familiar with other departments or schools at HBU. None of these men or women could be said to be Fundamentalist or liberal. As I said, Texas Baptists can be very proud of HBU.

I would gladly invite the Webbs and others to sit in on my Bible classes and feel certain permission would be given for Baptists to visit other classes at HBU. I cannot believe Robert Sloan and the trustees would tolerate faculty or administrators who would seek to turn HBU away from traditional Texas Baptist beliefs.

Come and see. I believe you will be pleased.

Robert G. Campbell

Houston

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