Bigotry is bigotry

I read a very good article in the Washington Post about Mitt Romney and his status as a Mormon. As a disclaimer, I am a practicing Mormon and I supported Romney in 2008 and again this year because of his handling of the Salt Lake Olympics, business background, and ability to reach across the isle in a very blue state....

The thing that I'm confused about is the utter silence by the media, both on the right and left, print, TV, radio, blogs, etc. regarding the continued bigotry displayed by any and all voters who say they wouldn't vote for Mitt Romney because he is Mormon.

I have no problem with saying that if you don't like Mitt or don't want to vote for him because of his record, great. Don't like he used to be more towards gun control, or more pro-choice, or don't like the Massachusetts health care law? Great, don't vote for him.

Not voting for Romney based on his Mormonism is flat out bigotry. Can you imagine the reaction if anyone on camera or an interview said "I wouldn't vote for Obama (or Cain) because he is black!" What if they said "I won't vote for Joe Lieberman because he is a Jew." I'm sure people don't vote for Keith Ellison in Minnesota based on his being a Muslim, and that is just as wrong. But I haven't heard people say this about Mr. Ellison (probably because I don't live in Minnesota's 5th District.)

I have read and heard people say they wouldn't vote for Romney because he is Mormon. The pastor who introduced Rick Perry last month all but said "You shouldn't vote for anyone who isn't an evangelical Christian. And Mitt Romney isn't an evangelical."

I have personally been subjected to this view, but to be fair, it was a legitimate reasoning. When I started my Masters program at Liberty University, I was told that I wouldn't be allowed to enter into the Chaplains program because getting a Theological degree would be an ecclesiastical endorsement. Liberty does not and will not endorse a Mormon. That is OK, though, because they did let me take many of the classes I need to get my Theology degree from Amridge University (a Church of Christ based institution.)

No one is talking about Mitt Romney as a preacher. They are talking about him as a politician. There are not supposed to be litmus tests based on religion in the US. "Supposed to be." Clearly there are.

That the main stream media, right wing radio and the blogosphere don't challenge anyone and everyone who says they won't vote for Romney based on religion just shows that they are either gutless, don't understand their responsibilities as the fifth estate, or they are biased themselves.

Perhaps a little of all three?