Mitt Romney

__PUNCT__ thank you __PUNCT__ mr __PUNCT__ presid __PUNCT__ for your kind introduct __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ it is an honor to be here todai __PUNCT__

thi is an inspir place becaus of you and the first ladi __PUNCT__ and becaus of the film exhibit across the wai in the presidenti librari __PUNCT__

for those who have not seen it __PUNCT__ it show the presid as a young pilot __PUNCT__ shot down dure the second world_war __PUNCT__ be rescu from hi life __PUNCT__ raft by the crew of an american submarin __PUNCT__

it is a move remind that when america ha face challeng and peril __PUNCT__ american rise to the occas __PUNCT__ will to risk their veri live to defend freedom and preserv our nation __PUNCT__

we ar in your debt __PUNCT__

thank you __PUNCT__ mr __PUNCT__ presid __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ mr __PUNCT__ presid __PUNCT__ your gener rose to the occas __PUNCT__ first to defeat fascism and then to vanquish the soviet_union __PUNCT__

you left us __PUNCT__ your children __PUNCT__ a free and strong america __PUNCT__

it is why we call your the greatest_gener __PUNCT__

it is now my gener turn __PUNCT__

how we respond to todai challeng will defin our gener __PUNCT__

and it will determin what kind of america we will leav our children __PUNCT__ and their __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ america_face a new gener of challeng __PUNCT__

radic violent islam seek to destroi us __PUNCT__

an emerg china endeavor to surpass our econom leadership __PUNCT__

and we ar troubl at home by govern overspend __PUNCT__ overus of foreign_oil __PUNCT__ and the breakdown of the famili __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ over the last year __PUNCT__ we have embark on a nation_debat on how best to preserv american leadership __PUNCT__

todai __PUNCT__ i wish to address a topic which i believ is fundament to america_great __PUNCT__ our religi_liberti __PUNCT__

i will also offer perspect on how my own faith would inform my presid __PUNCT__ if i were elect __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ there ar some who mai feel that religion is not a matter to be serious consid in the context of the weighti threat that face us __PUNCT__

if so __PUNCT__ thei ar at odd with the nation_founder __PUNCT__ for thei __PUNCT__ when our nation_face it greatest peril __PUNCT__ sought the bless of the creator __PUNCT__

and further __PUNCT__ thei discov the essenti connect between the surviv of a free land and the protect of religi_freedom __PUNCT__

in john_adam __PUNCT__ word __PUNCT__ we have no govern arm with power capabl of contend with human passion unbridl by moral and religion __PUNCT__ our constitut wa made for a moral and religi_peopl __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ freedom requir religion just as religion requir freedom __PUNCT__

freedom open the window of the soul so that man can discov hi most profound belief and commun with god __PUNCT__

freedom and religion endur togeth __PUNCT__ or perish alon __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ given our grand tradit of religi_toler and liberti __PUNCT__ some wonder whether there ar ani question regard an aspir candid religion that ar appropri __PUNCT__

i believ there ar __PUNCT__

and i will answer them todai __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ almost __NUM___year_ago anoth candid from massachusett explain that he wa an american run for presid __PUNCT__ not a cathol run for presid __PUNCT__

like him __PUNCT__ i am an american run for presid __PUNCT__

i do not defin my candidaci by my religion __PUNCT__

a person should not be elect becaus of hi faith nor should he be reject becaus of hi faith __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ let me assur you that no author of my church __PUNCT__ or of ani other church for that matter __PUNCT__ will ever exert influenc on presidenti decis __PUNCT__

their author is their __PUNCT__ within the provinc of church affair __PUNCT__ and it end where the affair of the nation begin __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ as governor __PUNCT__ i tri to do the right as best i knew it __PUNCT__ serv the law and answer to the constitut __PUNCT__

i did not confus the particular teach of my church with the oblig of the offic and of the constitut __PUNCT__ and of cours __PUNCT__ i would not do so as presid __PUNCT__

i will put no doctrin of ani church abov the plain duti of the offic and the sovereign author of the law __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ as a young_man __PUNCT__ lincoln describ what he call america __PUNCT__ polit religion __PUNCT__ the commit to defend the rule of law and the constitut __PUNCT__

when i place my hand on the bibl and take the oath of offic __PUNCT__ that oath becom my highest promis to god __PUNCT__

if i am fortun to becom your presid __PUNCT__ i will serv no on religion __PUNCT__ no on group __PUNCT__ no on caus __PUNCT__ and no on interest __PUNCT__

a presid must serv onli the common caus of the peopl of the unit_state __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ there ar some for whom these commit ar not enough __PUNCT__

thei would prefer it if i would simpli distanc myself from my religion __PUNCT__ sai that it is more a tradit than my person convict __PUNCT__ or disavow on or anoth of it precept __PUNCT__

that i will not do __PUNCT__

i believ in my mormon faith and i endeavor to live by it __PUNCT__

my faith is the faith of my father __PUNCT__ i will be true to them and to my belief __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ some believ that such a confess of my faith will sink my candidaci __PUNCT__

if thei ar right __PUNCT__ so be it __PUNCT__

but i think thei underestim the american_peopl __PUNCT__

american do not respect believ of conveni __PUNCT__

american tire of those who would jettison their belief __PUNCT__ even to gain the world __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ there is on fundament_question about which i often am ask __PUNCT__

what do i believ about jesu_christ __PUNCT__ i believ that jesu christ is the son of god and the savior of mankind __PUNCT__

my church belief about christ mai not all be the same as those of other faith __PUNCT__

each religion ha it own uniqu doctrin and histori __PUNCT__

these ar not base for critic but rather a test of our toler __PUNCT__

religi_toler would be a shallow principl inde if it were reserv onli for faith with which we agre __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ there ar some who would have a presidenti_candid describ and explain hi church distinct doctrin __PUNCT__

to do so would enabl the veri religi test the founder prohibit in the constitut __PUNCT__

no candid should becom the spokesman for hi faith __PUNCT__

for if he becom presid he will need the prayer of the peopl of all faith __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ i believ that everi faith i have encount draw it adher closer to god __PUNCT__

and in everi faith i have come to know __PUNCT__ there ar featur i wish were in my own __PUNCT__ i love the profound ceremoni of the cathol mass __PUNCT__ the approach of god in the prayer of the evangel __PUNCT__ the tender of spirit among the pentecost __PUNCT__ the confid independ of the lutheran __PUNCT__ the ancient tradit of the jew __PUNCT__ unchang through the ag __PUNCT__ and the commit to frequent prayer of the muslim __PUNCT__

as i travel across the countri and see our town and citi __PUNCT__ i am alwai move by the mani hous of worship with their steepl __PUNCT__ all point to heaven __PUNCT__ remind us of the sourc of life bless __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ it is import to recogn that while differ in theologi exist between the church in america __PUNCT__ we share a common creed of moral_convict __PUNCT__

and where the affair of our nation ar concern __PUNCT__ it usual a sound rule to focu on the latter __PUNCT__ on the great_moral moral_principl that urg us all on a common cours __PUNCT__

whether it wa the caus of abolit __PUNCT__ or civil right __PUNCT__ or the right to life itself __PUNCT__ no movement of conscienc can succe in america that cannot speak to the convict of religi_peopl __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ we separ church and state affair in thi countri __PUNCT__ and for good reason __PUNCT__

no religion should dictat to the state nor should the state interfer with the free practic of religion __PUNCT__

but in recent_year __PUNCT__ the notion of the separ of church and state ha been taken by some well beyond it origin mean __PUNCT__

thei seek to remov from the public_domain ani acknowledg of god __PUNCT__

religion is seen as mere a privat affair with no place in public_life __PUNCT__

it is as if thei ar intent on establish a new religion in america __PUNCT__ the religion of secular __PUNCT__

thei ar wrong __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ the founder proscrib the establish of a state_religion __PUNCT__ but thei did not counten the elimin of religion from the public_squar __PUNCT__

we ar a nation __PUNCT__ under god __PUNCT__ and in god __PUNCT__ we do inde trust __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ we should acknowledg the creator as did the founder __PUNCT__ in ceremoni and word __PUNCT__

he should remain on our currenc __PUNCT__ in our pledg __PUNCT__ in the teach of our histori __PUNCT__ and dure the holidai_season __PUNCT__ nativ_scene and menorah should be welcom in our public place __PUNCT__

our great would not long endur without judg who respect the foundat of faith upon which our constitut rest __PUNCT__

i will take care to separ the affair of govern from ani religion __PUNCT__ but i will not separ us from __PUNCT__ the god who gave us liberti __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ nor would i separ us from our religi_heritag __PUNCT__

perhap the most import_question to ask a person of faith who seek a polit_offic __PUNCT__ is thi __PUNCT__ doe he share these american valu __PUNCT__ the equal of human kind __PUNCT__ the oblig to serv on anoth __PUNCT__ and a steadfast commit to liberti __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ thei ar not uniqu to ani on denomin __PUNCT__

thei belong to the great_moral inherit we hold in common __PUNCT__

thei ar the firm ground on which american of differ faith meet and stand as a nation __PUNCT__ unit __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ we believ that everi singl human be is a child of god __PUNCT__ we ar all part of the human_famili __PUNCT__

the convict of the inher and inalien worth of everi life is still the most revolutionari_polit proposit ever advanc __PUNCT__

john_adam put it that we ar __PUNCT__ thrown into the world all equal and alik __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ the consequ of our common human is our respons to on anoth __PUNCT__ to our fellow_american foremost __PUNCT__ but also to everi child of god __PUNCT__

it is an oblig which is fulfil by american everi dai __PUNCT__ here and across the globe __PUNCT__ without regard to creed or race or nation __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ american acknowledg that liberti is a gift of god __PUNCT__ not an indulg of govern __PUNCT__

no peopl in the histori of the world have sacrif as much for liberti __PUNCT__

the live of hundr of thousand of america son and daughter were laid down dure the last centuri to preserv freedom __PUNCT__ for us and for freedom love_peopl throughout the world __PUNCT__

america took noth from that centuri terribl war __PUNCT__ no land from germani or japan or korea __PUNCT__ no treasur __PUNCT__ no oath of fealti __PUNCT__

america resolv in the defens of liberti ha been test time and again __PUNCT__

it ha not been found want __PUNCT__ nor must it ever be __PUNCT__

america must never falter in hold high the banner of freedom __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ these american valu __PUNCT__ thi great_moral heritag __PUNCT__ is share and live in my religion as it is in your __PUNCT__

i wa taught in my home to honor god and love my neighbor __PUNCT__

i saw my father march with martin_luther_king __PUNCT__

i saw my parent provid compassion care to other __PUNCT__ in person wai to peopl nearbi __PUNCT__ and in just as consequenti wai in lead nation volunt movement __PUNCT__

i am move by the lord word __PUNCT__ for i wa an hunger __PUNCT__ and ye gave me meat __PUNCT__ i wa thirsti __PUNCT__ and ye gave me drink __PUNCT__ i wa a stranger __PUNCT__ and ye took me in __PUNCT__ nake __PUNCT__ and ye cloth me __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ my faith is ground on these truth __PUNCT__

you can wit them in ann and my marriag and in our famili __PUNCT__

we ar a long wai from perfect and we have sure stumbl along the wai __PUNCT__ but our aspir __PUNCT__ our valu __PUNCT__ ar the self __PUNCT__ same as those from the other faith that stand upon thi common foundat __PUNCT__

and these convict will inde inform my presid __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ todai gener of american have alwai known religi_liberti __PUNCT__

perhap we forget the long and arduou path our nation forbear took to achiev it __PUNCT__

thei came here from england to seek freedom of religion __PUNCT__

but upon find it for themselv __PUNCT__ thei at first deni it to other __PUNCT__

becaus of their divers belief __PUNCT__ ann hutchinson wa exil from massachusett bai __PUNCT__ a banish roger_william found rhode_island __PUNCT__ and two centuri later __PUNCT__ brigham_young set out for the west __PUNCT__

american were unabl to accommod their commit to their own faith with an appreci for the convict of other to differ faith __PUNCT__

in thi __PUNCT__ thei were veri much like those of the european_nation thei had left __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ it wa in philadelphia that our found_father defin a revolutionari vision of liberti __PUNCT__ ground on self evid_truth about the equal of all __PUNCT__ and the inalien right with which each is endow by hi creator __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ we cherish these sacr right __PUNCT__ and secur them in our constitut order __PUNCT__

foremost do we protect religi_liberti __PUNCT__ not as a matter of polici but as a matter of right __PUNCT__

there will be no establish_church __PUNCT__ and we ar guarante the free_exercis of our religion __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ i not sure that we fulli appreci the profound implic of our tradit of religi_liberti __PUNCT__

i have visit mani of the magnific cathedr in europ __PUNCT__

thei ar so inspir __PUNCT__

so grand __PUNCT__

so empti __PUNCT__

rais up over gener __PUNCT__ long_ago __PUNCT__ so mani of the cathedr now stand as the postcard backdrop to societi just too busi or too __PUNCT__ enlighten __PUNCT__ to ventur insid and kneel in prayer __PUNCT__

the establish of state_religion in europ did no favor to europ church __PUNCT__

and though you will find mani peopl of strong faith there __PUNCT__ the church themselv seem to be wither awai __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ infinit wors is the other extrem __PUNCT__ the creed of convers by conquest __PUNCT__ violent_jihad __PUNCT__ murder as martyrdom __PUNCT__ kill christian __PUNCT__ jew __PUNCT__ and muslim with equal indiffer __PUNCT__

these radic_islamist do their preach not by reason or exampl __PUNCT__ but in the coercion of mind and the shed of blood __PUNCT__

we face no greater danger todai than theocrat tyranni __PUNCT__ and the boundless suffer these state and group could inflict if given the chanc __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ the divers of our cultur express __PUNCT__ and the vibranc of our religi dialogu __PUNCT__ ha kept america in the forefront of civil nation even as other regard religi_freedom as someth to be destroi __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ in such a world __PUNCT__ we can be deepli thank that we live in a land where reason and religion ar friend and alli in the caus of liberti __PUNCT__ join against the evil and danger of the dai __PUNCT__

and you can be certain of thi __PUNCT__ ani believ in religi freedom __PUNCT__ ani person who ha knelt in prayer to the almighti __PUNCT__ ha a friend and alli in me __PUNCT__

and so it is for hundr of million of our countrymen __PUNCT__ we do not insist on a singl strain of religion __PUNCT__ rather __PUNCT__ we welcom our nation symphoni of faith __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ recal the earli_dai of the first continent_congress in philadelphia __PUNCT__ dure the fall of __NUM__ __PUNCT__

with boston occupi by british troop __PUNCT__ there were rumor of immin hostil and fear of an impend war __PUNCT__

in thi time of peril __PUNCT__ someon suggest that thei prai __PUNCT__

but there were object __PUNCT__

thei were too divid in religi sentiment __PUNCT__ what with episcopalian and quaker __PUNCT__ anabaptist and congregationalist __PUNCT__ presbyterian and cathol __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ then sam adam rose __PUNCT__ and said he would hear a prayer from anyon of pieti and good charact __PUNCT__ as long as thei were a patriot __PUNCT__

and so togeth thei prai __PUNCT__ and togeth thei fought __PUNCT__ and togeth __PUNCT__ by the grace of god __PUNCT__ thei found thi great_nation __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ in that spirit __PUNCT__ let us give thank to the divin author of liberti __PUNCT__

and togeth __PUNCT__ let us prai that thi land mai alwai be bless with freedom holi light __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ god_bless thi great land __PUNCT__ the unit_state of america __PUNCT__