Former Mormon: Romney lacks discernment to be president

Former Mormon: Romney lacks discernment to be president

A former Mormon says former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney was clearly not talking about the Jesus of the Bible when he went on national television earlier today to talk about his faith.

On Thursday morning, Romney delivered the long-awaited speech from the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in Texas. He said: "There is one fundamental question about which I often am asked. What do you believe about Jesus Christ?" The GOP presidential hopeful answered his own question. "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. My church's beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths. Each religion has its own unique doctrines and history."

Tricia Erickson is a Christian writer, consultant, and businesswoman who spent her childhood growing up in a Mormon home. According to Erickson, the Mormon Church's beliefs about Christ are completely different than what is found in the Bible. "They negate the virgin birth, first of all," she points out. "Number two, they believe that Jesus was a man who, through his good works, achieved the status of godhood."

Erickson says key to Romney's statement is the portion referencing his church's belief about Christ differing from those of others.

"They kind of talk out of both sides of their mouth," she states. "They always say that they believe that Jesus is the Savior, but yet they believe that they are going to be like him -- 'as God is, man may become' is their motto." She continues: "And through their good works, what they will do is work themselves to death here to do enough good deeds to merit the celestial kingdom so that they can [literally] become god of their own planet."

Erickson argues that if Romney cannot discern that Mormonism is a false religion, he has neither the "discernment [nor] the judgment to be able to adequately and objectively run our country."