Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on Wednesday criticized the remarks of a pastor affiliated with the Rick Perry campaign who described the Mormon faith as un-Christian and a “cult.”
“The name of the church is not ‘Mormon,’ it’s Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,” Hatch, a Mormon, said on Fox News. “We’re fervent believers in Jesus Christ — he’s our personal savior.”
“I have to say it’s pretty hard to say the Mormon Church — that’s our nickname — that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is not a believer in Jesus Christ.”
Pastor Robert Jeffress introduced Gov. Perry (R-Texas) at the Values Voter Summit last Friday in Washington and said in remarks to reporters afterward that the view that Mormonisim is a
“cult
” was not
“a right-wing fringe
” view, but rather
“a mainstream view.
” “Rick Perry’s a Christian. He’s an evangelical Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ,” Jeffress said Friday in remarks to reporters. “Mitt Romney’s a good moral person, but he’s not a Christian. Mormonism is not Christianity. It has always been considered a cult by the mainstream of Christianity.”
At a Tuesday news conference, Romney called on Perry to denounce the pastor, a request the Perry campaign declined.
“It’s not right,” Hatch said. “The Constitution says in Article 6 there is no religious test for office.” He added that Romney is a man who “lived his faith.”
“You don’t have to worry about scandal with Mitt Romney or his family,” Hatch said.
Both Perry and his son later told reporters that they do not believe Mormonism is a cult, although they have declined to speak at length on the topic.
“I appreciate both Rick Perry and his son saying that,” Hatch said. “It’s certainly not a cult; it’s the fourth-largest church in the country today.”
