Paul Ryan’s vice presidential nomination acceptance speech was overwhelmingly about the economy, stupid.
Toward its end, though, Ryan, a Roman Catholic, alluded to suspicions among Evangelical Christians about Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith. It was an interesting moment. In 1960, of course, John F. Kennedy helped pave the way for Catholics like Ryan running for national offiice not to seem like such a big deal. More recently, Catholic and Protestant communities have found much common cause on social issues.
So Ryan was helping to usher Mormonism into the conservative religious mainstream.
Mitt and I also go to different churches. But in any church, the best kind of preaching is done by example. And I’ve been watching that example. The man who will accept your nomination tomorrow is prayerful and faithful and honorable. Not only a defender of marriage, he offers an example of marriage at its best. Not only a fine businessman, he’s a fine man, worthy of leading this optimistic and good-hearted country.
Our different faiths come together in the same moral creed. We believe that in every life there is goodness; for every person, there is hope. Each one of us was made for a reason, bearing the image and likeness of the Lord of Life.
