Romneys honored for defending religious principles

Citing examples from George Washington and John Adams to Pope Benedict XVI, former presidential candidate Mitt Romney clarified and reiterated his staunch belief that "freedom requires religion" in a speech May 8 in New York."I do believe, like Adams and Washington and Hamilton, that 'national morality,' as Hamilton put it, 'requires the aid of . . . divinely authoritative religion,'" Romney said during a meeting of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty."Or as Washington put it," Romney continued, "morality cannot prevail 'in exclusion of religious principle.' I believe that religion is the most effective bulwark against moral relativism — which, as I have seen through my life, can be so malleable that it can label 'evil good, and good evil,' in the words of Isaiah, and 'put darkness for light, and light for darkness.'"During the meeting at the Metropolitan Club in New York, Romney and his wife, Ann, were awarded the Becket Fund's prestigious Canterbury Medal for "Courage in the Defense of Religious Liberty."In conferring the award, former U.S. diplomat Ann Corkery noted that "at every turn, (the Romneys) had to explain their faith — to defend the good and venerable teachings of the Mormon Church. The Canterbury Medal is awarded to those who refuse to compromise their principles and faith, and do so 'resolutely.' If there were additional honors for graciousness in defense of their faith, for modesty and sheer decency, we would be conferring those medals as well on Mitt and Ann Romney."Mr. Romney told the hushed audience that he missed an opportunity in December when as a candidate he gave a speech to address questions regarding his Mormon faith, his presidential campaign and the role of faith in politics in America. At the time, Romney critics said that non-believers are missing in his vision of America. Romney rejected this, saying that in a free society atheists enjoy all the freedoms of religious believers, and non-believers have just as great a stake as believers in defending religious liberty.In a coercive society, Romney observed, "it may be the non-believer who is among the first to be condemned. A coercive monopoly of belief threatens everyone, whether we are talking about those who search the philosophies of men or follow the words of God."We are all in this together," he continued. "Religious liberty and liberality of thought flow from the common conviction that it is freedom, not coercion, that exalts the individual just as it raises up the nation."The Washington, D.C. based Becket Fund for Religious Liberty is a civil rights law firm founded by Kevin "Seamus" Hasson to defend the rights and practice of all religious faiths. The Canterbury Medal is awarded annually to the public figure who "resolutely and publicly refused to render unto Caesar that which is God's." Past recipients include Nobel Peace Laureate Elie Wiesel, Mary Ann Glendon of Harvard Law School and current U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See and Charles Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries.