By Ed Klein, Peoria, IL

h I hold no brief for Mormonism, and I’m not particularly fond of Mitt Romney. But when Christian leaders call it a cult, I find it appropriate to cite Hanlon’s Razor: “Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity.” In some cases, the reverse would be equally true.

A cult, which those detractors apparently don’t know, or care to know, is a clandestine group headed by a charismatic, power-hungry individual whose purpose is to offer refuge in the guise of “family” providing what masks as love and acceptance to many suffering from personality disorders resulting from dysfunctional families or other causes. To maintain power over his or her “family” the leader weans cult members away from contact with outside society, including natural family members, friends, and others, programming them to believe that all outsiders are enemies.

This brings up a larger issue. The Republicans and many of their supporters keep creating imaginary scenarios and charges designed to destroy the credibility and reputation of those they oppose and those who oppose them, much like calling Mormonism a cult or charges that Obama wasn’t born in the U.S., that he is un-American, attended a Madrassa, is a secret Muslim, wants to destroy America, and even attack his attending Christian churches as a deception.

In the distant past, Al Smith’s Catholicism, and more recently Jack Kennedy’s was apparently something that would prevent them from being good Americans and therefore disqualifying them from being presidents.

Now it appears that being a certain kind of Christian is a requirement for anyone to be elected. Consider the first amendment to the Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, etc.” The question is, does it really make any difference what one’s religion is? Would a Roman Catholic, a Jew, a Baptist, Presbyterian, Apostolic Christian, Mormon or member of any other religion or none make a better president? Only when the candidate takes a radical attitude by claiming that only his or her religion has a corner on truth and would propose legislation based on that belief would religion become an issue of contention, and quite properly raise serious concern.

It would be much better for everyone if we took seriously the words of a song Grace Wilson used to sing on The National Barn Dance, “You go to your church and I’ll go to mine but let’s walk along together.”