Is questioning mormonism religious bigotry?

The common refrain of the past 10 months, ever since former Gov. Mitt Romney entered the presidential race (of whom I am a supporter), has been that questioning voting for a candidate based on their religion is illegitimate.

While making judgments only on a theological disagreement seems to be wrong, evaluating a candidate's faith — insofar as it informs our understanding of his world view, life philosophy and basic rationality — is a perfectly reasonable enterprise.

While certain individuals have said that questioning the intellectual basis of Mormonism is ill-advised for orthodox Christians (a group to which I claim membership), such an opinion begs the question of whether any belief can be considered 'strange' and 'unreasonable'. If it is impossible to examine the rationality of the claim's of Joseph Smith (the founder of Mormonism) against the evidence, then it is certainly impossible to contrast the claims of a lunatic against the real world he disputes. Besides, a deep and popular examination of the life of Jesus Christ and his very real and unique identity is the very last thing Christians have to fear; if the world could be made to engage in such an examination, half of the evangelical battle would already be won.

The outlandish history and absurd claims of Mormonism, detailed here, offer us two possible ways in which to evaluate Mr. Romney and his views of absolute reality. First, he might have critically examined his faith and its claims from every angle and judged it to be true — in which case he is either a lunatic or he possesses foundational beliefs so alien to the rest of humanity that he is immediately analogous to a lunatic. Such a person is not one an individual that any reasonable person could conceivably vote for. Second, he may be an individual who does not see religion or propositions concerning the nature of absolute reality as subject to truth claims, he may hold his religion on the basis of inherited belief, unthinking in both his affirmation of Mormonism and his practice of it. While regretful, as such a position would show that Mr. Romney is fundamentally not a reflective and rational person who has come to his particular ideology in light of reason, such a fact about his life does not place him beyond the scope of popular politics, for the primary reason that nearly all of humanity behaves in the same exact way.

Which is Mr. Romney? I am glad to say that I believe strongly that he is a person of the second camp (on account of being from a family of Mormons, of his primary interest in business and his belief in pragmatism and utilitarianism in regards to economic policy). While not ideal as a presidential candidate, being as he lacks original thought and will likely fall into the trap of living a paradox, his religion on accout of the method by which he comes to it, does not disqualify him.

What then of a 'rational Mormon'? Would they be fit for public office? No. The simple truth is that the claims of Mormonism are not sufficient for rational belief, and an individual who believes that they are ought to be closer to a diagnosis of lunacy then to the assumption of political power.

P.S. If there are any Mormons who believe my understanding of your faith is incorrect or that Mormonism can be a rational belief system, please leave a comment with a method of contact; I would love to speak with you.