WASHINGTON ? Aggressively confronting questions about his religious faith, Mitt Romney called on Texas Gov. Rick Perry Tuesday to disavow comments from an evangelical pastor who says Romney isn't Christian and is in a cult because he is a Mormon. Perry, through a spokesman, declined to do so.
Pastor Robert Jeffress, of First Baptist Church in Dallas, endorsed and introduced Perry on Friday ahead of a Washington speech. He contrasted Perry's religion with Romney's, and in comments to reporters, called Mormonism "a cult" and said Romney is "not a Christian."
"I would call upon Gov. Perry to repudiate the sentiment and the remarks made by that pastor," Romney said at a press conference in Lebanon, N.H., where he was accepting an endorsement from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie ahead of Tuesday night's presidential debate. "I just don't believe that that kind of divisiveness based on religion has a place in this country."
Perry spokesman Mark Miner told the Associated Press that Perry would not disavow Jeffress. Miner said Perry disagrees with Jeffress' comments and believes Romney is a Christian.
"The governor does not agree with every single issue of people that endorsed him or people that he meets," Miner said. "This political rhetoric from Gov. Romney isn't going to create one new job or help the economy. He's playing a game of deflection and the people of this country know this."
Perry has not made extended comments about Jeffress' remarks. In Iowa Friday, when asked if he believes Mormonism is a cult, Perry responded: "No."
Romney's comments Tuesday are a much more aggressive response to questions about his religion and are further indication that he views attacks on his faith as off the table. Romney gave a major speech on his religion when he ran in 2007 and had to contend with disparaging remarks about his faith from rival Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister.
Christie, standing at the podium with Romney, also attacked Perry's willingness to embrace Jeffress. "I think in any campaign that associates itself with that type of conduct is beneath the office of the president of the United States," Christie said.
Perry has known Jeffress for years ? Jeffress is a longtime evangelical Christian leader in Perry's home state. He leads a 10,000-strong Baptist congregation in Dallas. Jeffress has repeatedly made similar comments about Romney's faith.
"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."
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