It's been nearly 50 years since John F. Kennedy had to diffuse concerns about whether his Catholic faith would give Rome de facto control of the White House. History is repeating itself as another Massachusetts politician, former Gov. Mitt Romney, faces objections to his presidential aspirations because of his Mormon beliefs.

Romney is still in the background next to better-known Republican hopefuls Rudy Giuliani and Sen. John McCain. Yet, this issue is sure to heat up in the coming year as the 2008 nomination process accelerates.

During this time, if Christians base their decisions about the candidates on 30-second TV sound bites, they will make a choice based on the slimmest of information. If you want a better view of their background, try digging into some books about the candidates—on both sides of the aisle.

After reading a brief news item about Hugh Hewitt's new book, "A Mormon in the White House," I picked up a copy to start my decision-making. Frankly, I knew very little about Romney beforehand, but came away thoroughly impressed.

Among the accomplishments that persuade me he's a viable candidate for the White House are his MBA from Harvard and an impressive record as a business consultant steering companies toward profitability. Plus, taking over as chief of the 2002 Olympics and finishing with a $55 million surplus after the games had been projected to lose $379 million.

Translating expertise to government

Romney then put these organizational skills to work governing Massachusetts. Facing a $600 million shortfall in fiscal 2003 and a projected $3 billion deficit in fiscal '04, he balanced the budget without raising taxes.

In addition, Romney spearheaded the state's groundbreaking health insurance program to see that more people get coverage, but without establishing a mammoth bureaucracy that could have been worse than the disease.

Given the financial strains and health care concerns we face nationally, it would seem those kinds of achievements at a state level make promising qualifications for a larger arena.

For Christians concerned about moral issues, Romney vetoed four attempts to expand abortion rights in an extremely liberal state and took a strong stand against his alma mater's push for unfettered cloning. (While critics will point out that at one time Romney was pro-choice, so was Ronald Reagan before he became a pro-life president.)

And, unlike a host of other candidates, Romney hasn't had multiple wives, staying with his high school sweetheart for 37 years and raising five sons.

The religious question

For Christians who think a candidate's moral views and fidelity to wife and family are paramount, Romney would look like a slam dunk—except for his Mormonism. As Hewitt points out, in two different polls last year, 37 to 43 percent of respondents said they wouldn't consider voting for a Mormon.

However, as believers contemplate whom to support, they need to remember we are selecting a president, not a pastor.

As former White House aide and Prison Fellowship founder Charles Colson tells Hewitt, "I think what's on the table is competence, remembering Luther's admonitions that he'd rather be governed by a competent Turk than an incompetent Christian.

"So competence is obviously key. The president of the United States has a huge job and his decisions affect every human being in America and indeed around the world."

I find it ironic that Guiliani is the early frontrunner for the GOP nomination, despite his three marriages and support for abortion rights. And though former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is more conservative, he chose James Dobson's radio program to recently confess an extra-marital affair that broke up his second marriage. Many interpreted the move as an appeal to shore up his relationships with the Christian community.

Personally, I haven't finished examining the candidates, so I'm not endorsing Romney. But neither will I automatically cross him off the list because I don't agree with his faith. Neither should you.