Mitt Romney - Perry Supporter Says Romney's Religion A Cult

Rick Perry supporter pronounces really don't vote with regard to Mitt Romney simply because they've a new Mormon

Robert Jeffress describes Church involving Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as 'cult'

Perry distanced himself from comments about Friday

Washington (CNN) Controversial comments by the pastor of any Dallas rec center stole the particular limelight from a number of Republican White House contenders Friday through the primary day time associated with the particular Values Voter Summit, an total annual get together associated with evangelicals and various social conservatives.

After a review of Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Robert Jeffress, pastor of that First Baptist Church with Dallas, informed reporters of which Republicans should never vote intended for White House encouraged Mitt Romney because he's some sort of Mormon along with explained the Church of Jesus Christ associated with Latter-day Saints to be a "cult."

Speaking live on CNN's "The Situation Room," Jeffress explained to CNN Political Correspondent Jim Acosta, "I think Mitt Romney 's a good, moral man, nonetheless I think those of all of us who will be born-again fans associated with Christ should favor a reliable Christian to a proficient non-Christian similar to Mitt Romney . So this is exactly why I'm enthusiastic about Rick Perry."

In similar exchange, Jeffress told Acosta the fact that Southern Baptist Convention "has formally branded Mormonism like a cult." In fact, a web site serviced by means of that Southern Baptist Convention listings the particular Mormon religion underneath it has the "New Religions and Cults" section, which in turn additionally comprises of Jehovah's Witnesses as well as Church associated with Scientology.

Contacted through CNN, that Romney campaign have no comment on Jeffress' remarks. Michael Purdy, a spokesman intended for The Church regarding Jesus Christ involving Latter-day Saints, dropped to discuss a assertion "made with a political event."

"But individuals who desire to recognize the actual centrality regarding Christ in order to some of our faith might find out more on all of us and also might know about imagine when you go to mormon.org," Purdy explained from a statement.

The Perry marketing told CNN by means of e-mail that it could not ask Jeffress to introduce that Texas governor at Friday's event. Asked in person in relation to Jeffress' statements right after some sort of campaign affair throughout Iowa Friday night, Perry instructed reporters that will they did possibly not assume Mormonism is usually a cult, a new view Perry spokesman Mark Miner possessed stated earlier on Perry's behalf.

Speaking Friday evening on CNN's "John King, USA," Tony Perkins, leader regarding the particular Family Research Council plus an organizer belonging to the two-day event, reported the actual Perry plan has been informed a couple days past about occasion organizers' plan to have Jeffress introduce Perry and also the Perry camp, throughout Perkins' words, "signed out of on" in which plan. Perkins as well told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King in which event organizers managed not understand what Jeffress ended up being planning to express in a review of Perry nor does the Texas governor's campaign.