Herman Cain: 'We're not running for theologian-in-chief'

In an appearance on CBS News' 'Face The Nation' on Sunday, Republican presidential front-runner Herman Cain expressed criticism for the comments directed at Mitt Romney's Mormon identity by a prominent supporter of the Rick Perry campaign.

Appearing with Newt Gingrich at his side on CBS News' "Face The Nation" on Sunday, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain denounced the comments made by a Social Conservative pastor and supporter of Rick Perry's bid for the presidency. At issue is an introductory speech given to a body of Social Conservatives by a pastor who called Mormonism a "cult" and said that Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney was "not a Christian." Romney fired back, saying the Perry supporter had used "poisonous language," as MSNBC reported on Saturday. However, Herman Cain, whose appeal has been rising dramatically across numerous polls, spoke out against the religious intolerance expressed in the pastor's commentary. "We're not running for theologian-in-chief," Cain said. "We're running for president of the United States of America. What I believe the American people want to know: What are your values; what are your principles? Because your values and your principles may impact how you make decisions. Let's not get into the specifics of your chosen religion." Former House Speaker and GOP presidential contender Newt Gingrich agreed with Cain's perspective. "None of us should sit in judgment of somebody else's religion," Gingrich said on "Face The Nation." Other Conservative Republican presidential candidates conveyed their alignment with Cain's view. Michele Bachmann described the matter as "inconsequential." "To make this a big issue is just ridiculous right now," she told CNN's "State of the Union," according to USA Today. Herman Cain won the Midwest Leadership Conference straw poll decisively over the weekend, taking 52.6 percent of the vote, according to Hot Air. Cain's dominance at the Midwest Leadership Conference demonstrated his ability to attract the Conservative vote in regions where Religious values are important.