The 'official' tenets of any religion will seem odd to anyone from outside religion. Add to this the desire for a religion to emphasize its good deeds and helpful aspects while being prickly about its flaws and contradictory practices, and you get.... what we have these days.

Romney IS in what most outsiders see as an 'unusual' religion. (I live 5 min. drive from the huge east coast Mormon temple, and strangeness abounds in the immediate area.)

Gary Trudeau always finds a 'soft' spot in anyone's eccentricities, and Romney himself has spent months trying not to "wear his church on his sleeve", while everyone is wondering what a church which influences what underwear one wears will do in influencing a president.

I, personally, object to Romney for many reasons NOT directly related to his religion, but it IS an issue... just as JFK's was until he showed everyone HE could separate religion and politics. If Romney were less.... Romney, I wouldn't be terribly concerned about his religion, but it does seem to be part of WHY he is so right-wing, so it's not irrelevant.