Article VI Blog

This may be one of the more underhanded pieces I have ever read.  It calls on a hypothetical President Romney to end polygamy from fundamentalist groups claiming Mormon origin.  It is a very thinly veiled attack on Romney's faith in general.  It protests in the beginning that this is a legal matter, not a religious one, but then ends by challenging Romney to "admit" that Mormonism is the underlying cause of these communities, which sounds very much like a religious challenge to me.

What is particularly disingenuous about the piece is that both federal and state law enforcement are already doing all they reasonably can to end this practice and to shut down the communities.  Why would this illegal practice be anymore of a burden to Romney than any other president?  The fact of the matter is that enforcement of monogamy laws can be difficult.  For example, can the government prosecute for multiple marriages which do not hold a civil marriage license?  Further, since in many cases, aberrant though they may be, these are functioning families with the women and children dependent on the husband/father.  What quality of mercy is there in breaking up that familial unit and leaving those women and children without resources?

Ending the polygamist practices of these sects is a big problem for government in certain regions, but it is hardly Mitt Romney's unique problem, and to cast it as such is to attack him for his faith.  It is as simple as that.

Lowell adds:  The author of the piece is Joseph Grant Swank, Jr., whose biographical summary  describes him as "Pastor, New Hope Church."  After a quick review of Pastor Swank's writing generally, I am wondering why the Post Chronicle, in publishing his op-ed, doesn't disclose anything about his background.  (In fairness to Pastor Swank, he dismisses Mormonism as a cult — nothing shocking about that– but does not think Romney's Mormonism is a reason not to vote for him.)  Also, reviewing a few pages in the Post Chronicle itself and noting the many obvious spelling errors, I am beginning to wonder about the quality of the publication. It may be that I my finding such a plethora of errors was coincidental, but they did raise some doubts in my mind.  I want to be fair to the publishers and so I will keep reading.

At last, a piece on The Question that achieves actual balance.  The MSM could learn a thing or two about how to cover this issue from the "Iowa Independent."

CBS is profiling the Romneys and in a feat of complete originality, leads with The Question.  Nothing new here, but the reliance on anecdote is getting annoying.  They bring up the silly "Bible or Book of Mormon" question again.  Just an aside on that bit of nonsense – it betrays complete ignorance on how anyone applies any scripture to their decision making.  Even creedal Christians can find contradictory advice in the mostly widely accepted Bible.  People really need to give this one a rest, it was a silly question from an ignorant person trying to make trouble.

Romney "gets" new media.

EFM tackles the "legitimization" issue.  All I can say is that anyone that would convert to a religion because of the faith the president holds, would be a pretty easy target to convert to another religion later.  Not a lot of depth there.

From London, the Financial Time starts, but only a paid subscriptioin can finish, a piece on the "diversity" of the candidates.  It seems to me that such a focus is preceisely antithetical to actual diversity.  If we are counting race, gender, faith of the candidates instead of ignoring them it does not strike me that we have genuinely overcome our prejudices.  When we evaluate them for their capabilities for the office they seek, regardless therof, then we are getting somewhere.

In the wake of the holiday

Evangelical Outpost share C.S. Lewis thoughts on why democracy.

One of John Mark Reynold's former students shares G.K. Chesterton's thoughts in that arena.

This is fundamental stuff from extremely influential creedal Christian thinkers and it is stuff that I know creedal Christians and  Mormons share.  I have have had more Mormons quote C.S. Lewis to me lately than creedal Christians.

Lowell:  It's true, you'll hear Lewis quoted by presidents and apostles of the LDS Church.

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