In Which I Preach
Yeah, I know, with that head, this should be a JMR post, but it is little old me.
This is Good Friday, the day on which all of us that call upon the name of Jesus commemorate his crucifixion and anticipate his resurrection. It’s a holy day. It is the first day of a weekend on which the wheel of history spins. I don’t want to talk politics today, there are better things to do, but I find they are related this Good Friday.
Your see this Good Friday, just two days after a hateful diatribe by a national television host, a diatribe which remains virtually uncovered by anybody but this blog, the reason that Jesus had to die and be resurrected seems most apparent to me. Sure there is lots to read about the Orrin Hatch/Debbie Wasserman Schultz indirect exchange, but the real honest bigotry and hatred goes without mention.
I want to make the case for why this is in fact hate, with apologies to my Mormon friends for the manner in which I will advance this argument. It’s pretty simple really. The story of Mormonism’s birth is, to those of us that are non-believers, a bit odd. I will grant you that. But let’s think just a moment about the birth of our own faith. We celebrate this weekend the death and resurrection – yes resurrection, not resuscitation (nobody was there yelling “clear” and shocking Jesus with paddles – he was dead and starting to rot.) There’s that business about Paul and the road to Damascus and going blind and scales falling off and all that. Oh, and then there is that dream that Peter had about what was OK to eat and what wasn’t. I could go on here folks, but just for a minute put yourself in the shoes of someone who does not believe our stories – their pretty odd too.
Now, how often do we tell people that call our stories odd that they hate us? Pretty often – “The war against religion” – sounds like an accusation to me. My point is this, if it is hateful to oppose us because you find our stories odd then it is equally hateful for us or anyone else to do the same towards Mormons. The disrespect in O’Donnell’s diatribe was hateful.
David Gregory made a tiny bit of news yesterday saying Mitt Romney is “afraid” to discuss his religion. I don’t think Romney is afraid of anything, but I do think he is being smart by not given jerks like O’Donnell ammunition, particularly when no one seems to be rising to his defense. Apparently, O’Donnell’s expression of hatred is one this nation is willing to accept – despite having fought wars over hatred of blacks and Jews. Which brings me back to my traditional Christian brethren.
The big news they made yesterday was a meeting with Santorum. There is coverage here and here. The CSM heads their piece:
Santorum meets with conservatives to plan last-ditch effort
The meeting was a mix of fiscal and social conservatives who oppose Mitt Romney’s campaign.
I find it hard to believe this is about politics anymore. Richard Land seems to be alone among social conservative leaders in “getting it.” His response yesterday to this whole thing was:
“I have not spoken to Rick about this issue, but as his friend, I would advise him to consider getting out of the race at this point,” Land told The Christian Post. “Rick is a still a young man and has a bright future in 2016 and beyond.”
“He has run a solid campaign the last six months and resurrected himself once again as a major political figure in our nation,” continued Land. “This is the most important election in our nation since 1860 and we need time to vet and access the statements and beliefs of the two men who will be representing our country’s two major parties.”
That’s thinking politically, so what is everybody else thinking? Instead of figuring out how to beat hatred like O’Donnell’s, they are busy trying to figure out how to pile on, even if a bit nicer about it.
Which brings me to the bottom line, and where I am going to get really preachy. Mitt Romney has won. Let’s assume for a minute that he is the worst nightmare this bunch seems to think he is – I deeply disagree, but I grant it simply to make a point. The results of the primary make it plain that the Republican party agrees more with your monster than with you – in other words they do not see Mitt Romney as the problem you do.
How do you change that?
Opposition like that we are seeing here is rooted in more than just political opposition. Philosophy, religion, whatever type of ideology it is, is what the fight at this point is really about for those that are still fighting it. Electoral politics is not where such fights are won. If the Mormons are winning it is because through missionary work and breeding (they do have a LOT of kids) they are winning more hearts and minds than we are. The response to such is not hopeless political action, but to be as zealous about our faith as they are about theirs – to knock on more doors than their missionaries, to educate more kids in our schools, to be as bold in our values as they are in theirs.
Which takes me back to Lowell’s follow-up on O’Donnell in which he quoted O”Donnell on fearing Muslims, but not Mormons. Even O’Donnell knows that the object of his hatred will respond to his hatred with love.
And you wonder why the Mormons appear to be winning! The answer to the political problems Evangelicals appear to face is not last-ditch efforts or brokered conventions or trickier politics. It is to be more Christian.
Here endeth the sermon. Easter is coming.
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TVHall on 06 Apr 2012 at 8:50 am #
No apologies necessary, John. In construction terms, you just drove the nail with a single stroke.
JLF9999 on 06 Apr 2012 at 10:03 am #
We LDS understand why Mitt is not willing to discuss theology with just anyone. It is not part of his political game plan. Politics and religion are separate among faithful Mormons because the Church says it is how they prefer it for the reasons stated in the link.
There is a preferred way to discuss the gospel. Before anything else, we desire the presence of The Holy Ghost. The preferred method is to start discussions with prayer and a request for His presence. The absolute last thing we want is for the discussion to devolve into two idiots beating each other over the head with scriptural quotes in a vain attempt to prove something. We think the Holy Ghost’s presense makes learning and teaching happen. Without His presense the discussion becomes something else.
The “gotcha” questions come out of left field often enough as it is with out Mitt opening up the discussion to the finer points. Christ is abused enough among some folks without giving them even more cause to do so by engaging them in some of our more esoteric discussions. I use Joseph Smith’s vision in the Sacred Grove as an example.
Mormons are anxious to talk about Christ and God the Father. But we will not deliberately subject our Saviour to those whose only interest is to stir up hate and dissention for political gain. Privately, I have no doubt that Mitt is anxious to talk about what we believe – when the time is right and Spirit moves him.
bfwebster on 06 Apr 2012 at 2:56 pm #
Ditto from another LDS who isn’t offended at all — your point is exactly on target that what can be accepted from 2000 years ago is much harder to accept from less than 200 years ago. As Joseph Smith famously said just a few months before before his own assassination, “You don’t know me; you never knew my heart. No man knows my history. I cannot tell it: I shall never undertake it. I don’t blame any one for not believing my history. If I had not experienced what I have, I could not have believed it myself. . . . When I am called by the trump of the archangel and weighed in the balance, you will all know me then.” ..bruce..
Rockgod28 on 06 Apr 2012 at 4:12 pm #
Joseph Smith Jr. understood how odd his experience was and in the early days of his ministry made mistakes of trust (116 lost pages, banking crisis, community organization, etc.) and feelings of frustration with himself.
Judism and Christianity require accepting the odd as the foundations of faith in a natural world.
Has anyone else seen a burning bush that was not consumed that had a voice coming from it?
The whole freedom of the Israelites from the Egyptians is odd. Plagues of increasing severity. Then to top it off an escape into the Red Sea on dry ground. An event also never duplicated in the world.
Not to mention a pillar of fire holding back the army until the Israelites were over half way through the Red Sea.
The entire history of Israel and later Judea was of one miracle after another. All the miracles ended after Jesus Christ literally for the Jews. Jerusalem was destroyed, the temple leveled to the ground so one stone was not left on another.
Now in the Latter Days miracles are returning. Angels again visiting the Earth. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ manifesting to authorized servants like Stephen, Paul and authority (keys of the kingdom of God) given to men to administer the ordiances of Salvation.
Temples have returned so the saints can have a fullness of joy in this life as well as the world to come. Families sealed together in fulfillment to the prophecy of Elijah. The followers of Christ are endowed with power from on High to fulfill the commandment of God to preach His gospel to the world.
As long as Christians and Jews are obedient to the commandments of God as they understand them the Messiah will continue to bless this nation.
Miracles are odd to the outside observer and impossible.
Three men survived an intense fire, another lions, and of course a man outside of fiction was able to walk on water.
These are the stories of the believers. Many died proclaiming the divinity of the Messiah, the holy one of Israel, yet as odd as these people were the believer can claim their spiritual heritage they left behind to follow.
As odd, peculiar, disciples of a God we pray to who answers prayers by a multitude of means beside manifestation.
A whisper to our hearts, a feeling of peace, a flash of inspiration, a dream, a vision and our endurance to the end of our lives to our faith.
Odd.
Religion & Romney, Passover & Good Friday, Bigot Hall of Shame & O’Donnell, Rev. Mills | Mitt Romney Central on 06 Apr 2012 at 6:16 pm #
[...] faith will be outed in Hall of Shame posts. For today, I refer readers to the latest on Article VI blog. They’ve got it covered – but their topics deserve more coverage. Evangelicals for Mitt is [...]
GottaZoom on 06 Apr 2012 at 8:14 pm #
” The answer to the political problems Evangelicals appear to face is not last-ditch efforts or brokered conventions or trickier politics. It is to be more Christian.”
I would have said some of what JLF already posted. I’d add bringing the Holy Ghost to witness Christ isn’t a competition, or just another tactic.
I also agree with your point above. Problem is . . the ones you are talking to already think being dogmatic in *proclaiming* their current ways and means is what makes them authentically Christian.
coltakashi on 07 Apr 2012 at 12:18 am #
John: Thank you again for another thoughtful analysis that asks whether it is really effective or wise to try to use political processes to achieve religious ends. Article VI specifically disavowed the use of Federal office for that purpose, and the main thrust of the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment was to prevent government power and the authority of public office from being bent toward partisan religious ends.
Repeatedly since Mitt Romney began his quest for the White House five years ago, the repeated fear expressed by Evangelical pastors was that Romney being nominated, and even more, elected, would “legitimize” Mormonism in the eyes of the American public in general and of their own congregants in particular. They have seen Mormonism as a direct competitor to their own efforts in church planting and growth. They have labored mightily for a century to stigmatize Mormonism, to deny it admission to the wide tent of Christianity, to hobble its efforts to be accepted as deserving of respect and equality in the public square of American religious dialogue. Having a large segment of the public literally vote for a Mormon as their champion in the contest for the White House would pull the foundation out from their structure of deliberate religious prejudice.
For three months now, these pastors have looked primarily to Rick Santorum, a very Evangelical appearing Catholic, as their savior, who would slay the dragon of Mormon legitimacy with the sword of social conservatism.
But we have news for them: The train has already left the station, and the vast majority of Republicans are already on board. Mitt Romney has proven that a Mormon can be the favored candidate of a major political party. Can you imagine any future White House prayer breakfast excluding him on grounds of his religion? Can any educated person of integrity claim that Mormons are not trustworthy, when so many voters have already stated they are willing to trust Romney with our country? Can anyone with political savvy think that the religious bigotry which was expressed in the rhetoric and votes of South Carolina could be replicated in most of the nation? The shibboleth of South Carolina always anointing the nominee is gone with the wind.
The Mormonphobic pastors have already entered their worst nightmare. They might try to check out, but they can never leave. The deed is done, their greatest anxiety already realized. A Mormon has achieved legitimacy at the pinnacle of society, endorsed by prominent men and women whose judgment we trust in leading our states and our nation. No further event can change that.
If politically involved pastors are to continue to have influence with their flocks, they need to show they are in the same reality as their congregants. They need to accept the reality of Romney, a Mormon, being the de facto leader of the Republican Party, and therefore their own leader.
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