Tuesday on RadioWest, we're asking whether the presidential campaign of Mitt Romney has revealed a form of religious bigotry in this country. Harvard professor Noah Feldman has been writing about the issue. He joins Doug to talk about how Mormon culture and religion are perceived by mainstream America - and what it means for the LDS Church's relationship with the Republican party.
Anti-Mormon Bias
Have you noticed anti-Mormon bias in your social circles? Have you personally felt some form of discrimination because of your faith? Share your experiences or your thoughts with fellow RadioWest listeners ...
I had a remarkably sour experience with anti-Mormon bias this summer.
I was raised a Mormon, served a mission, but haven't been to a church in years. My issues for leaving are personal, but I came to view Mormonism in a neutral way like I would any other religion. There are good things and bad things, things that can help people and things that make it hard for people.
I was at a dinner party this summer with a few friends but most of the people there I had just met. After a time the subject of Mormonism was brought up by a few people. Immediately the atmosphere of the gathering changed. The conversation started in a whimsical and glib manner but soon turned hostile, bigoted, crude, and many things said were completely unsupported. I was amazed to hear what I thought were educated people throw out offensive and childish stereotypes. Had the same things been said about Jews or Muslims at any decent, civil gathering like this, most people would have immediately expressed their disgust. If its the Mormon religion and people it seemed, the need wasn't there.
Myself not a practicing member but having a good foundation of the beliefs and practices of Mormonism, became somewhat annoyed and did feel a need to correct many of the outlandish things that were said and try to give at least somewhat of a counter argument. Upon saying just a few things, I was asked if I had been a member and I responded yes I had been. The criticism swayed from the church as a whole to me directly. I was interrogated and asked to explain all of the usual (or unusual I guess) things: polygamy, racism, temple rituals, garments and so on and was asked in front of everyone to explain how I could be such a hypocrite and could have believed in such a bizarre religion.
It became so personal, that I became truly offended, despite not being an active member. Voices were raised until the party itself became awkward and silent. People decided to drop the subject but offered no apologies. It left me wondering, had this been a similar situation where a Muslim guest was asked to defend suicide bombing, and personally attacked for believing in a religion that has members who blow themselves up, what would the reaction be? Or if a believer in Hinduism at the same gathering was ridiculed in front of others for believing in multiple-armed gods ?
What is it about Mormons ? I can't say exactly. But I can say I never really thought about a bias against Mormons until this event. It seems there is a general, "OK" in American society that anything can be said about Mormons in the public sphere without the same level of scrutiny applied to bigotry against Jews, Christians, Muslims or any other religious groups.
This might not have happened in other places. There can be certain criticisms-- such as the LDS Church's policy toward blacks before 1978, and polygamy-- that can be looked at skeptically. However, every major religion has past issues that deserve a critical look. Should we criticize a currently practicing Catholic and ask them to answer for the Inquisition or the Crusades? Should we breakdown every bizarre aspect of a religion and mock it and ignore its uplifting elements ?
From the recent spotlight on Mormonism from Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, and what I encountered personally, I personally feel the level of accepted bigotry and outright mockery of Mormonism is a shame, especially among those who claim to be educated and tolerant and in a country that prides itself on eschewing intolerance.
I have another take on this subject. From the very beginning of the LDS Church, they have not only said they are the,"only true church", but also described the other Christian churches as, "an abomination to God". This statement is very offensive to those of us that belong to other Christian churches. Still to this day, the missionaries for the LDS Church, tell people they talk with that they (the LDS Church) has the only truth of God. I do not feel the situation described above by Mike D., is a good thing. But as a person who was reared in the LDS Churches, I can't count the number of times I have been in groups of LDS people where they negatively talked about other churches. LDS people seem to constantly be trying to reinforce their belief that they they are the, "only true church", by disscussing negative aspect of other churches. I feel the LDS Church and especially the LDS members should be more accepting of others.
Grandpafuzzy, I agree with your point. It would be great if all people thought about being a little more accepting and a little kinder. I would like to reasure you that while Mormons believe they are the only "true" church, they do not believe they have a monopoly on truth. Mormons believe anything good in any religion that helps people take a step closer to kindness should be celebrated. Mormon theology has a reward for everyone of any religion that attempts to be nicer. Which is better than what some religions say about nonbelievers.
Mike D - Stop whining about the Mormon bashing until you understand another point of view. Here's a taste: Try growing up surrounded by Mormon {arrogance} while not being a “member” then tell your sad story again. It makes me laugh at how Mormons are always defending themselves. This IS funny stuff… What is with the continual self-promotion, the frequent chants of "This is the only true church" and finally the obsessive desire to shove those beliefs in everyone's face? If you don’t understand, this IS what makes all of this so funny. Seriously, NOBODY (read, regular people) CARES!!! BTW, is it just me or has anyone else noticed that Mormon salesmen (aka missionaries) do a lot more promoting of the church than they teach spirituality, “Christianity” or the word of "God"?
I am sure there are a lot of Mormon bigots out there; but there is a huge difference beween being a bigot and being critical of a religion and its practices and doctrines. People should ask Muslims how it is that other Muslims are blowing themselves up; people should ask Mormons how they can suspend rationality and believe in such things. Religion is not beyond criticism; nor are its adherents. Unfortunately, many religious people think that anything critical said of their beliefs is unwarranted: faith is off limits to questions. That's called theocracy and that's not what America is about. Ever.
In my experience, the most and worst anti-Mormon bias I have witnessed has been right here in Utah. The very worst by ex-, or "inactive", members. Being an active member, I feel like their bias is unfair. At the same time, it seems that being treated unfairly by Mormons in the past is usually at the root of it. Bad behavior just inspires more bad behavior.
Having been raised in (and subsequently left) the mormon cult - I have strong feelings about it. Although it is a generalization (and not completely fair on a case by case basis) Utah mormons are surprisingly arrogant in their religion, and ignorant of reality. Having lived around the world and recently moved from the pacific northwest I have found that mormons outside of Utah are more humble, rationale and cognizant of the fact that their church is not the all-powerful omnipotent force that it trys to represent in Utah. World wise mormons are reasonable people, Utah mormons are a strange, ignorant and arrogant bunch. A good dose of living in the real world and seeing the oddity and insignificance of their religion outside of this "Utah reality distortion" field would do them all a great deal of good. Their blind sheep-like obedience and unquestioning of religious "leaders" and political (typically republican) mormon "leaders" is truely amazing and pathetic.
Wow, BBB, a bit bitter aren't ya? It's interesting how those, like you, who leave the Church can't just leave. They have to share the "news" they left and then always, always use bitterness to demonstrate how "right" they are. You may not be LDS anymore, but you are the perfect parrot of those who hate the church.
Maybe if you looked at things from another perspective you may realize how the church treats people that have left, or that are unwilling to convert. I thought BBB raised some good points, there wasn't anything that was bitter. Your post was the one full of hate. Look up cult in a dictionary or online. You may be surprised to see how many characteristics match the LDS church.
"Your post was the one full of hate." Not hate. Just a response. People look for offense and they usually find it. We are called "blind-sheep" and "cult members" who is really hateful? If you want to leave an organziation, then leave. But to then continue to mock them at every turn is pathetic and telling about the person holding a grudge.
If this is the case, then are not all religions a cult on some level? The Mormon church teaches its members to try and live like Christ, with hope charity and love. This does not mean that all its members are perfect at following the church's doctrine. It also does not mean that the church needs to sit back and do nothing to promote its beliefs. This is all a matter of opinion, and it would be nice if both sides received the respect they deserve.
This is question for anyone out there whith a serious answer.
How is Mormonism a cult? What is your definition of a cult? Where I live any non-protestant Christian religion (Mormons, Catholics, Orthodox) are often referred to as cults. What are the qualifications of being a cult?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has a strict policy of political neutrality. Church members cannot use buildings or directories for political purposes. Part of the policy states:
“Elected officials who are Latter-day Saints make their own decisions and may not necessarily be in agreement with one another or even with a publicly stated Church position. While the Church may communicate its views to them, as it may to any other elected official, it recognizes that these officials still must make their own choices based on their best judgment and with consideration of the constituencies whom they were elected to represent.”
Some non Mormons say Mormons are blind followers. For that reason, they claim Mitt Romney cannot act on his own and will always follow the Mormon Church. However, imagining Romney is a blind sheep then he would follow the statement above, representing the constituency that elected him and not the Mormon Church. What are your thoughts? Because of this statement it makes sense to me that Mormons can be democrats, libertarians, republicans, etc, etc.
On the other hand, Huckabee uses Evangelical Church facilities and directories to make phone calls and gather support, especially when he says he cannot talk about politics, but he can talk about the evils of Mormonism. Is this an unfair advantage for Huckabee?
I for one feel betrayed by the Republican party because I share quite a few values with them. Listening to Huckabee talk is like listening to the evangelicals I met on a mission. Huckabee speaks the same anti-mormon code and uses it liberally in his Sunday non-political sermons.
I have been an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints throughout my life and have often experienced such discrimination because of my beliefs.
One thing that could help a lot would be if people got their information about the church from the church itself especially LDS.org and Mormon.org. These are the church's official websites. This would prevent people from getting false information about the church and it's members, and would lead to greater understanding.
In 1963 John F. Kennedy gave a speech in Salt Lake City and said:
"Of all the stories of American pioneers and settlers, none is more inspiring than the Mormon trail. The qualities of the founders of this community are the qualities that we seek in America, the qualities which we like to feel this country has, courage, patience, faith, self-reliance, perseverance, and, above all, an unflagging determination to see the right prevail."
"...let us remember that the Mormons of a century ago were a persecuted and prosecuted minority, harried from place to place, the victims of violence and occasionally murder, while today, in the short space of 100 years, their faith and works are known and respected the world around, and their voices heard in the highest councils of this country.
As the Mormons succeeded, so America can succeed, if we will not give up or turn back."
So what's changed in the last 45 years? Why are Mormons back to being weird, after JFK placed us firmly at the heart of America?
All religions have tenets that are irrational; that is they have no basis in evidence or reason. One can point to the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation or to the global Christian belief of resurrection. Clearly, Mormonism has its share of doctrinal esoterica, but faith in such things shouldn't exclude one from pursuing the office of president.
However, the issue with Romney isn't his belief in irrational faith. It's a question of where he'll place his loyalty. He has --as have all adherent, tithe paying Mormons-- taken oaths of obedience and sacrifice to the LDS church that seem on the face of it in direct conflict with the oath he'd take as president. He has stated that he will not listen to the hierarchy of the LDS faith when it comes to presidential policy, but wouldn't he be breaking his covenant with God if he did so?
The oaths that he took in the LDS temple seem in direct opposition to the one he would take if he were president of the United States.
Gregg - You SO hit the nail squarely on the head in your second Paragraph; “However, the issue with Romney isn't his belief in irrational faith. It's a question of where he'll place his loyalty. He has --as have all adherent, tithe paying Mormons-- taken oaths of obedience and sacrifice to the LDS church that seem on the face of it in direct conflict with the oath he'd take as president. He has stated that he will not listen to the hierarchy of the LDS faith when it comes to presidential policy, but wouldn't he be breaking his covenant with God if he did so?”
This is exactly why religion (of any faith or non-faith) should NEVER be a topic of any debate, or from any candidate at any time. I truly believe the political circumstances that Utah is in is a direct result of WHO is in office and WHICH loyalties these individuals put first.
1) Given that religions are, in part, ideas about what is real; let me try this framing of the issue:
If I evaluate the ideology of the foreign policy experts a presidential candidate relies on, I'm likely to be praised as a diligent voter. If I evaluate the ideology of the God experts a candidate relies on, I'm likely to be condemned as a bigot.
Given that a candidate claims he regularly seeks the Lord's guidance (and can be presumed to believe he's received it, on occasion), why isn't a candidate's religious understanding just as important for a voter to evaluate as his foreign policy understandings?
2) Has Mitt Romney or his campaign ever explained why "freedom needs religion?"
01/14/2008 6:41:16 PM
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