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The link between the Church and conservative politics seems pretty straight forward—the positions that the Republican Party takes on moral issues is more aligned with the gospel. It’s not just our Church, but most Christian denominations have a Republican bent because of the moral issues, and the Republican Party is very good using this to it’s advantage. In 1964, Barry Goldwater ran what many consider to be, the first “new conservative” campaign, i.e., a focus on moral issues. Rather than focusing on government issues like taxes, schools, defense, the new conservative movement focuses on emotional moral issues like abortion, gay rights, prayer in schools, etc.
If you can get past this initial layer of moral issues, then in a lot of ways, the Democratic platform is a lot more in line with a Christ-like world view than the Republican platform, imo.
I think both (actually ALL) have elements of pure Christian focus and elements of stupidity. Opposition in ALL things, you know. The key, imo, is recognizing that there is no one political party or stance that represents the Gospel of Jesus Christ and being willing to work with and not demonize those with whom we disagree politically on some things. Unfortunately, BOTH sides of the two-party system have many vocal supporters who are dedicated to demonizing other instead of cooperating – and many outside that system jump happily into the mud pit. I hope we can avoid that natural tendency with those in the Church with whom we disagree on some things.
Quote:I noticed that all the comments so far are left of center. To me, that means that most of you are newbies to being inactive, less active, or “questioning” the Church.
Interesting––this view of things. I’m an RM, married in the temple, I have a current Temple Rec., and I’m also a committed Democrat. And I can’t tell you how many times and in how many different ways I’ve had my faith questioned, had other LDS assume that I’m “lapsed”, not to mention the outright attacks. In 2000 I was teaching Sunday School, the 16-year olds, and the discussion turned to politics and somehow I mentioned I was going to vote for Al Gore and all of the class looked at me in stunned silence. “You’re kidding, right?” someone asked. “No,” I said. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that I was released from this calling a week later. Someone might say, “You’re not supposed to bring up politics in church.” But the gospel doctrine teacher does almost every week, or did all during Bush/Cheney, praising Bush policies and slamming the Dems in subtle and not so subtle ways. And he’s still teaching. I live in a neighborhood that is probably 98% LDS, and I was never able to keep an Obama/Biden sign on my lawn (this despite being only a lukewarm Obama supporter), someone(s) kept taking it down, this during the same time I would get emails from ward members using ward email lists pitching Repub candidates.
Oh, well. It’s OK, it makes things interesting. But I do get bothered when people question my church activity/belief because of my affiliation with the Democratic Party. It doesn’t mean I accept all the party stands for, it only means they are less offensive to me than the Repubs.
I went to the library and checked out ‘Sojourner’. I’m partway through, and it seems like an awesome book. I think part of my frustration, alluding to the last comment, is that people, at least here in Utah usually assume that if you are ‘righteous’, that your political leanings will be to the right. I hear lots of political trash talk . . . in church meetings and at church activities. It’s frustrating and isn’t the place for it.
I’m a Californian. Yesterday my state assemblyman resigned. He had been caught talking nasty about his girlfriends before an open mike and the sex scandal brought him down. Probably his wife and kids were not happy. He is our former mayor and an insurance agent in our small community. I pass his in-law’s historical house every day. LDS folks now own part of the property. Our ward building is just down the street. The guy is a major conservative. His stance on proposition H8 (family values and cherry pie) was well known and many in the ward must be very embarrassed by his actions. It is a reminder to me about individual integrity. I am so glad I stood up for what I believed in, even though it meant standing next to our Regional Rep on the town’s main intersection, me with my NO and he with his YES on 8 signs. Politics makes strange bedfellows!
Dear Friends, The Utah political, conservative scene has been very difficult for me to deal with emotionally.
Some of you know that I am a literal descendant of polygamists on both sides of my family. My great-grandfather, Hurst had two wives, my great-grandmother and her younger sister. This young family suffered from some of the most severe persecution imaginable. The family had converted to Mormonism and crossed the plains to be with the Saints in Utah. They thought that they would be safe. The ended up having to leave the United States and move to Mexico where they, and others like them, formed a small colony of LDS Polygamists who didn’t want to give up their families. It was sad for me to think that their was not one place in the United States where they could live in peace and safety.
What grieves me the most is that our “conservative politics” have now pushed us to the point where we are causing other families to have to leave the United States for countries such as Canada. Persons with disorders of sexual development and differentiation are not legally allowed to marry persons of their choosing in Utah, so some couples have had to leave their homes, their families and head for Canada. If they ever try to return to Utah, their marriages will be invalid.
I will never understand, as long as I live, how we got to this point. How did a little flock of people, so persecuted because they did not practice conventional, traditional marriage, become the persecutors of those who today do not fit the traditional family mold?
There was nothing “conservative” about Heber C. Kimball having 43 wives. How did we get to where we are today?
How did I miss this thread? I’ve mentioned this elsewhere, but it may be of interest. I grew up mostly in Pennsylvania, and my ward was very vocally Democrat, at least most of the leaders I knew well – those that worked with the youth, and our bishop was. There were many leaders who were college professors (academia tends to lean left). My parents were Republicans, but they kept their mouths shut for the most part, so I grew up with this notion that the church was Democrat. When you hear the gospel from a Democrat perspective, it just makes logical sense that the church is Democrat; the same happens when a Republican gives his/her version of it. When I went to BYU I was floored that there were so many conservatives. It was not at all like what I had been taught growing up. It was the same gospel, but a different set of intolerances. I’m a registered independent for a reason. In the book David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, it says the church was 55% Republican/45% Democrat in Utah during his presidency. Things changed substantially since then.
Quote:It was the same gospel, but a different set of intolerances.
Man, I wish more people really understood that, Hawk!
Dear Ray, I have always believed that the Lord’s intent was to establish His Kingdom of God on Earth (the Church) with a mechanism to cleanse itself, set itself aright, and realign itself with truth and the Will of God. That way is “continuing revelation” through a Prophet, Seer and Regulator”. Any Church that does not have a living prophet would be hard-pressed to “Navigate the Shoals” of modern society. Figuratively, our ships would be stuck in the mud and we would be unable to make any progress. A great leader is like a giant sea ship – an ice-breaker that can plow right through the toughest iceberg without breaking and sinking the ship. A great leader is like a ship’s captain who knows the sea, knows his way by moonlight and steers around the shoals. The greatest leader of all – Christ, could ever calm the waves of the stormy sea.
What I fear most right now, is that politics is like a stormy sea. It has high tides, low tides, waves and even tsunamis. The boat will be “rocked” as we travel. Some days the sun will shine and others, storm clouds will gather.
Sometimes, I see politicians like “evil captains” who through men overboard, to drowned at the depths of the sea. Sometimes I see “mutinies”. Sometimes I see politicians as “Pirates” ready to steal for their own gain. Sometimes I see politicians who are “lost at sea” or who “sink the ship”.
I want the Prophet of the Church to stay out of public politics – let the dead bury the dead, so to speak. I don’t want him to try to legislate morality or control which Propositions are passed or not passed. I want him to be a Prophet. I fear that politics can cloud ones judgment and even grieve the Spirit to the point where revelation cannot be received by members of the Church. I’m scared, scared for the Church.
I had to stop and care for some crying grandchildren. I think that politicians can deceive even the very elect. If you look at the debates going on – even highly intelligent people can become confused. I do like and respect many politicians on both sides of the isle, but I think far too many have become experts at twisting and distorting truth to make it conform to their own agendas. It’s just a little like me trying to squeeze into those tight jeans that are two sizes to small – I have the classic “muffin top” of fat rolling over the top. I can only hold in my stomach for so long until the truth just spills out!!!!
Look, there is a song by the band, “Buffalo Springfield”, the words go something like this:
“There’s battle lines being drawn, nobody’s right when everybody’s wrong”.
I need there to be someone who IS right. Not some right wing or left wing extremist, but someone who is actually RIGHT.
Um, just curious: Why was that last comment addressed to me?
Hi Ray, you answered one of my questions, but I still wanted to vent some feelings.
Got it.
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