civility

On the heels of attending a prayer service for Pope Benedict the 16th, Elder M. Russell Ballard spoke at the BYU Management Society dinner this weekend.  The dinner is an annual gathering in Washington, D.C. that includes area members as well as prominent people and dignitaries. 

Elder Ballard’s speech surveyed the church’s experience in the public eye for the last year and repeated his recent calls to engage in public and online discussions about the Church. His overall conclusion was that the past year has been a good experience, saying “I’d much rather have people talking about us than ignoring us.”  Most of the confusion results from those caught between two extremes of critics: conservative Christians who try to marginalize the Church as a cult and those opposed to the Church’s political stands on moral issues.
Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, John McCain was quick to repudiate his mother’s pointed comments on Mitt Romney and “the Mormons of Salt Lake”:

“Mormons are great people and the fact that Mitt Romney is a Mormon should play no role whatsoever in people’s decision,” McCain said. 

But, Jay Nordingler observes a pattern that I have noticed especially coming from the McCain camp (thanks, Article VI Blog).

In future weeks — especially if Romney remains strong in the polls — we should expect to hear statements from the other candidates, along the lines of, “I don’t think the governor’s Mormonism should be an issue in this race.” I think of what John Edwards did, in the vice-presidential debate of 2004: He talked about the Cheneys’ gay daughter (he used the word “lesbian”). (At least he didn’t say “lezbo.”)

Question: Was Edwards simply and innocently making a point about gay marriage? Or was he reminding Americans that the Cheneys had a gay daughter?

And when Republican candidates say, “I don’t think the governor’s Mormonism should be an issue in this race,” will they be making a genuine statement about religion and politics — or reminding people that Romney is Mormon?

I’ve long suspected this as a clever way to focus on the negative implications of a Mormon candiate while appearing otherwise.

The McCain campaign seems to do this especially.  I remember this from this past April:

Stevens, a McCain media adviser, picked up on what McInturff said, seemingly sounding a sympathetic note about what may be a problem for Romney’s campaign. “Mitt Romney is not saying elect me because I’m Mormon and I think that is an important distinction,” he said.

But Castellanos didn’t see the McCain team’s comments as sympathetic to his candidate. He saw them as a backhanded way to put the issue of Romney’s religion into play. “I appreciate the defense today just as much as I appreciate the attacks by the other folks,” he said icily. “It’s awfully nice to be able to whack an opponent and defend him in the same breath.”

Advisers for both campaigns agreed that the media has contributed to this problem by highlighting polls that show, for example, that a third of voters say they are less likely to vote for a candidate who happens to be a Mormon. But Castellanos would not let got of his contention that Romney’s rivals were feeding that story line by decrying it.

Castellanos said he found it interesting that the campaigns of the two best-known GOP candidates appeared anxious to define the lesser-known Romney at least in part through his religion, saying they knew well the political implications of focusing on that topic.

I guess this beats the more direct and ugly attacks that a McCain surrogate tried last year.

“Let me keep reminding you, this man’s strange religion should not be the issue!“

Speaking before one of the most conservative schools in one of the most conservative areas in the country (registered Republicans outnumber Democrats 11 to 1), Senator Reid was before an audience that is rarely visited by a prominent Democrat.  Senator Reid’s speech on “Faith, Family and Public Service” (PDF) (video and mp3 audio) did a very good job discussing his humble uprbringing, his conversion, and how his personal beliefs inform his Democratic politics.  

Discussing why ”I am a Democrat because I am a Mormon, not in spite of it” was a great demonstration that a faithful Mormon can be a Democrat.  Indeed, Senator Reid couldn’t be a better asset in the Church’s continuing struggle to show that it is politically neutral.  I imagine that the Church was very happy to welcome Reid to show that that it is hospitable to both parties and to highlight the fact that the most prominent LDS politician, ever, is a Democrat.

Unfortunately, Senator Reid’s talk was overshadowed by his comments in a following BYU press appearance where he:

• criticized President Benson and other conservative church leaders who have “taken members of the church down . . . the wrong path”
• implied church members are easily swayed and became politically conservative because they were misled
• childishly insulted our President (not the first time he has done this at a school)
• slammed conservative evangelicals: ”They are the most anti-Christian people I can imagine, the people from the Christian far right.”  (Does anyone see the irony in that statement?)

Whatever you may feel about his opinions, the resulting headlines:  “Reid: Right-wingers have taken LDS Church members down ‘wrong path’ ” and “Reid speaks out against past Mormon leaders” probably aren’t going to help sway anyone who thinks that being a good Democrat and Mormon is a paradox.

Even more embarassing for the Church are his comments about President Bush and conservative christians.   This has received some attention (and justifiable outrage) from conservative blogs but not enough in the Bloggernacle, unlike some subjects.  Not living in Utah, I don’t know how this has played out beyond newspaper articles.

At the end of his speech, Sen. Reid quoted Alma and  and then bore his testimony where he said (transcribed from audio, not in his prepared text but partially included in the BYU press release):

“I want each of you to leave this great education you have and go out and do good things for people.  Represent the Church.  Make people like President Gordon B. Hinckley happy with what you are doing, the life you are leading.”

Senator Reid promptly forgot his own counsel and undid any good he may have done with his impressive talk.  Too bad.

Does it say anything that very conservative BYU won’t be protesting Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s BYU appearance today?  Take that in contrast to the hype and hysteria that attended Vice-President Cheney’s commencement speech six months ago.  Maybe it doesn’t mean anything, Reid is LDS after all.  But I imagine many, if not most, at BYU have more in common politically with the Vice-President than the Senator.

Fortunately, the Deseret Morning News has the non-story that no protests are expected during Reid’s BYU visit today. The most that could be dug up are some comments on the Free Republic that someone should bring a protest sign. Hopefully, that’s an empty threat.

As much as I disagree with Senator Reid’s politics and rhetoric as a Democratic leader, I do hope all goes well today.  His appearance will hopefully raise his visibility as a prominent (and Democratic) Mormon that will help the Church and its members smooth over some of the political divides among us.  

I liked Dean Magelby’s closing in his op-ed on welcomg Sen. Reid:

Within the church there can be and should be room for disagreement about political matters. At the 1968 Commencement exercises President Hugh B. Brown encouraged students to “strive to develop a maturity of mind and emotion, and a depth of spirit which will enable you to differ with others on matters of politics without calling into question the integrity of those with whom you differ. Allow within the bounds of our definition of religious orthodoxy a variation in political belief. Do not have the temerity to dogmatize on issues where the Lord has seen fit to be silent.”

Senator Reid will be speaking on faith, family, and public service.