“You’re gonna slam Mormons, when the only two demonstrably intelligent and reasonable candidates in the Republican presidential pack are both Mormons?” — Give Common Sense a Break

© 2011 Peter Free

 

13 October 2011

 

 

In its remnant religious bigotry, this nation’s political insanity has not (recently) been better illuminated

 

For some years, I’ve been irritated at how the crazy-based Republican right seems to control political discourse in this nation.

 

We have (for years) been subjected to an ostentatious battle between our nation’s mouthiest ignoramuses.  Who, even kindly put, belong in the “should be forgotten” corners of our asylum.

 

Into this bubbling dysfunction, now trots Governor Perry’s pastor buddy, Robert Jeffress.  Who animatedly said that Mormonism was a non-Christian cult.

 

Note

 

You can read a little more about Pastor Jeffress’ digs at other religions here (USA Today’s Faith and Reason page).

 

Obviously, evangelical religions have to point to the wrongness of other faiths, simply to uphold the alleged rightness of their own.

 

The difficulty arises when these same believers assume that they have the right to make a non-theocracy’s national leaders follow suit.  That’s problematic in any nation that is comprised of the religious diversity that characterizes the United States.

 

 

Why did Pastor Jeffress say this provocative thing?

 

At least some numbers among the Evangelical Christian Right feel compelled to step on one of the most productively constructive churches on the planet.  This is so, perhaps in part, because the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ theology seems too recently evolved to be excused for its allegedly peculiar twist(s) of thinking.

 

On the other hand, Pastor Jeffress has also bashed the Catholic Church for being pagan in theological part and exhibiting the “genius of Satan”.  Which, given that faith’s Christian historicity and its ties to Saint Peter, will come as a surprise to most of the people on the planet.

 

In sum, Pastor Jeffries is clearly afire with sectarianism — a characteristic that generally makes for an exclusionary form of emoted insanity.

 

 

From History’s larger view —

 

If theological peculiarities legitimately condemned a person’s faith to the outer darkness, we would all be in trouble.  “Real” Christians included.

 

 

Look (objectively) at the Republican field of presidential candidates

 

The only two in the Republican pack who have any reasonable claim to being considered “presidential,” in the historically accepted American sense, are both Mormons — Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman.

 

The rest of the Republican presidential panel is comprised of (individually and variously): bigots, ignoramuses, stupids, and/or the measurably divorced from any reasonably-interpreted form of Reality.

 

The above paragraph is unkindly pejorative.  But, in truth, this is the most reprehensible group of leadership-losers (Romney and Huntsman excluded) I have ever seen either political party assemble.  And I’m going back six decades.

 

 

One intelligent conservative’s view of the situation

 

Leave it to Kathleen Parker to throw clarity water on the unholy:

 

Anyone watching the Republican debates, especially Tuesday night’s on the economy, can’t be missing the obvious. The two smartest, coolest, most independent and least ideological — this is to say, most presidential and electable — candidates are the two Mormons, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman.

 

If the “cult” of Mormonism means that you raise a solid family, work hard, make money and do good for the greater community of mankind, then by all means pass the Kool-Aid.

 

© 2011 Kathleen Parker, The shameful bias against Mormons, Washington Post (12 October 2011)

 

 

The moral? — “Mormons ain’t the problem”

 

Letting ignorant and ideological fanatics take charge of our nation’s political direction is the problem.