The American Worldview Chronicle: Issue #3
by
Frederick Meekins
Some Mormons Less Cultic Than Others?
For obvious and justifiable reasons, a number of Evangelical leaders often cast a suspicious gaze atMormon figures in American public life. After all, though the two systems of belief share a similar vocabulary at certain points and often both hold to traditionalist assumptions regarding social morality,these perspectives differ considerably regarding the nature of God as well as the origins and destiny of man.However, the least that the orthodox Christian commenting on public affairs ought to do is to try andmaintain some kind of consistent policy towards those advocating what could be considered adoctrinally questionable religious viewpoint. It seems that instead of basing such characterizationssolely upon the beliefs such voices claim must take precedence above all other considerations, suchanalysis is often skewered in favor of those most likely to ensure that the particular pundit in questioncan retain a position as the water carrier of the entrenched political establishment.For example, in his 9/16/11 commentary transcript, Cal Thomas mentions Rick Perry presenting histestimony before an audience at Liberty University. Thomas closes his brief analysis by concludingPerry's testimony isn't all that important beyond its existential value as it is more important how one'sfaith works itself out in a President's policies. Thomas astutely observers that believers have had thewool pulled over our eyes numerous times in terms of politicians saying one thing and doing another.Thomas concludes, "But if Mitt Romney, a Mormon turns out to be better to defeat the President andadvance policies with which most Evangelicals agree, then he should be the one the President'sopponents get behind."From the standpoint of an objective political calculation, Thomas is correct. However, since the publication of "Blinded By Might: Why The Religious Right Can't Save America" in which he and co-author Ed Dobson heaped criticism upon the Religious Right by exposing the shortcomings of JerryFalwell and the Moral Majority (an organization both men saw from the inside), Thomas has gone outof his way to downplay the role conservative Christians ought to play in politics.Since Thomas's coauthor went from a standpoint of being apolitical to losing his marbles by taking onthe less than kept grooming habits of an Old Testament prophet insisting that the Scriptures insist thatthe only properly cast ballot had to be for Barack Obama, you'd think Thomas might have realized hemight have been duped into castigating conservative Christians into a state of hyperpious quietism.However, it seems Thomas continues advocating this perspective selectively whenever he thinks doingso might win him a few scraps of dwindling recognition from media and Republican elites.For whereas we are suppose to gleefully march behind Romney (Thomas no doubt in part so he can ask the former Massachusetts governor who does the candidate's cranial dye job), his tone regarding Glenn
Beck, another prominent Mormon, is markedly different.In the transcript of the 4/11/11 Cal Thomas commentary, the columnist warns, "Beck is not only aMormon, he frequently drifts into universalism." Writing in particular to the news of Beck's ouster from Fox News, Thomas muses, "They come and they go in this business...and eventually flame out..Put not your trust in princes and kings. That goes for show hosts, too."This from the very same media figure that just a few paragraphs back was getting all aboard theRomney express.Evangelicals do need to be cautious regarding Mormon theology. For example, in his book "The RealAmerica: Early Writings From The Heart & Heartland", Beck said a number of things that would makea true believer's hair stand on with goosebumps had it come from the lips of anyone else.In one passage, Beck said that he thought the Trinity, the idea that the Godhead is composed of thethree distinct personages of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, was laughable and that there wasno such thing as Hell.Which brings us to another point. It is interesting how Beck can ridicule the most profound belied andmystery of the greatest number of Christians in the world (that being those that grant assent to theecumenical creeds such as the Nicene) but the entire Republican Party stands ready to burn at the stakea single pastor that dared enunciate as to why he would not be endorsing Mitt Romney for thenomination.What the pastor said was technically correct. If Americans inclined themselves a bit more towardsreligious reflection, they would know that the word "cult" does not necessarily denote a sect thatultimately meets with a violent end as a result of authoritarian leadership as in the cases of Johnstown,Heaven's Gate, and the Branch Davidians.A cult can be any group that splits off from one of the larger world religions and is distinct from the parental creed it has separated itself from by either renouncing the more orthodox formulations of adoctrine or by promulgating a new dogma or revelation that the more orthodox adherents of the larger faith cannot embrace in good conscience.For example, Mormonism holds that God was once a man not all that different than the rest of us whoworked his way up to that status and that we too can also one day become deities over our own little planets as well. Traditional Christianity holds to the idea, that Beck snidely derided, that God existsexternally from everlasting to everlasting in the form of three distinct unified persons. God is completein Himself and does not grow or learn over time as claimed by the Later Day Saints.The prominence played by Mormonism in the 2012 election cycle has presented American Christians ingeneral and Evangelicals in particular with a unique set of challenges. On the one hand, believers areobligated by Scripture to speak in a firm but loving manner in defense of their own beliefs while pointing out distinctively where that faith is incompatible with Mormonism. And on the other, in aconstitutional republic recognizing the freedom of religion we each posses as individuals created in theimage of God, Mormon citizens have every right to engage in the same forms of civic participation thatall Americans enjoy and sense a profound duty towards. by Frederick Meekins
Leftist Commemoration Undermines Resolve Against Terror
Yes. Perhaps this is being posted a bit late. However, the points are still valid. If you are going to bethat condescending, perhaps you should be reminded that you seem to be spending an inordinateamount of time online obsessively reading columns and articles of those you snidely dismiss as lessaccomplished than yourself.It is said that the only thing we learn from history is that we don't learn anything from history.Following the attack on 9/11, the nation's leaders as epitomized by the members of Congress joining onthe steps of the Capitol in patriotic chorus vowed that they would be vigilant against the laxity of policyand perspective that left the door wide open allowing such a tragedy to transpire in the first place.However, in the decade since then, little has changed in the hearts of many that would prevent anoccurrence of similar or greater magnitude from happening again in the future.Under the auspices of the National Cathedral, an interfaith memorial was to be held in Washington,DC. Since the President and a number of representatives from a variety of religious perspectives werescheduled to speak at the service, the event was billed as and assumed to be one promoting an inclusive brand of diversity and spirituality.It is estimated that nearly 20% hold to a theology or worldview classifiable as Evangelical in nature.Critics might respond that is only a small percentage of the population and as such the perspectiveshould not be catered to with a proverbial seat on the dais.If that is the case, then why should a number of other faiths have been included that did next to nothingin laying the foundation upon which this country was built or offer little in addressing the 9/11 attack.One could argue that, at least, Islam should have been allowed on stage to offer an apology for theentire awful mess.The number of Hindus, Buddhists and Jains in this country no doubt come in at a percentage far belowthat of the Evangelical Right. A number of these Eastern faiths are emphasized over that of Evangelicalism because of the tendency of these creeds of the Orient to ignore the reality of thetroubles plaguing mankind rather than addressing how to really resolve them as in traditionalChristianity.Leftwing religionists, such as those organizing the memorial service sponsored by the NationalCathedral, despite clinging to the Christian name do not like to admit evil manifesting in human livesknown as sin exists. Pantheism --- the philosophical backbone of Hinduism --- denies the objectivereality of sin altogether.Popular conceptions of Hinduism further down the chain of enlightenment consist of an infinite number of gods (though adherents of a multiplicity of deities still get as jacked out of shape as a monotheisticJew if a family member comes to Christ as Lord and Savior). However, among elites, the multitude of divinities are not so much distinct personalities but rather representations of the singular unified realityknown as “Brahman”.In fact, according to the adherents of this outlook, we ourselves are not really independent consciencesdistinct from the comprehensive totality (“Atman is Brahman”). What we perceive as the self is merelyan illusion. This is summarized by the teaching of “maya”.
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The American Worldview Chronicle: Issue 3
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