Religion's Role Inconsistent with Romney's Fairy Tale Speech
by BAR
contributing editor Mel Reeves
"Isn't it ironic that most of these self-proclaimed
religious folks have found a home in the most rightwing, mean-spirited
political party."
Republican presidential
hopeful Mitt Romney's speech, last week, was a
fairy tale and a total revision of the role of religion and morality in
US history. The speech, supposedly designed to allay fears about what role
his Mormonism would play in the Oval Office - actually raised concerns about
religion - his own, in particular - and the candidate's sincerity. But if
Romney's goal was to prove that he is just another one of the good old boys of
the "Christian" Right, he may have succeeded.
At any rate, all this
talk about religion and "values" has little or nothing to do with the way these
people behave politically.
Romney declared, "it is important to recognize
that while differences in theology exist between the churches in America, we
share a common creed of moral convictions" - which raises the question: what
would those be? He went on to expound
upon what he called a "moral inheritance we hold in common," - he also used the
term, "moral heritage" - that "is shared and lived in my religion as it is in
yours." Americans, Romney claimed, want to vote for people of faith who share
values such as, "the equality of human kind."
Who is he kidding? Please. Black folks, other
people of color and anybody else that is considered an "other" in this society
are still fighting on a daily basis to find this so-called equality. A recent LA
Times/Bloomberg poll found that one in three Americans want to deny social
services to undocumented immigrants, including public schooling and emergency
room healthcare. Need I say more?
I am starting to think that when it comes to the religion
of folks who run for office in the US, we should institute a policy of, don't
tell and we won't ask. And isn't it ironic that most of these self-proclaimed
religious folks have found a home in the most rightwing, mean-spirited
political party. George Bush keeps telling us what a devout Christian he is,
yet I as a Christian have no idea what he means by the term. Bush, Romney, Rev.
Mike Huckabee and the other candidates should just tell us that they go to
church and be done with it. Everyone knows that folks who just go to church
aren't expected to be serious adherents to the faith.
"When it comes to the religion of
folks who run for office in the US, we should institute a policy of, don't tell
and we won't ask."
One fundamental expectation of religious folks
is that they at least show love for their neighbor. These guys have a peculiar
way of doing that.
Bush, while professing faith, turns right
around and starts lying about the need to start a war with a sovereign country
that hasn't threatened his country. He professes faith, while occupying yet
another country, to which he has brought only death, destruction and pain. He
professes faith, while allowing his minions to flaunt international and
domestic law, denying habeas corpus and allowing torture. He professes faith,
while cutting needed health care aide to children.
Conservative candidate Reverend Huckabee
suggested in 1992 that AIDS patients be quarantined and funding cut for AIDS
research - and that Hollywood actors should personally finance the
research. Huckabee made these statements long after it was learned that AIDS is not contagious
through casual contact. As Massachusetts governor, Romney opposed efforts to
work with fellow New England states to help clean up the
environment. Although Massachusetts instituted a health care plan which
some claim is better than most states, Romney didn't back the plan based on
religious conviction. Instead, he said it was good for business - the true
epicenter of his faith. Romney has flipped to the Right on immigration issues.
Was this a decision based on religious conviction? I think not.
Faith shouldn't be much of a concern when
selecting a candidate for high office, but since he brought it up, black folks
ought to be made aware of some of his church's history and doctrine. Romney
suggested that he didn't have any explaining to do, concerning his church's
distinctive doctrines. He may not have to explain it but he should be sure to
put some distance between it and him. If someone running for any office said
their favorite book was Mein
Kampf, we should definitely pay attention.
"Black folks ought to be made aware
of some of his church's history and doctrine."
Until 1978, the Mormon church held that blacks
were an inferior race, cursed by God,
and could not enter their Priesthood. The
book, "Mormon Doctrine", written by Church of Latter Day
Saints Apostle Bruce McConkie, in
1966, states, "Negroes in this life are denied the Priesthood; under
no circumstances can they hold this delegation of authority from the Almighty
(Abraham 1:20-27, the Book of Mormon). The gospel message of salvation is not
carried affirmatively to them...negroes are not equal with other races where
the receipt of certain spiritual blessings are concerned, particularly the
priesthood and the temple blessings that flow there from, but this inequality
is not of man's origin. It is the Lord's doing."
Since the priesthood is something that nearly
all adult males are entered into in the Mormon Church, this doctrine excluded
blacks from effective membership in their church.
The Latter Day Saints believe that the descendants of Lam
and Lemuel took the wrong side in the battle of the angels and were therefore
cursed. The curse was their blackness. What makes this particular brand of
racism so pernicious is that the Mormons say this was God's doing and His will,
not their interpretation of his will. So, to make it clear, they accused God of
being the bigot. In other faith traditions there has been a willingness to
admit that their racist beliefs were the result of bad interpretation. But the
Mormons put the onus squarely on God - and that they later received a contrary
revelation, in 1978.
"They accused God of being the
bigot."
Of course, Christian traditions have some of
these same kinds of passages in their Bible, but most have come to realize
that, taken out of context, such words can be used to do real damage. Most have apologized for their
wayward interpretations, including the Southern Baptist Convention, which in 1995
publicly stated, "We lament and repudiate historic acts of evil such as
slavery... We apologize to all African Americans." Romney's church has yet to apologize.
The most egregious of Romney's tall tales
centered on the church's - or religion's - role in the fight against slavery
and racism. Romney said: "Whether it was the cause of abolition, or civil
rights, or the right to life itself, no movement of conscience can succeed in
America that cannot speak to the convictions of religious people"
Somehow I remember the end of slavery
occurring despite the resistance of millions of religious whites. Jim Crow
segregation and racial discrimination were, in fact, articles of "faith" among
most southern whites for generations.
A more accurate description of official religion's role
during the civil rights era was pronounced by Martin Luther King Jr.: "Far from
being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure ...is consoled
by the church's silent - and often even vocal - sanction of things as they
are."
"Jim Crow segregation and racial
discrimination were, in fact, articles of "faith" among most southern whites
for generations."
These "Christians" and religious folks running
for office offer little or nothing in the way of enlightenment when it comes to
racial disparities that still exist in employment, education, the justice
system and in society in general. None of them have led the way on any other
issues (war, socialized medicine, fair and just immigration, workers rights)
that would suggest they are inspired by any kind of moral guidepost.
Mel Reeves is a political activist living in
Miami, and can be contacted at mellaneous19@yahoo.com.
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