In the words of senator Harry Reid, “I am a Democrat because I am a Mormon, not in spite of it.” I share the same sentiments as the senator, as my religious and political beliefs cannot be separated.
I believe in progressive taxation. I believe that universal healthcare should be extended to all citizens of this nation. I believe that illegal immigrants should be treated with compassion and kindness. I believe in diplomacy over military action. I believe in environmental protection. I believe in equal marriage for same-sex couples. Also, I believe in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
This post is not about my specific stance on gay marriage, immigration, or tax law, but my overall sentiments as a Mormon Democrat.
I have faced a lot of opposition and shock from fellow ward members and friends upon learning that I am a Democrat.
“You mean… you’re not voting for Mitt Romney?!”
or,
“So, you voted for Obama?!” *look of disgust*
or my personal favorite,
“You’re a…. a….. D Word?”
Yes, I have actually been asked these questions… On more than one occasion. All I can do is smile, answer their questions, and enjoy the look of shock on their face.
On a more serious note, I have actually had my salvation and worthiness as a member of the church called into question due to my political affiliation. Some of my like-minded friends have even been told that their temple recommends should be revoked.
While the church is predominantly republican, I am not alone as 17% of Mormons are democrats (see: http://www.pewforum.org/Christian/Mormon/mormons-in-america-infographic.aspx). In fact, even prominent Mormon leaders have been democrats: best example James E. Faust, 2nd counselor in the First Presidency, politician, and self-proclaimed liberal.
While I could go on all day about how I believe the Democratic Party best represents the teachings of the gospel, I won’t go into specific detail. I’m not asking all the conservative Mormons to jump ship and join the Obama-train, but I would ask for a little respect, understanding, and open-mindedness.
All too often, there seems to be an assumption that all faithful members of the church hold conservative ideologies. I cannot begin to count the number of times I have heard an impromptu Mitt Romney rally given over the pulpit in sacrament meeting, offensive jokes about Obama told in Sunday school, or outright derogatory comments made about liberals.
There are faithful members of the church from every point on the political spectrum. We should appreciate the wide variety of opinions held by members and the subsequent opportunity to learn and grow. All I ask is that we respect member from every political affiliation, and don’t jump to hasty generalizations about the worthiness of those of differing political opinion.
I believe in equal marriage, progressive taxation, and universal healthcare, and at the end of the day I still believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord, Savior, and Redeemer.
-- Melanie Nelson
Well said Melanie! Charlie
ReplyDeleteRaised by two Republicans in an extremely Democratic area, I always thought of myself as quite conservative. Then I came to BYU and realized that in fact, my political beliefs leaned much more center than I had ever realized. And Melanie, I see exactly what you are talking about! So, thank you. Thank you for speaking up and recognizing this intolerance created by some members of The Church.
ReplyDeleteAlthough many members of The Church find themselves to be Republicans, this is by no means a requirement of our faith. In fact, I would argue that faith in and of itself is something way larger than political parties. I'd hope that we could all leave our political biases at the doors of the Stake Center, but that's probably asking for the impossible. So maybe we could just ask that if politics are to be alluded to or explicitly brought up in Church settings that they are done so respectfully and in a manner meant to strengthen our testimonies of Christ and his great gospel. I personally think that's a fair enough request.
Sarah Overson
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ReplyDeleteMelanie I completely agree! I have never really considered if I really leaned toward the Democrat or Republican side. In recent months though, especially here at BYU, I have noticed that I am more in the middle. I as well get criticized when I say we need to treat illegal immigrants fairly but then I get respect when I say that I support some of the Republican views.
ReplyDeleteI think members need to realize just because we're Mormon doesn't mean we have to Republican and support Mitt Romney. Not either party is necessarily the "right" one. We are entitled to believe in any way we want and we shouldn't be put down due to it. We need to respect each other's political view and not judge someone based on their political affiliation.
Celia Rivera
Melanie this was a very intriguing post. I went to a liberal arts high school in Utah where we had people fall in every category of political ideas. I've found that I'm someone in the center. If you had to put an awful general label on my political ideas then the closest target would be an independent. Moderation all things is my goal.
ReplyDeleteI do however disagree with a notion that being in a specific party falls more in line with the doctrines of Christ. Obviously, there are good and bad aspects to each of the predominant parties. The reason the Church does not advocate for a certain party is because they know there are evils and positives to both ways of thinking. Christ taught us to love all people and seek after righteousness and one day we won't have any need for debates and arguments over which way is better because Christ will lead us. Until then, I hope everyone educates themselves and gives serious thought to an open way of thinking before they check the affiliation box on voter registration.
Heather Bennion
If more members understood the political history of the Church, I think there would be far less prejudice (which I define as uninformed/unsubstantiated opposition) than there is now. If I remember correctly, President Heber J. Grant was a Democrat, and so were many other members, both general authorities and others. There used to be a "Church" political party (called the People's Party I think) up until about the time of Utah statehood; in order to more effectively interact with the rest of the states in congress, etc, the party was disbanded, and most members became Democrats (due mostly to the Republican opposition to polygamy). So for a while, attitudes were opposite of what they are now, but I think they changed due to the association of "the Left" with Communism, as well as other policies or events which led to a fear/dislike of big government.
ReplyDeleteI consider myself a Republican (though I am very liberal about some things), but I really don't like it when people are either Republican or Democrat without knowing why. I also don't like it when people vote solely on the basis of party affiliation. When they do, I think it is lazy and irresponsible; in my opinion, it is better to refrain from voting than to vote blindly.
I think there is a great temptation for conservative Church members to do this now, because of Mitt Romney. Your first quoted question represents the attitude that I'm trying to avoid this year. Admittedly, it would be cool to have a member as President of the United States, but depending on what he says and does, his being there could either help or hinder the Church. His being a member does not guarantee presidential quality, and I think it is our duty to find out who is the best one for the job.
A couple of related points for all of us to think about: there are things the Church comes out and makes a stand on, which they often conveniently print in publications such as True to the Faith and often post on their website, http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/topics-and-background/, but there are many issues that they do not come out on. I do feel that an important part of being a faithful Latter-day Saint is following what the Prophet and the Scriptures say when they do say something about it. But beyond that, it is up to us as members of a democratic nation to try to understand as best we can what policies and leaders will be best for our cities, states, and nation.
ReplyDeleteI also feel that the current polarization of our party system is not helpful, contentious, and potentially dangerous. This needlessly creates the illusion that for every policy topic imaginable there are exactly two possible answers and that if someone feels strongly about a majority of the issues that a particular party agrees with, then I should blindly agree with the rest of that party’s positions. I have a hunch that there are many members of the Church who have become hard-core conservative Republicans this way. As a Church, we do not support abortion, with three possible exceptions (detailed on the Mormon News Room site under “Abortion.” The Church also tried very hard in California (and other states) to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. We also believe in the general idea of accountability and personal agency. Because the Republican Party is often regarded as the party that aligns more closely with Church members’ perceived ideas on these few, albeit important, issues, some members perhaps then go on to rationalize that the “Republican” position on every other issue is also what the church stands for, from immigration to welfare to health care to foreign policy, despite some member’s viewing that the Church’s doctrines may, in fact, align more easily with the “Democratic” view on these things, as Melanie has alluded to. Many members see the teachings in Mosiah 4:13, 16-27, for example, as suggesting a kind of “safety net,” whether at a governmental, religious, or individual, level, such as is found in many so-called “liberal” modern welfare states, such as Canada, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
At any rate, I feel like the whole way of looking at our nation’s problems in an “either/or” way drastically reduces the effectiveness of a democracy and discourages innovation and “thinking outside the box” which is something many Americans are proud of. In the current system, those few politicians who “think outside the box” by seeking innovative solutions, compromising with the other party and forming their beliefs on an issue-by-issue basis often lose primaries and are called “flip-floppers.” I definitely feel like we can be responsible adults and agree to disagree and compromise as needed even when we may not agree entirely with everything. That is part of what it means to be a pluralistic democratic republic.
Kenneth Dunn
Thank you for posting this about being Mormon and Democrat. Especially here at BYU, people quickly assume that everyone is Republican. However, I have found that there are many more Democrats than most people think, but often times they hide their political views because some are quick to attack.
ReplyDeleteThe important thing is to recognize it really doesn’t matter if we are a democrat, republican, socialist, or communist. Just because someone is LDS their politics are defined by the culture of the Church. We are not completely defined by being democrat, or by our religion, but we are defined by who we are as individuals, and we get to express that. Indeed, that is the great thing about living in a free country, and being part of this religion, is that we can choose to worship how we want, and in the Church we can also choose to have the political views we want without fear. I think it is important for everyone to feel free to express their views openly without worry about condemnation. Everyone can grow from learning from a different perspective, even if it is not their own.
Jenna Jackson
Thank you for your declaration Melanie. I have found myself in a similar position over the last few years, as I have become more politically aware and decided for myself that I resonate more with a democrat ideology than a republican one.
ReplyDeleteI have found it both sad and slightly entertaining that my two parents, upon learning of my political persuasion, have literally been on a quest to change my mind. My dear Mum and I have debated social and economic issues for hours on end. Both my parents have given me literature to read to change my position. I wouldn't mind all that much except for my parents' and others' reasons why I should not be a democrat, the reason that you alluded to, that one cannot be a democrat and a Mormon.
One might my Mum when as far as to say being a Democrat was not compatible with the gospel because belief that the government should have such a strong hand in economic and social issues is supporting restrictions on agency. Mum things Democrat policy is anti-agency, and thus, anti-gospel. She feels like if the government would just let everything alone, good people would step in to help those who are unfortunate and government programs would not be necessary. She thinks it is wrong for the government to force people to be "charitable". I love my Mum, but sometimes she and others with her view come off a bit naive to me. She puts too much faith in the American Dream working, but I don't think she understands "how the other half lives", how difficult it is to break out of class without help. It would be nice if everyone was celestial and helped everyone else, but until that day people who are at a disadvantage deserve a hand up, and if the government needs to regulate that, then so be it. Everyone deserves as much of a fair chance as we can give them.
I am a democrat and a faithful member of the church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints, as many have been before me. I am what I am because I have studied the issues, and have decided for myself where I fall on those lines.
-Eleesa Fluckiger