Remember Bill Keller, who told his parishoners that “a vote for Romney is a vote for Satan“? While I’m not sure he REALLY thinks that Governor Mitt Romney is Satan, he is quite clear that he thinks we are hellish creatures who, along with those who refuse to join his jihad, should be straightway sent to hell, where we belong. And, if his web site is any indication, given even the flimsiest of chances, he would personally dispatch us there.
While Keller is obviously malicious, like other venomous anti-Mormons, I find the candor and consistency in his hatred to be most refreshing. Too often, after hearing a laundry list of untrue evils that we Latter-day Saints are supposedly guilty, I hear the accuser complain with words to the effect of, “But I’m NOT an anti-Mormon! I LOVE Mormons!”
Sorry, Ace, but spreading untruths about people is NOT a sign of love toward them!
Keller, on the other hand eschews that ingenuousness. He is adamant that we Latter-day Saints are demons from hell, and non-anti-Mormons are Judases–neither of which merit any love or consideration whatsoever. I don’t like his malevolent stance, but at least he does us the courtesy of leaving no doubt at all where we stand. I really do respect that.
Moreover, Keller’s attitude is in refreshing contrast to anti-Mormons who call us demons, but do not advocate the only just punishment for such threats. CS Lewis (2002) leaves no doubt that those in league with the devil are threats to be exterminated:
If … we really thought that there were people going about who had sold themselves to the devil and received supernatural powers from him in return and were using these powers to kill their neighbours or drive them mad or bring bad weather, surely we would all agree that if anyone deserved the death penalty, then these filthy quislings did. [Mere Christianity. Scanned from 1952 edition. Retrieved 26 October 2009 from http://www.ntslibrary.com/PDF%20Books/Mere%20Christianity%20-%20Lewis.pdf, 16]
It irritates me whenever somebody accuses others of serious offences, but advocate unserious remedies. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., for example, accuses doubters of global warming of treason, but doesn’t advocate the death penalty. Either Kennedy is unaware of the gravity of treason, or he misuses the word.
Bill Keller has no such problem. Neither does Ed Decker, from whom Keller apparently gets his information. Dr. Dean Helland (1990) (PhD, Oral Roberts University) tells of his break with Ed Decker after anti-Mormon violence incited by Decker spilled over to members of Helland’s denomination [Meeting the Book of Mormon Challenge in Chile. Ann Arbor, MI: University Microfilms International. 116-130, 198-214]
“Sorry, Ace, but spreading untruths about people is NOT a sign of love toward them!”
Quite true.
We should be conscientious, however, in how we use the term “untruth.” It’s lately become a staple of political liberals to accuse people of “lying,” when in fact what those people have done is merely to decline to buy into the other side’s “spin.”
When there is a reasonable dispute over the proper interpretation of evidence, one side should not automatically accuse the other side of willful dishonesty.
Oh, and Keller delenda est.
What if I thought that a vote for Romney was a vote for Satan, not because he is a mormon (I am a member and love my brothers and the Church’s doctrine), but because of his platform?
Curtis 10/27/03: Then you’re basically in the same place as John Adams’ campaign manager in 1804, except with less excuse.
Thomas quotes Steve:
Thomas Says:
Indeed, though it is a staple of political extremists of every stripe (and not a few non-extremists, as well!).
Your point is well taken. I should rephrase it to say, “Sorry, Ace, but continuing to spread untruths about people–after being corrected–is NOT a sign of love toward them!”
Quite so! And you’ve brought back memories of high school Latin! Many thanks! 😉
Curtis, I don’t believe that voting for any LDS politician–even those who disagree with my political viewpoint–is “voting for Satan.”
If any members political views strays to the point that it is like voting for Satan, I would suggest that you follow the advice I offer in this post:
http://www.fairblog.org/2008/07/18/sustaining-evil/
Actually, Thomas, John Adams didn’t run for ANY office in 1804! 😉
“Actually, Thomas, John Adams didn’t run for ANY office in 1804!”
Aw, crud. I meant 1800.
Steve:
Thomas:
I knew that. I just couldn’t resist teasing! 😉
I guess I should back off of the Romney=Satan stance. It just annoys me to no end when a man says we need more Gitmos and calls a moderate, ex-leader of Iran visiting Harvard an insult to 9-11 victims. That sort of inflammatory rhetoric is exactly what the secret combinations of the day thrive on and Romney is (perhaps unwittingly) feeding right into it.
Haven’t read all the comments if this has been mentioned, but shouldn’t it be titled “Hate disguised as Courtesy”???
I think you have it backward given the content of the article. Cause, they in actuality are being hateful in their lies, degrading and untruths, but act like they actually “love” and care in doing it. Or did I miss something, maybe some subtlety you were making? No time to read it that close to see…. sorry.
Lee, you’re right–I DID get it backwards!
Maybe I’ve become dyslexic in my old age! 😉
Curtis says:
You might be right about your point, except that I wouldn’t exactly call Mousavi a moderate. After all, he WAS approved by the Mullahs–including the Ayatollah.
THe biggest difference is that Ahmadinejad wants to destroy Israel NOW, in a rain of nuclear explosions, while Mousavi want to destroy Israel piecemeal, so Muslims can occupy the land.
It is not unlike asking how you want to die–either by being fried quickly or by being tranquilised, then poisoned. Either way, you’re dead.