“THIS AMERICAN LIFE.

Lessons in American Democracy: Mormons Are Americans, Too!”[1]

INTRODUCTION: As we look back to the time America was founded 235 years ago, consider for a moment: There were no democracies in the world then – none…nada – and certainly no nation was guided by a written constitution of laws, rights and freedoms.

At the First Continental Congress, which had adjourned in October 1774, they had agreed to meet again on May 10, 1776 – but only if necessary…only if there had been no redress of their grievances by King George III. That had not occurred. If Great Britain had its way, things would continue here as in the rest of the world – ruled by monarchs or despots.

            So as the Second Continental Congress prepared to meet, Thomas Paine wrote these words as the 65 nation-building delegates from the 13 colonies who formed the Congress were starting their work…starting from scratch. He wrote:

“We have every opportunity and every encouragement before us, to form the noblest purest constitution on the face of the earth.”

The founders began formally meeting in Philadelphia, May, 1776, and met through June and into July...reluctantly, and in fear of their lives. This was their reality: They would either be known as the Founders of a nation, or be hanged by the British as traitors.

To add to the seriousness of the moment, they were informed that on June 9 – one month previous – a British fleet of 132 ships had sailed from England for America. Sure enough, on June 29, some 50 British ships appeared on the New Jersey shore line. That number doubled in a few days.

It was in the midst of these pressures and fears that they acted. They did not count the number of their foes, or the potential negative consequences of their actions. On June 11, 1776, the Congress courageously appointed a committee to draft a document declaring their independence from England – even though it was a death sentence if their mission in nationhood failed.

 That’s why we revere the constitution that followed ten years later. These American scripture were written in the hope that one day there would in fact be a nation with a judicial system of judges and courts; a representative system with legislatures; and an executive branch with governors and presidents. That it would be government of the people, by the people and for the people.

So here we are today, some 225 or so years after a constitution was written and ratified. How have we done?

Seventy-five years after the Constitution’s ratification, a new chapter was written, and the ink in the pen was the blood of 500,000 Civil War soldiers; and in so doing, we rewrote the worst part of the constitution, which permitted the enslaving of human beings. 130 years after its ratification women were allowed to vote. Those were huge advances in America, and would be still in many parts of the world even today.

Then in 2008, most of us here thought that America had made a giant leap forward in the election of an incredibly talented African American president. Only 47 years prior, there had been legal segregation in the southern states of America. For many years afterwards, there was still deep-seated racism.

Not only we, but the world celebrated with us that such important racial strides had been made. There was such optimism and hope; in fact, hope had become a slogan signifying significant change from the policies and practices of the eight years of the previous administration. They were out of power and many thought it possible that the days of their brand of politics were numbered. 

Little did we know that there were those so wedded to power, that they would do anything to get it back. They in fact decided that there was such a tidal wave of support for the new president, that if they cooperated for the common good, worked with this president, and enabled the bold progressive changes he was hoping to make, they would never see power again. Incredibly, they made a decision which they have held on to until this very day: They would do what ever necessary to make sure President Obama was a one-term president. On issue after issue, he has had to compromise, eliminate, and diminish until it’s seemed as if he were wishy-washy and ineffective. When in fact, he was a victim of the other side’s not being willing to play by the rules if it would allow him to get credit.

Whether it’s cards, sports, or politics, it take both sides playing fair to make good things happen. Under the leadership of the Republican Senator from Kentucky, Mitch McConnell, the past almost three years have been a mockery of the democratic process. Bill after important bill has been derailed and disemboweled. We sit as a nation of people facing issues of foreclosure of our homes, loss of our jobs, lack of health insurance, an immigration problem crying for resolution, health care costs still rising, global warming, a banking system that took billions then refuses to loan to those in need, and a political system that has become the playground of the rich and powerful.

In less than two months, voting for a new Republican presidential candidate will begin. And the leading contender, strangely enough for America, is a Mormon.

One of the reasons for that being strange is, we’ve never had a Mormon this close to power. Mormons are a uniquely American expression of Christian faith. And for that reason, they have more of a claim on American authenticity than those of us who originated out of a European based religion. But who are Mormons?

            A week and a half ago, Joyce and I were in New York City for a family wedding event. While there we saw the Broadway hit, The Book of Mormon. It was a brutal attack and ridicule of Mormonism, while at the same time raising fundamental questions about missionizing and the practice of young men going around the world for two year terms as Mormon missionaries.

            There was great music and a great many laughs, but I sat there in significant discomfort at the ridicule of things held sacred by Mormons. I must admit that I find some of their beliefs quite naïve, and others downright objectionable. But in their almost 200 year history, they have changed, and changed for the better. And their two candidates for presidency, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman, stand heads and shoulders above most of the others.

            But I also believe there is something wrong with our system when we’ve only had one Roman Catholic president, John F. Kennedy. There’s something wrong when we’ve not had even one Jew. And there’s something wrong when a candidate is thought by some to be disqualified because of her or his religion.

            According to the U.S. Constitution, “... all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”

“No religious test shall be made of any candidate for any office.” And yet there are those who are so sure that liberal socialists are taking over America and disregarding our constitution…and yet they question having a Mormon as president.

            Since less than 20% of the electorate votes in primaries, that means that a small segment of voters in any state can have an outsized influence on the election. The candidates they support in those early primaries may ultimate be the ones who will be running in the General Election.

That’s nowhere more true than for those Christians we call evangelicals. Rick Perry is one…Michelle Bachman another, and I’m not sure of the claims of the others. But they are all seriously seeking to win evangelical support. And it does matter for a candidate serious about his election. Let me give you an example:

As you’ve probably read or heard, Mormons believe that ancient Israelites made it from Israel to America back some 1700 years or so ago …a variation on the lost ten tribes of Israel. Also, they believe that Jesus visited America during that time. And during the wars in that period of early America, one of the warriors buried tablets of gold, which Joseph Smith was divinely directed to and found later in upstate New York in the 1820s. (I’m sure I don’t do the story justice and I apologize: I’m not attempting to belittle it.)

That’s Mormon belief as I’ve related it. Now let me tell you something about evangelicals:

Have you ever noticed how politicians of any stripe will fall all over themselves to assure everyone that they are not only 100% in support of the modern state of Israel, but they are actually 1,000%? They would try to make you believe that they were supporting Israel before there even was an Israel.

            Now here’s the test question: Who are the biggest supporters of Israel’s laying claim to all of Israel and all of Palestine, and who also reject the two-state solution? The answer: Evangelicals. And why?

Because they believe that before the Rapture occurs, that is, the return of Jesus in the clouds, there has to be a modern state of Israel and it has to occupy the whole of ancient Israel, not just partially, but every bit of the territory Israeli.

Evangelicals really believe it. They’re called, pre-millennialists. They are big time supporters of the modern day state of Israel. Here’s an example of how it affects public policy:

A decade or more after the Six Days War in 1967, Israeli leaders began to understand what evangelicalism and its theology of the Rapture could mean for Israel in shaping American opinion. So starting in the 80s, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism brought 100s of evangelical pastors to Israel on free “familiarization” tours. And when they returned to America, naturally as ministers and pre-millenialists, they were among Israel’s biggest supporters. Which of course, they preached to their congregations. Now 20 to 30 years later, which segment of society is most active in the primaries of many states? Evangelicals. Which party has most of the activist evangelicals? The Republicans. And why are all the Republican presidential candidates 500% for Israel’s causes: Because so many of the activists in the primaries are evangelicals.

Let’s see now: Mormons believe ancient Israelites came to America and that Jesus appeared to them. And modern evangelicals believe Jesus will return in the clouds and take away true believers of the Church, just as soon as Israel has all the lands of the Palestinians.

Mormons, along with Christian Scientists, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, are uniquely products of the American way. Only in a land with a constitution that has a first amendment could that have happened. Our first amendment puts it this way: 

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble….

It’s one reason religion is so strong in America as compared to Europe.

CONCLUSION.

In the civic engagement course I’ve taught for several years at FGCU, and plan to teach again next year, we’ve always had a project in which I sought to engage them in some facet of the social and political system of Lee County.

One semester I had a bright young woman enrolled who came up to me after the first class and was deeply distressed. The project this year was working in teams to distribute absentee ballots to the underserved publics of this county: homeless, nursing home residents, 18-25 year olds, African Americans, Hispanics, landscaping and construction crews. She was crestfallen, having thought that the class would do something like the project I had the previous semester with the Immokalee workers. The reason for her disappointment: she was a Jehovah’s Witness. They don’t believe in voting.

I thought after learning about her: Isn’t it incredible to have a democracy that permits people as a part of their religion to promote not voting.

Then I realized that more than half of American doesn’t vote anyway, no matter what religion they are. So it didn’t seem such a big deal. But despite all of our failings – and the list continues to grow – the ship of state continues to sail. Many of us are worried that we may have pushed the envelope too far this time. There truly seems to an abuse of the system rooted in wealth and power that is rapidly eliminating a middle class and ignoring the lower class. And something has to give. Which is what Occupy America is all about. Which is why we must work not just to get out the vote, but to inform the voters of the consequences of not voting and of not being informed. And that Mormons are Americans, too!

Namaste. Shalom. Salaam Aleikum. Amen. And blessed be.