Author: Chris Henrichsen

Many of you, like me, are very familiar for the work of Bored In Vernal. She has accepted our offer to guest post a little around here.

She solo blogs at Hieing to Kolob.

Her work at Mormon Matter can be found here.

Welcome!

I think I may have mentioned earlier that Enoch is now a permablogger with us, but it is worth repeating.

Also, after lengthy and amazing guest stints, oudenos and BHodges have consented to join our permanent ranks.

I am personally very excited about these new additions to our crew.

Welcome, welcome.

I woke up this morning to find out via Facebook that Elder Marlin K. Jensen had apologized for Church participation in Proposition 8 (the headline was later changed to him apologizing for Prop 8 and later to “personally” apologizing).

I was a tad skeptical. After a bit of digging, I am downright cynical.

This was an apology to a small group… done in private.

Carol Lynn Pearson’s comment  on the Mormon Matters thread is informative:

The headline “Elder Marlin Jensen Apologizes for Proposition 8″ is a bit misleading. I was present at the meeting. There was a great deal of pain expressed by a number of people about their experiences around Prop 8 and the larger context of church policy regarding gay people. It was a remarkable meeting, and Elder Jensen took copious notes and was visibly emotionally touched as he listened to the stories. At no time did he say anything like, “I know Proposition 8 was a mistake and I apologize for that mistake.” He was responding personally and in general to the extraordinary pain he was witnessing. No one had a tape recorder, but I wrote down the words, “…Do we owe an apology? I will say I am sorry. To the full extent of my capacity I say I am sorry.” It was a sincere and moving statement. It would not be constructive to make his statement sound like something it was not. The meeting itself was an historical event, for which I and many others are deeply grateful.

The thing which gets to me is that this story is not being shared as a way of highlighting the compassion of Elder Jensen (which is this account does). It is instead an attempt to show a crack amongst the general authorities. It is a gotcha moment. However, I think that the event should be viewed as a servant ministering. Will Apostles and Seventies have intimate meetings like this in the future if they will be used for publicity by those that disagree with Prop. 8.

Dehlin thinks that “we should seize this as an opportunity and tell every living, believing member in the church the news. If the church is forced to clarify, all the better. Double-speak must never be allowed again. The Internet can help us make sure that happens. Maybe this really is a new step for the church. Let’s act like it is, and see if we can help to make it so.”

Sure, I understand the desire to use a “sincere and moving statement” for political purposes. I likely do it all the time. However, if ones intent is to change the positions of the Church, this is going to be viewed as an attack. The best that can be realistically hoped for is gradual change. Twisting those small moments and using them against the Church is…well…a jerk thing to do.

There seems to be a hope that the Church will change its approach to gay marriage and homosexuality. I do not think this is likely to happen. My guess is that many are still waiting for the Church to reverse their opinion on the Equal Rights Amendment. I support the legalization of gay marriage. I voted against constitutional amendments banning it in both Utah and Idaho. Maybe I have long given up on wanting the Church to officially agree with me. However, I am also not bothered when they do not.

I applaud Elder Jensen for addressing the issue in the format that he did. He is a favorite in these parts for his role as Church historian and his role as the official LDS Democrats. I hope we can follow his example. This is much better than exploiting it. Of course, if we need a General Authority to tell us to be compassionate and Christ-like, we are pretty useless.

Scholaristas is a new blog. I love it.

It is written by a historian, a literature and religion scholar, and a political scientist. No wonder it rocks!

The thing that I love about Scholaristas, is that it is an academic approach to feminism and women studies. It draws upon feminist theory and feminist methodology. So do I!

I am often saddened be the disconnect between movement feminism and feminist theory and methodology. I think this frustration is similar to that which a theologian might have over people of faith not being willing to engage issues of theology because they are more comfortable just reciting articles of faith. I am not sure what to do about that gap, but Scholaristas helps to lessen my frustration.

If you are a fan of FPR, you will enjoy Scholaristas.

Here are some great posts that you should check out:

Judith in Gulabi

Sports and the Battle of the Sexes in the Classroom

The Pink Issue of Dialogue, Part I and Pink and Personal, Dialogue Part II

Girls Only? Is Gender Studies a Women-Only Game?

And the latest:

Patriarchy without Men?

I am developing a number of models of Mormon political conservatism. The first model that I am looking to describe in Ezra Taft Benson conservatism. This is not just the political conservatism of President/Elder Ezra Taft Benson, but a broader type of conservatism that is symbolize by the thought of Benson.
Below is the start of the description. I am trying come up with a brief and concise definition of this model. My hope is to have a basic description and not to paint it as good or bad. What am I missing? What aspects have I worded in a misleading way? I fully recognize that I have a bias here.

Ezra Taft Benson conservatism follows a strand of Constitutionalism which associates the U.S. Constitution with small government. All federal programs are suspect, if not some sort of communism. The American Project is a Christian one. There is also a “camel’s nose in the tent” approach to welfare programs and regulation. All programs are the start towards communism.
While federal intrusion is looked down up, a return to practices such as school prayer, are seen as highly desirable. In this sense, it is not libertarian, but arch-conservative. Abortion, gay rights, and other aspect of social liberalism would heavily opposed.

Some elements of ETB conservatism are rather distant from current debates. In particular, ETB was heavily connected to anti-Communism. As a result, Benson heavily favored the military annihilation of the Soviet Union, North Vietnam, and China. While, John Birch Society conservatism has long loathes international organizations like the United Nation. This loathing is partially rooted in a concern about the loss of national sovereignty, but also rooted in a concern that international cooperation might weaken anti-communistic resolve.

More recent versions of John Birch Society conservatism, both the society itself and the Ron Paul “revolution,” have reverted back to more isolationist conceptions of foreign policy. This form of isolationism was more prominent amongst conservatives prior to WWII. ETB conservatism takes a very serious interest in the idea of the “Constitution hanging by a thread.” Likewise, American Exceptionalism takes a very nationalistic form amongst ETB conservatives.

ETB conservatism can be found in a number of segments. Of course, there is the political and religious writings of Elder Benson and President Benson. These range from his speeches on the 1960s conservative circuit to his talks in General Conference. The works of Cleon Skousen also fall within this model . The Naked Communist, The Naked Capitalist, and The 5000 Year Leap would be primary examples, though Skousens lectures and articles are plentiful.

Today, Glenn Beck, who is very much directly inspired by Skousen (by his own admission), is the most active element of ETB conservatism. Now, Beck brings a rather lively performance to this style of conservatism, but the content of it is clearly with ETB conservatism.

I really am approaching this with my political scientist hat on. All comments are welcome. I will likely have questions for you as well.

We had out lesson on Hosea last week and it sounds like a number of people had that lesson today.

Ardis shares her lecture notes with us on Keepa.

All this talk of Gomer and whoredoms reminded me of a Smashing Pumpkins that was released shortly after my mission.

So, will we always be His whore?

September 8, 2010

As a people who experienced religious persecution, we are alarmed by the growing tide of religious fear, intolerance, and violence evident throughout the world. We join our voices with other religious leaders to denounce any religious persecution and specifically anti-Muslim actions, such as Dove World Outreach Center in the USA, which plans to burn the Qur’an on September 11. Such attitudes, behaviors, and actions reflect hatred rather than Christ’s example of love; divide rather than break down walls that separate people; and ignore Christ’s call for his disciples to be peacemakers, ambassadors of reconciliation, and advocates for justice.

We challenge you to speak out against religious intolerance and actions that damage relationships and are contrary to Christ’s example of love and mutual respect. Led by the Holy Spirit, members and friends of Community of Christ must work with God and others to restore peace to creation and create communities of Christ’s peace and justice in our families and congregations and across villages, cities, tribes, and nations.

THE FIRST PRESIDENCY

Advocates of justice? I love these guys. More later.

I have recently read two posts on testimony the I have loved:

Ronan’s beautiful “On these three thing hangs my testimony.”

And Enoch’s thought provoking post on sharing “nuancimony.”

In honor of these posts (and the addition of Enoch as a permablogger to FPR), I share with you this testimony:

It is my great pleasure to introduce our new guest blogger: BHodges. He is a familiar name and face around the bloggernacle and Mormon Studies circles. A recent graduate of the University of Utah (GO UTES!) in communications with a minor in religious studies, BHodges blogs at Life on Gold Plates.

Blair has published reviews and articles in a number of places (he really makes me look bad in this regard), including an article titled “All Find What They Truly Seek”: C.S. Lewis and the ‘Virtuous Unbeliever’ in the recently published Fall 2010 edition of Dialogue.

So, please welcome BHodges to FPR.

Now, go comment on his first post.

Now that I live in Wyoming, I feel that I must speak out on something. The title of rodeo clown is being misused and abused for a vile purpose.

A certain somebody claims that he is just a rodeo clown. Does he know what rodeo clowns do? I doubt it because rodeo clowns put their lives on the line. After a bull rider has been tossed from the bull, the rodeo clown leaps into action. Their goal is to draw the attention of the angry bull away from the rider who is very vulnerable to attack by the bull. The rodeo clown puts his life on the line.

Compare this to a disk jockey who taps into white anger. Not all that hard. Sure, it requires the ability to tap into the anger of the majority demographic, but few things are easier. While he may look silly doing what he does, it is not for protecting one who is vulnerable, it is often rallying the many against the vulnerable.

A clown…maybe. However, not a rodeo clown.