This ones for you, Glen Beck.
I respect other folks religous beliefs. I know alot of really dumb and selfish people who share my general creed; and I know plenty of righteous people who follow different creeds.
But I find it weird when there are more and more strident voices calling for a "Christian America" that many of these same folks are willing to pretend that Mormonism is the same thing as Christianity.
It may seem trivial to those of you who don't care about religion - but for those who do - like many who profess fanatical Christian faith - these ideas matter.
More important, the Mormon Church isn't just an idea - it's a disciplined, heirarchically organized, VERY wealthy organization that is moving into American politics in a big way. Agree or disagree with the Mormon church - butkeep in mind that it's the Mormon Church.
Mormons believe that a new religious prophet, Joseph Smith surfaced in America in the early 19th Century. They believe that American Indians are the lost tribe of Israel; or that the gold Plates of Nephi, inscribed by god, were given to Joseph Smith in upstate new york (upstate new york????).
Momons have a long history of taking back supposedly devinely-inspired rules, like polygamy, exclusion of blacks, a ban on private property, when these rules are no longer expedient (sorry, God).
Yes, they acknowledge Jesus - but so do Moslems. Mormons believe a new apostle - Joseph Smith - followed Christ; just as Moslems believe that a new prophet of God - Mohammed - followed Christ; just as Christians believe that a new prophet (Jesus) followed Isaiah. We don't call Christians Jews - we call them Christians. Right?
Mormons believe that all other Christian faiths are dead wrong. All that holy trinity stuff, for example - claptrap. Mother Mary - junk. Reinhold Niebuhr - commie, don't even go there. Mormons believe ALL non-Mormon "christianty" is cut off from devinity - and that Joseph Smith, after 1800 years, offered the one true way back to God.
That's why he got those gold tablets delivered to him, in upstate new york.
Where are they, by the way?
That's fine - and you can take a religious creed literally, you can take it as a metaphor, or you can just go to the picnic and eat the potato salad.
But lets keep straight which creed is which.
Gen Beck is a Mormon. He preaches that the US is directly involved in some latter-day religious miracle - a direct continuation of the Smith mystique of present-day religious destiny. Like Smith, Beck changes his story from time to time.
Beck's whole schtick, including his covert racism, is straight Mormonism, served with a Foxy twist.
But why won't he say so?
In other words - Beck is a Mormon. So why not just call it the "Glenn Beck Mormon Revival Hour?"
Mormonism hasn't changed - its america - and American Christianity - that's changed.