Anti-Bigotry Initiative

[jonny]

While searching for some stuff today I ran across a site of a Mormon apologetic. On the home page of his site he had the following announcement:

Important NOTICE: After considerable introspection, and having prayerfully contemplated the wise counsels of friends and loved-ones, I have determined to shift my efforts from LDS Apologetics towards developing alternative approaches to defending the restored gospel of Christ. Specifically, I hope to establish at least two non-profit organizations: 1) an LDS version of the Anti Defamation League (intended to abating religious bigotry in general, and prejudice against LDS in particular); and 2) “Houses of Healing” (an organization devoted to curing the “disease” of religious bigotry and anti-Mormonism, and to help mend broken hearts, minds, spirits, and souls). For a more detailed explanation of the why’s and what’s, please click here.

I thought that this was an interesting an innovative approach to dealing with religious bigotry - instead of fighting against it, try to cure it.

The site looks pretty new, but you can check it out here: http://www.aros.net/~wenglund/abi1.htm

I was wondering what people thought about it. It's similar to something that I've personally wanted to start for years, on a much broader scale (instead of dealing with bigotry against Mormonism dealing with bigotry against any religion in general). Do you think that programs like this would be effective or does a belief that leads to bigotry have to be so strong in the first place that any effort to combat it is worthless?

 

[Sunstone]

I imagine you will never eliminate bigotry from our species, but at least you can do something to miminalize it.

 

[Eynah]

I think it would depend on the person. You have to be willing to be cured of something like that. So, at the very least, I don't think it will ever happen. And these organization will need to be careful. At times, I think, the best intentions can create more of what they are wanting to stop.

 

[YmirGF]

Sounds great on the surface, but I have already had it up to my eyeballs with groups telling me how I should be thinking. I am quite annoyed by the notion that I am a bigot because I intensely dislike a group or ideology. If I am vocally against the Nazi Party, am I not a bigot? If I am anti-communist, am I not a bigot? If I am anti-republican, am I not a bigot? Bigots are folks who are not politcally correct.

Frankly, I do not hate any group or anyone, per se, but I really don't see why I should give them the time of day. Nor do I understand why I should respect their ideas. Seriously, no one here would let an open sore go unattended before going to a physician. It is my feeling that simply ignoring groups with half baked ideas is not particularly wise. Do we just let the David Koresh's and Jim Jones's of the world alone and let them do their thing?

 

[maggie2]

It's interesting, but what I noticed in the quote you provided from his page is that he only seems to want to cure any bigotry that is directed against Mormons. Sad. I think the only way to cure religious bigotry is to work on ALL forms of it. For example, why not also try to 'cure' bigotry against Muslims, Wiccans, Jews, etc. etc. His interest is in getting others to quit being bigoted against HIS faith. I don't think that is such a great thing.

I do, however, hope and work towards religious tolerance...but for all faiths, not just one or another. To that end, if you are really interested in helping in this way, you might want to check out http://www.religioustolerance.org They have a great site dedicated to creating dialogue between various religions.

 

[jonny]

It's interesting, but what I noticed in the quote you provided from his page is that he only seems to want to cure any bigotry that is directed against Mormons. Sad. I think the only way to cure religious bigotry is to work on ALL forms of it. For example, why not also try to 'cure' bigotry against Muslims, Wiccans, Jews, etc. etc. His interest is in getting others to quit being bigoted against HIS faith. I don't think that is such a great thing.

I do, however, hope and work towards religious tolerance...but for all faiths, not just one or another. To that end, if you are really interested in helping in this way, you might want to check out http://www.religioustolerance.org They have a great site dedicated to creating dialogue between various religions.

Hi Maggie,

His focus is on bigotry towards Mormons. He is an LDS apologetic and has decided to take a different approach than he has in the past. If he gets it going I think I'll just start referring my antagonists on the forums to his 12-step program. :biglaugh:

I agree with you that tolerance is needed towards all faiths (as you can see in the post I made at the beginning). I was just looking for people's thoughts on whether or not bigotry is something that can be healed.

 

[jeffrey]

I think religious tolerance towards all religions is a good idea, but alot of people view the Mormons as being bigoted towards blacks still. I know that since 1976, the Mormons have tried to clean up their act, but stories of how blacks are treated by Mormons in Utah still surface.

 

[jonny]

I think religious tolerance towards all religions is a good idea, but alot of people view the Mormons as being bigoted towards blacks still. I know that since 1976, the Mormons have tried to clean up their act, but stories of how blacks are treated by Mormons in Utah still surface.

I don't know if that is bigotry as much as it is ignorance. When you get outside the cities out west there just are not a lot of black people. Somehow I've got into circles where I have a lot of black friends and we have discussed what you are talking about quite a bit. They do feel that sometimes they have been treated differently because they are black, but they didn't seem to indicate is was because of predjudice and I have never heard them refer to it as having anything to do with religion (most of them are Mormon themselves).

I'm not denying that there isn't any of what you are talking about. I have heard older people say things that would fit into what you are referring to, but I think it is a generational thing and not a religious thing.

This brings up something that I also wanted to discuss in this thread. I don't know that bigotry can be healed. I think it is something that has to die out. One generation recognizes the mistakes of the prior generation and somehow gets past the predjudice. Do you agree or disagree?

 

[Feathers in Hair]

I think it can be healed. I've seen it happen several times here one the forums- people come in bristling for a fight with people of a certain path and every so often they learn that their bigotry is not only not helping them, it interferes with their ability to get to know some wonderful people.

So I think any effort to heal bigotry is a good thing!

 

[jonny]

I think it can be healed. I've seen it happen several times here one the forums- people come in bristling for a fight with people of a certain path and every so often they learn that their bigotry is not only not helping them, it interferes with their ability to get to know some wonderful people.

So I think any effort to heal bigotry is a good thing!

Good point. I wonder if there are any former bigots who want to fess up and tell everyone what changed their views.

 

[jeffrey]

It took, from what I understad, the Catholics 150 years to figure out that blacks have souls too. I'll quote the one verse in the bible that is repeated more then any other one... 'And it came to pass'.. Ditto to what feathers said... Time heals all wounds.

 

[Master Vigil]

The only way to stop bigotry towards one's self is to stop being a bigot to others. So the only way he will stop bigotry against mormonism is if he can get ALL of mormons to stop being bigots. That I see is impossible, but I'm sure he can definitely try.

 

[jonny]

The only way to stop bigotry towards one's self is to stop being a bigot to others. So the only way he will stop bigotry against mormonism is if he can get ALL of mormons to stop being bigots. That I see is impossible, but I'm sure he can definitely try.

:areyoucra So are you saying that it was the blacks fault that there was so much predjudice against them for all those years in our country's history or does this comment only apply to Mormons and religious people?

 

[Master Vigil]

I didn't say the "cause" of bigotry was being a bigot to others. I just said that it was a necessity to stop bigotry.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

If that were the one goal being discussed, I could understand the need for a group in the entirety to not be bigoted. However, it doesn't seem to be.

 

[jonny]

I didn't say the "cause" of bigotry was being a bigot to others. I just said that it was a necessity to stop bigotry.

I actually agree with you, I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. Bigotry towards a group seems to end up with bigotry in return. I guess, as with everything, change starts with yourself.

 

[Scuba Pete]

The only way to stop bigotry towards one's self is to stop being a bigot to others. So the only way he will stop bigotry against mormonism is if he can get ALL of mormons to stop being bigots. That I see is impossible, but I'm sure he can definitely try.

Amen Bro! Amen!

However, ALL religions have bigots in them. Even among those who claim to have no religion, there are bigots. It has nothing to do with agreeing with everyone. It has everything to do with respect and not hating the persons involved.

Jesus broke many taboos: the woman at the well was both the wrong gender as well as being a Samaritan. He drank and ate with sinners and tax collectors and even TOUCHED lepers! Simply Amazing!

 

[john63]

I don't like the use of the word "tolerence" when referring to eliminating bigotry. I prefer the word "harmony".

Tolerence implies that you still have bigotted feeling, but you're putting up with it for the sake of peace. Everyone knows that nobody can put up with anything they don't like or agree with forever. Eventually the tension builds and then the poop hits the fan. I don't think it's a good idea to have multitudes of people and groups "tolerating" each other. Wars start because of it.

 

[jeffrey]

Well stated, NetDoc! And jonny, with people like yourself, that realizes the problems and tries to change them, good things well happen. I've heard some things that Hinckley, your president?, stated back in the '50's. Think you need to be president!

 

[john63]

The only way to stop bigotry towards one's self is to stop being a bigot to others. So the only way he will stop bigotry against mormonism is if he can get ALL of mormons to stop being bigots. That I see is impossible, but I'm sure he can definitely try.

Excellent post.