Mormonism’s Black Issues

[Blue_Tires]

Mormon Apostle Dallin Oaks chose a friendly audience deep within the Book-of-Mormon-belt for his now controversial October 13 speech in defense of the Mormons’ ongoing fight against same sex civil marriage. Speaking to students at Brigham Young University-Idaho, Oaks decried the continuing erosion of religious freedom and the declining influence of religion in the public sphere, before mounting a strongly-worded defense of “the ancient order” of marriage against the “alleged ‘civil right’ of same-gender couples to enjoy the privileges of marriage.”

Elder Oaks recalled expressions of outrage directed at Mormons and acts of vandalism against Mormon temples and wardhouses committed after the November, 2008 passage of Proposition 8 outlawing same-sex marriage in California. (Mormons, who make up 2% of California’s population, contributed more than 50% of the individual donations to the Proposition 8 campaign and a sizeable majority of its on-the-ground efforts.) The post-Proposition 8 backlash was, he stated, comparable to Civil Rights Movement-era “voter intimidation of Blacks in the South...”

...But most of Oaks’ respondents politely sidestepped an even deeper paradox troubling his Black-Mormon analogy: the fact that Mormons have our own long and peculiar history of discrimination against African-Americans.

MSNBC commentator Keith Olbermann alluded to this history when he gave Oaks his daily “worst person in the world” award on October 14. Comparing the Proposition 8 Mormon backlash and the harassment of Black voters was especially inappropriate, Olbermann argued, because Mormons had been “on the wrong side of integration.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints prohibited individuals of African descent from joining the Church’s lay priesthood (open to all devout Mormon men over the age of twelve), serving as missionaries, or participating in Mormon temple ordinances from 1849 until 1978, a fact that many Mormons today find difficult to talk about or explain.

In the earliest years of Mormon history, during the 1830s and 1840s, six or seven African-American men including Elijah Abel (1808 – 1885) and Walker Lewis (1798 – 1856) were ordained to the Church’s priesthood. But under the leadership of Mormon Church president Brigham Young, the ordination of African-American men ceased, African-American men and women were prohibited from temple worship, and intermarriage was officially discouraged.

http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/religionandtheology/1931/mormonism%E2%80%99s_black_issues_#

[kwassa]

1. This, um, apostle is a former Utah Supreme Court Justice

and here he is telling Obama about his geneology.

Irony, or what? this guy really doesn't get it.

see picture on this page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallin_H._Oaks

[Number23]

2. Is the Civil Rights struggle not taught in schools anymore?

What is behind idiocy like this, that seems to be so damn common right now??

"The post-Proposition 8 backlash was, he stated, comparable to Civil Rights Movement-era “voter intimidation of Blacks in the South...”

I've seen more butt-ignorant, monstrously embarrassing, despicably false comparisons/"allegories"/analogies/metaphors etc. etc. to the black struggle and the Black Civil Rights Movement in this country in the last 12 months than in my previous 30+ years of life.

And the people who make them get all wide-eyed, shocked and horrified when black people and educated whites say "what in the name of all that is holy are you talking about?!!!?"

The fact that this man thinks that as a member of an organization that has actively and PROUDLY discriminated against black folks that he can compare his struggle to the black experience would have made me pick my jaw up off of the floor a year a half ago. Now, I'll just add him to the list of ignorant people who have no clue, no perspective and no understanding of black history but want to compare their every struggle to the black experience.

Who knew that we had become the Benchmark for Misery in this country?? Seems like everyone can compare their struggles to black folks -- well, except actual black people apparently. Then we get accused of "playing the race card." Why, I just happen to have one in my pocket!

[firedupdem]

4. Most perfectly stated! n/.t

[Fire1]

5. This makes me wonder about Gladys Knight. What did she

possibly gain from Mormonism that she couldn't get in any other Christian denomination? To each his own, I guess.

[kwassa]

6. My ex was interested in Mormonism ...

and what appealed to her was the sense of community and family and the way Mormons helped each other out, both professionally and privately. She didn't look very far into the doctrines and expectations of women in particular, or of the history in regard to African-Americans.

Around the world Mormons have evangelized very aggressively with minority communities since their policy change, and have made many conversions. However, they don't hold on to a lot of these converts.

[jmm]

3. I have a black friend who was Mormon for awhile.

The offered her help during a rough time in her life but quickly she realized their help was conditional. She felt used and finally left when they tried forcing her to participate in baptizing Holocaust victims.

I remember when Mitt Romney and his people cried about him being "attacked" for his faith when Joe and Ted Kennedy questioned racism and sexism in the church especially since he was Mormon long before the priesthood ban was lifted. Ted and Joe for all their person issues were willing to repeatedly speak out when they disagreed with the Catholic church. I'm all for religious freedom but too often the Church and its followers pretend this freedom is being attacked when people shine a light on or asking for an explanation of their faith's tenants.

[noiretextatique]

7. a curiosity, like the black republican and the platypus

the black mormon. worked with one briefly...she was a black female too. hands down the strangest, most repressed person i've ever met. i am sure she thought i was the devil incarnate since i'm a lesbian, but she was very polite. not the brightest bulb in the light bulb factory though.

[FreeState]

8. I had a friend in college that was a former Muslim turned Mormon

I went to school in Utah and she was probably one of maybe 200 black students at the school. Oddly enough she was always the first to stand up for GLBT rights on campus despite her religion or previous religion. So luckily there are Mormons, even Black ones, that are not all that steeped in the racism or homophobia of their religion (how I dont know - wish I could go back and ask her some questions now. We did talk about it once but it was a very polite discussion of how she dealt with the racist issues and she basically said she ignored them and hoped for the best in time).

As a former Mormon I get infuriated at people that say the church is not racist *anymore*. Like you can just turn off hate - never mind the fact that people of color are absent from the leadership in SLC 30 years after they magically turned into non-racists.

Heres the current highest leaders: