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Show 6 - The Daily Utah Chronicle Monday, I.June 1998 Perspective Chronicle Editorial 5W The Baptists Are Coming And They Are Welcome VI 9, 12,000 Southern Baptists will arrive in Salt Lake City their annual convention, which will include door-to-donot unlike the proselyting of young Mormon missionaries. Why not have a convention here? Salt Lake is a clean, friendly city and a favorite among conventioneers. We've hosted a national square-dancr festival, the Gina Bachauer Piano Competition, and an NBA game. Neighboring Park City is home to one of the largest independent film festivals in the world, and of course the year 2002 means more to us than computer trouble. We should be flattered that another large, influential group has chosen our fair city for its summer fling. However, the nature of this convention and the sheer number of people involved has many Salt Lakers a litde antsy. Many see it as an invasion from a group that opposes the city's largest Saints. Some ask: religion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y "What do they want from us? Do they hope to convert the Mormon capital?" should still Perhaps they do, but Salt Lake both LDS and non-LDwelcome them. Whatever their differences, these two groups have many similarities. Both believe in strong families and oppose gambling, abortion, sex outside of marriage, drugs and pornography. Both churches also have humanitarian service projects. Mormons and Southern Baptists worked together to clean up after hurricanes and floods in the soudiern United States. A practicing Mormon and a practicing Southern Baptist live very similar lives. Although they do disagree on some points theologically and feel a need to convert one another, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Lively religious discussion often revitalizes and helps clarify beliefs. Any religious diversity in Salt Lake should be welcomed because of its capacity to provoke thought Churches are made up of individuals, each withs-- capacity to think for him-- or herself and arrive at personal conclusions. Each individual has a capacity to connect with and learn from other human beings on a personal level. The arrival of the Southern Baptists could be a very positive thing. They should not only be welcomed, but welcomed with open arms. The Daily Utah Chronicle is an Independent Student Newspaper. On June e All-Sta- - S a Unsigned Editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Chromcle Editorial Board. Letters to the Editor Why Weren't We Inaugurated? Dear Editor, Why were Doug Dubitsky and Kyle Roche inaugurated without the senate and the assembly members on Wednesday, May 20? Supposedly, ASUU Chief Justice Ryan Boyack claims that inaugurations have been piecemeal events in the past and it was completely appropriate to inaugurate Doug and Kyle in any fashion the supreme court saw fit. Well, why weren't the senate and assembly members inaugurated at the scheduled inauguration banquet on the previous Tuesday night of May 19? The injunction was intended to postpone only the swearing in of Doug and Kyle. Chief Justice Boyack claims that it was out of courtesy to Doug and Kyle. Then why didn't Doug and Kyle extend the same courtesy to the senate and assembly on the Wednesday Doug and Kyle were sworn in? And where was our current ASUU president on Wednesday afternoon? Had President Damond Watkins even been informed of the impromptu inauguration? I over heard Doug clearly saying that if anybody was inaugurated that Tuesday night, he would filibuster the banquet and embarrass the current administration. Is our ASUU Supreme Court subjecting itself to pressure and threats? I'm still wondering why I haven't been inaugurated. I didn't practically tie anyone. Why did Doug and Kyle have this privilege and not us? - Chad Coleman Assembly Member-elec- t College of Business Religion Breeds Intolerance and Hatred ST" Dave Hancock Chronicle Editorial Columnist Anyone who graduated from school (I'm assuming applies to most of you reading this column) has heard the story of the Crusades. The Crusades prove difficult to study because we simply cannot transport ourselves back a millen- nium and comprehend the age's mindset. It is certainly understandable that we are unable to grasp the perverse logic that compels men to attempt to force their religion on others. So removed are we from this" kind of thinking that we sense it is impossible for this type of arrogance to repeat itself in our modern world. Yet the potential for this type of destructive capability remains so long as religion continues to play a central role in people's lives. This is because modern fundamentalist religious thought is remarkably similar to its Crusades-crpredecessor; it differs mostly in degree and commitment. Fundamentalist religion claims a belief in an omnipoa tent, and, most importantly, perfect god. This perfect god has revealed his it's almost always a "he") absolute truth in some form of scripture, the most prominent in our country being the Bible. ra of examples which illustrates the fact that the or members of marginalized religions, God continues to reveal a perfect its Equally influential within our own community is the Book of Mormon and its accompanying LDS ideology, which claims that truth to modern-da- non-religiou- s, are consistently discriminated against by the "moral" majority. The' most extreme example of local intolerance by religious conservatives is the Eagle Forum and leader, Gayle Ruzicka. the Salt Lake Council's disgusting treatment of homosexuals. After the Council voted to rescind an ordinance that would have simply protected homosexuals' right to hold a job, Councilman Bryce Jolley admitted that his Mormon religious convictions played a role in deciding his vote. The Mormon position y on homosexuality is not much different from that prophets. I do not wish to suggest that these ideas are neces- sarily bad, simply that "When a person comes to ger to religion which must be recognized not only by secular atheists like myself, but also by the religious community see his or her own moral position as simply a personal construction, then one also is compelled to extend to others the same courtesy, and allow them the same right to frame their own, distinctly personal, ethical there is an intrinsic dan- itself. This danger, which advocates of religion must continually guard against, is intolerance. Because those who believe in either this Biblical or Mormon revelatory God have access to his perfect truth, they are code." sometimes loath to tolerate heathens who refuse to recognize and live their lives according to the dictates of the revealed truth. Obviously, in modern America this intolerance docs not approach the scale of the aforementioned Crusades. This docs not, however, mean that it does not exist. Our own community provides a pletho of other fundamentalist Christian religions. Put bluntly, Mormons hate homosexuality. They may claim to love the sinner, but this must be incredibly hard to do while at the same time maintaining an active loathing for that which comes to define many homosexuals in our viciously homophobic society. The arrogance and unjustifiably claimed moral superiority on the part of what most thinking people would simply label bigots goes without saying. Again, because Seemingly, Mrs. Ruzicka would not mind a "purging of the infidels'1 similar to the Crusades. Some of her statements and actions lead me to believe she docs not want my kind in Utah. Another more insidious example of intolerance and hatred on the part of religious political leaders is they have a monopoly on absolute truth, their moral code is very notion of God, and therefore also the idea of absolute truth, is rejected. When a person comes to see his or her own moral position as simply a personal construction, then one also is compelled to extend to others the same courtesy and allow them the same right to frame" their own, distinctly personal, ethical code. The Crusades are far from the only historical example of persecution and intolerance on the part of a religious majority. The Spanish Inquisition and the Salem witch trials would both certainly qualify. Even today, hatred and intolerance on a scale s'imilar to that of the historical abominations mentioned above continue to be perpetuated in the Middle East, and sadly, it is all in the name of religion. It is therefore naive to think we have somehow evolved beyond the point where those with religious convictions persecute and abhor those who they see as their adversaries. It cannot be overemphasized that the dangers posed by religion are the result of its absolutist logic and will not subside until that logic, and ultimately intrinsically better than anything that any fallible human being absolutist religion itself, The alternative to this type of thinking is the notion that no ethical position is inherently better than any other. This is because the remain vigilant in their opposition to fundamentalist religion and the intolerance and hatred that it almost invariably breeds. could come up with. is rejected. This is why people who truly care about human welfare must |