"At Least He's Not a Muslim"...er, wait..what?

Is this a political blog? Perhaps. Actually, I think it is more religious. And, it is long. You may skip this blog if you like, but it's been brewing in my brain for weeks now.

I have had this conversation twice, not once, but twice with two different patients. Both were women in their 70's.

Woman- "So are you Mormon?"

Me- "Yes, I am!"

Woman- "Oh that is just great. Are you voting for Romney?"

Me- "I do generally vote Republican." 

Woman- "Well I am voting for him too, and I don't care if he is Mormon." 

Me- "His religion should not stop you."

Woman- "At least his is not a Muslim like the one we have now." 

Oh dear, all credibility lost in my mind. 

Where do I start? 

1.) First of all the man himself claims to be Christian. Click here to read and article about how he found his faith and what it is based on.  He currently does not claim to follow any single denomination. That is not unusual in the U.S. Click here for a great link to look at religious affiliations in America. Here is a quote from the article-

"At the point of his decision to accept Christ, Obama says, "what was intellectual and what was emotional joined, and the belief in the redemptive power of Jesus Christ, that he died for our sins, that through him we could achieve eternal life—but also that, through good works we could find order and meaning here on Earth and transcend our limits and our flaws and our foibles—I found that powerful.""

2.) I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Although the name Jesus Christ is in name itself, we often have to defend our claim that we are Christians. Mormon.org is a great source to check out doctrinal views. If a man claims to be a Christian because he believes in the redemptive power of Jesus Christ, I have not place in calling him to be a liar. That being said, our criticisms of President Obama should be based on his policies and how our opinions match up with the platforms of the Democratic party.

3.) And what if Obama, or any other candidate elected were a Muslim? Not all elected government officials are Christian. Click here for statistics. There is no innate wickedness in following Islam.

Here in America the view we see predominately in the world are the extreme versions of Muslims, the radicals and the terrorists that misrepresent Islam. This week we are seeing Muslims fired up and protesting outside embassies in the Middle East over the movie mocking the prophet Muhammad who are calling for death to the evil Americans. Those extremest are no more a representation of the 1.5 Billion Muslims (21% of the worlds population) then the man who made the disgraceful film represents the views of all  314+million Americans in a world of 7+ Billion people.

4.) Double Standard. We can't fathom the idea of a Muslim as President, yet some of the most distinguished humanitarian awards that can be given in this country have been given to the legendary Muhammad Ali...a converted Muslim. Just this month he received the Liberty Medal, and in 2005 Ali received the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

5.) Finally what does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have to say about Muslims and other non-Christian faiths?

 

Elder B. H. Roberts (1857–1933) of the Seventy also spoke on this doctrine: “While the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is established for the instruction of men; and it is one of God’s instrumentalities for making known the truth yet he is not limited to that institution for such purposes, neither in time nor place. God raises up wise men and prophets here and there among all the children of men, of their own tongue and nationality, speaking to them through means that they can comprehend. … All the great teachers are servants of God; among all nations and in all ages. They are inspired men, appointed to instruct God’s children according to the conditions in the midst of which he finds them.” ³

President Howard W. Hunter of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “As members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we seek to bring all truth together. We seek to enlarge the circle of love and understanding among all the peoples of the earth. Thus we strive to establish peace and happiness, not only within Christianity but among all mankind.” ⁷   

Elder Smith observed that Muhammad was “descended from Abraham and was no doubt raised up by God on purpose” to preach against idolatry. He sympathized with the plight of Muslims, who, like Latter-day Saints, found it difficult “to get an honest history” written about them. Speaking next, Elder Pratt went on to express his admiration for Muhammad’s teachings, asserting that “upon the whole, … [Muslims] have better morals and better institutions than many Christian nations.” ⁹ 

Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles focused on the common spiritual heritage of Mormons and Muslims. After quoting a verse from the Qur’an, he observed:

“God is the source of light in heaven and on earth. We share the belief with you. We resist the secular world. We believe with you that life has meaning and purpose. … We revere the institution of the family. … We salute you for your concern for the institution of the family. … Mutual respect, friendship, and love are precious things in today’s world. We feel those emotions for our Islamic brothers and sisters. Love never needs a visa. It crosses over all borders and links generations and cultures.”

 ^{That about sums it up! I just hope that your reasoning behind voting or not voting for an individual doesn't start with this phrase- "At least he's not a Muslim".}