I am surprised at how out of hand the Romney-church thing has become

[Cali Coug]

I blame this largely on people at BYU and lower levels of the church not thinking about what they are doing.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650201262,00.html

The fact that two different business school deans would send a message from their school account in their capacity as dean soliciting support for Romney's campaign is symptomatic of just how closely many Mormons view their connections to the church and to the Republican party. Many act as if the party is the political arm of the church. I GUARANTEE you they would not have ever approved of a similar message for a democratic candidate.

If you represent the church or BYU, you MUST NOT BE INVOLVED in politics in your official capacity (and should be quite limited in your personal capacity).

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by hoyacoug

I blame this largely on people at BYU and lower levels of the church not thinking about what they are doing.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650201262,00.html

The fact that two different business school deans would send a message from their school account in their capacity as dean soliciting support for Romney's campaign is symptomatic of just how closely many Mormons view their connections to the church and to the Republican party. Many act as if the party is the political arm of the church. I GUARANTEE you they would not have ever approved of a similar message for a democratic candidate.

If you represent the church or BYU, you MUST NOT BE INVOLVED in politics in your official capacity (and should be quite limited in your personal capacity).

However these individuals also must be permitted to be politically active. I understand there is a fine line to be drawn and in this instance they were not careful enough –however it is unreasonable for any one person to expect Mit Romney not to attempt to access any and all levels of support at his disposal. If that is the case then no politician may approach a school or his own alma mateur for political support –such an idea is absurd. I do believe the media is being disingenuous in this instance.

The very notion that I, as an average Mormon male cannot think for myself in regards to matters of politics or society is actually exceptionally demeaning and woefully pious on the part of The Boston Globe or any other paper.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by tooblue

The very notion that I, as an average Mormon male cannot think for myself in regards to matters of politics or society is actually exceptionally demeaning and woefully pious on the part of The Boston Globe or any other paper.

Perhaps the Globe has been reading CougarBoard.

[MikeWaters]

personally I would be pissed if the machinery of BYU was used in an officially sanctioned way to support political candidates. That is not their mission. They should be doing education.

If they want to have Mitt come by and speak and handout his website address on flyers, etc. That's fine. But emails from the president to the student body and alumni urging them to vote for Romney? That crosses the line.

Arthur

[Archaea]

Yeah but the machinery of Harvard is used by liberal candidates, and especially the liberal professors go out of their way to support them. So professors with a more conservative agenda are supposed to remain quiet?

Official capacity should be neutral but the expectation that only liberal, radicals are allowed political activity is offensive.

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Yeah but the machinery of Harvard is used by liberal candidates, and especially the liberal professors go out of their way to support them. So professors with a more conservative agenda are supposed to remain quiet?

Official capacity should be neutral but the expectation that only liberal, radicals are allowed political activity is offensive.

Amen and amen. When at Marist, in a political discussion that was not related to the class (Psycology 101) I mentioned that I had voted (by absentee ballot) for Reagan in the '84 election, I was immediately bombarded with ridicule, scorn and insults from other students and the instructor. It got to the point that a week later after enduring snide comments every day from the instructor that I finally dropped the class and filed a complaint with the department head which he deemed not that big a deal.

Now, I agree that those at BYU who did this shouldn't use their position at a university to do so. However, the Globe is a liberal newspaper that is using it's position in the world of journalism to bitch about a Republican's religious affiliation which violates their nonexistent neutrality ethic, which, IMO, is no better than the weenies at BYU.

[Cali Coug]

Originally Posted by il Padrino Ute

Amen and amen. When at Marist, in a political discussion that was not related to the class (Psycology 101) I mentioned that I had voted (by absentee ballot) for Reagan in the '84 election, I was immediately bombarded with ridicule, scorn and insults from other students and the instructor. It got to the point that a week later after enduring snide comments every day from the instructor that I finally dropped the class and filed a complaint with the department head which he deemed not that big a deal.

Now, I agree that those at BYU who did this shouldn't use their position at a university to do so. However, the Globe is a liberal newspaper that is using it's position in the world of journalism to bitch about a Republican's religious affiliation which violates their nonexistent neutrality ethic, which, IMO, is no better than the weenies at BYU.

That, while inappropriate as well, is still not on the same level as having two deans from the business school write students from their school account urging them to vote for a Republican.

BTW, ridicule and scorn happen at BYU all the time too. Have you ever given a "liberal" opinion during class at BYU?

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by hoyacoug

That, while inappropriate as well, is still not on the same level as having two deans from the business school write students from their school account urging them to vote for a Republican.

BTW, ridicule and scorn happen at BYU all the time too. Have you ever given a "liberal" opinion during class at BYU?

Nope, but I'm sure I can understand. I'd say that the difference between our experiences would be that you were still of the same religious affiliation as the vast majority of the studentbody and faculty at BYU. At Marist, there were 11 members of the church when I was there. Most folks there were either Catholic in tradition only (meaning if they went to church it was at Easter and Christmas) or agnostic. There really was no common ground for me with anybody there.

A question for you: were you ever accused of being an anti-semite for your politcial beliefs? (Or in you case were you ever accused of not being worth to hold the priesthood?) I was. Several times, including by faculty.

Marist is one of the most hardcore liberal schools around. I think I can safely say that the only graduates from Marist that are not liberals are myself and Bill O'Reilly.

I did get a good ecucation there, but if I hadn't been offered a scholarship to play baseball, I never would have set foot on that campus.

[Cali Coug]

Originally Posted by il Padrino Ute

Nope, but I'm sure I can understand. I'd say that the difference between our experiences would be that you were still of the same religious affiliation as the vast majority of the studentbody and faculty at BYU. At Marist, there were 11 members of the church when I was there. Most folks there were either Catholic in tradition only (meaning if they went to church it was at Easter and Christmas) or agnostic. There really was no common ground for me with anybody there.

A question for you: were you ever accused of being an anti-semite for your politcial beliefs? (Or in you case were you ever accused of not being worth to hold the priesthood?) I was. Several times, including by faculty.

Marist is one of the most hardcore liberal schools around. I think I can safely say that the only graduates from Marist that are not liberals are myself and Bill O'Reilly.

I did get a good ecucation there, but if I hadn't been offered a scholarship to play baseball, I never would have set foot on that campus.

You wouldn't believe the things conservative Mormons have said to me for stating opinions on topics that I thought were fairly mainstream. Yes, I have had my right to hold the priesthood questioned (and have on this board multiple times as well). I have had people ask me how I can hold a temple recommend. I have had people suggest that Democrats cannot live with God after this life (and are deeply offended when I tell them James Faust was a strong Democrat and his family still is- he has toned down political activities for obvious reasons). I attended one of the most liberal schools in the nation for law school. I was a bit of a fish out of water there too, since 90% of Gtown attendees were far more liberal than I was. I also saw people attack those more conservative than I was. I will say, however, that in my experience, people at Gtown tended to be FAR more tolerant than most conservative Mormons. At Gtown, there was a general feeling of "let people hold whatever beliefs they have." In fact, in some ways that was annoying because it led to a high degree of moral equivalence, but it led to much better debate and dialogue than I ever saw at BYU (which led to far more learning than I ever saw at BYU).

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by hoyacoug

You wouldn't believe the things conservative Mormons have said to me for stating opinions on topics that I thought were fairly mainstream. Yes, I have had my right to hold the priesthood questioned (and have on this board multiple times as well). I have had people ask me how I can hold a temple recommend. I have had people suggest that Democrats cannot live with God after this life (and are deeply offended when I tell them James Faust was a strong Democrat and his family still is- he has toned down political activities for obvious reasons). I attended one of the most liberal schools in the nation for law school. I was a bit of a fish out of water there too, since 90% of Gtown attendees were far more liberal than I was. I also saw people attack those more conservative than I was. I will say, however, that in my experience, people at Gtown tended to be FAR more tolerant than most conservative Mormons. At Gtown, there was a general feeling of "let people hold whatever beliefs they have." In fact, in some ways that was annoying because it led to a high degree of moral equivalence, but it led to much better debate and dialogue than I ever saw at BYU (which led to far more learning than I ever saw at BYU).

I feel your pain, brother.

We political casualties need to stick together, eh?

Even if you are wrong.