Trump and Harvard

[Moksha]

I wonder if BYU will submit an Amicus brief in defense of the Trump administration's attempt to limit the academic freedom of Columbia and Harvard Universities. They could make the case that the money could be better spent on them to develop more efficient administrative musket fire against both LGBTQ students and Palestinians.

[Kishkumen]

The LDS Church has been oddly silent this whole time. It’s probably because a high percentage of their members drank the Trump Kool Aid.

[Gunnar]

The LDS Church has been oddly silent this whole time. It’s probably because a high percentage of their members drank the Trump Kool Aid.

Do any LDS leaders and academics have both the sense and courage to speak out against Trump and MAGA extremism and cruelty? I would bet that some members, like Ajax, would leave the church if its President and Prophet ever expressed any serious criticism of Trump as a person or his policies.

[Kishkumen]

Do any LDS leaders and academics have both the sense and courage to speak out against Trump and MAGA extremism and cruelty? I would bet that some members, like Ajax, would leave the church if its President and Prophet ever expressed any serious criticism of Trump as a person or his policies.

That’s just it. The fact that Trump is an Antichrist is not bad enough to lose half of the membership in North America over, in their calculations. I am guessing, but I bet this is true.

[Gunnar]

Answering my own question from my last post: Thou shalt not vote for Trump. These prominent Latter-day Saints view that as a command from God.

Four prominent and politically active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe they know whom God would not endorse for president: Donald Trump.

The faith’s scriptures, they reason, spell out divine qualifications for public service.

“Honest men [and women] and wise men [and women] should be sought for diligently, and good men [and women] and wise men [and women] ye should observe to uphold…” it reads in Doctrine and Covenants 98. “I give unto you a commandment, that ye shall forsake all evil and cleave unto all good.”

These members — Christine Durham, a past chief justice of Utah’s Supreme Court; Brent Ward, former U.S. attorney for Utah; Richard N.W. Lambert, a retired assistant U.S. attorney for Utah; and James W. McConkie II, a civil rights attorney — declared in interviews Thursday at the Utah Capitol that Trump is not “honest, wise or good” and thus should not get Latter-day Saint support.

It is not just a general recommendation, they argued, but rather by way of “commandment.” Nor is it a partisan issue, they believe, as the foursome includes two Democrats, a Republican and an independent.

They have spelled out the case in an online petition, titled “LDS Opposed to Trump,” explaining what they believe are Trump’s lies and his actions toward others, and are hoping to help their fellow believers more clearly see that he is “unqualified” for office as established by God.

If a person, regardless of their ideology, fails the character test, then I think we have an affirmative responsibility to oppose that person, and the Lord gives the reasons,” McConkie said, quoting Latter-day Saint scripture further, “because, ‘when the wicked rule, the people mourn.’”

Latter-day Saints “should be sounding a war cry when we have somebody that’s off the charts,” the attorney said, “when you measure his moral character.”

The way the former president “treats women, his disdain for the military and the disabled, and his antisemitism and his racism.” Durham said, “all of those are, in my view, entirely incompatible with any notion of Christian compassion.”

She points as evidence to Trump’s repeated lies about Haitian immigrants in Ohio who migrated legally, to his exaggerations about “millions of immigrants” crossing U.S. borders each month, and his pressure on Republicans in Congress to vote against a bipartisan immigration bill that could have eased the influx.

[Kishkumen]

Yep! It is true that prominent members have said these things. Prominent members have played an important role in defying, opposing, and fighting Trump. But the LDS Church does not go after the support of evil political leaders. They just don’t touch that with official Church opposition.

[Gunnar]

Yep! It is true that prominent members have said these things. Prominent members have played an important role in defying, opposing, and fighting Trump. But the LDS Church does not go after the support of evil political leaders. They just don’t touch that with official Church opposition.

I think it is at least somewhat cowardly of the top ecclesiastical leaders in the church hierarchy to not officially denounce Trump by name for his immorality and criminality. That would not be a partisan thing. Much of what Trump has done or is trying to do is opposed on moral and legal grounds by people from all partisan persuasions, including an increasing number of prominent, respected Republicans.

[Kishkumen]

I think it is at least somewhat cowardly of the top ecclesiastical leaders in the church hierarchy to not officially denounce Trump by name for his immorality and criminality. That would not be a partisan thing. Much of what Trump has done or is trying to do is opposed on moral and legal grounds by people from all partisan persuasions, including an increasing number of prominent, respected Republicans.

The respectable Republicans bailed on Trump a long time ago.

[Gunnar]

I think it is at least somewhat cowardly of the top ecclesiastical leaders in the church hierarchy to not officially denounce Trump by name for his immorality and criminality. That would not be a partisan thing. Much of what Trump has done or is trying to do is opposed on moral and legal grounds by people from all partisan persuasions, including an increasing number of prominent, respected Republicans.

The respectable Republicans bailed on Trump a long time ago.

Well, of course! Those are the respectable Republicans I'm talking about! Perhaps I should have said "previously prominent." There are still, hopefully, a few who are or will become respectable enough to bail on Trump.

[Dr. Shades]

I think it is at least somewhat cowardly of the top ecclesiastical leaders in the church hierarchy to not officially denounce Trump by name for his immorality and criminality.

Perhaps this doesn't contradict your statement, but for well over a century and a half the church hasn't denounced any politician by name for any reason. That's its modus operandi.

That would not be a partisan thing. Much of what Trump has done or is trying to do is opposed on moral and legal grounds by people from all partisan persuasions, including an increasing number of prominent, respected Republicans.

But Trump is an American phenomenon, and the LDS church is a worldwide church. To be consistent, they'd have to denounce many, many leaders from many different countries.

And you know what? I'm glad the church doesn't denounce anyone. Religion needs to stay the Hell out of politics, if for no other reason than to avoid getting its/their members killed by retaliatory actions from said denounced leaders.