How do we treat our perceived enemies, the mysterious monster that threatens us? I know I struggle with this in my own life. "Ye are the light of the world" the scriptures say.The problem is that the light is not always on me. Sometimes I'm left to my own prejudices.
My christianity tends to really disappear when I am faced with the great beast -- like my big friend in fifth grade who looked like he was going to pop me one. Taking bad advice about defending myself with utmost force when threatened, I hit him with a school chair. He was knocked out cold for seconds. As it turns out, he was coming over to help calm me down. How easily bad intelligence leads to bad results.
How one responds to perceived threats is a test of character. I get to see what I'm really made of under the veneer. Unfortunately, I didn't like what I found that day or the consequences. I was suspended for a week.
There are also times that you have to enforce reasonable rules. Anyone with kids knows that. One may be accused of being grossly unfair but it is the best solution that could be thought up given the circumstances.
I am fascinated by how Utahans as a whole have treated "the others" -- those who do not belong to the dominant religion of this state as well as ethnic minorities -- Polynesians, Japanese, Greeks and other immigrant settlements, to say nothing of Native Americans.
Here is one story about how some Utahans have treated its sizeable population of Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans before, during and after WWII. I've heard stories at church about how kindly Japanese were treated. Well, here's a few that were not.
That last bit about no place for rent not even a barn sounds like the Christmas story, but worse. At least they had a manger."In Utah, police searched Japanese homes for shortwave radios, cameras, guns. They opened drawers, cupboards, scattering everything to the floor..."
"In dead of winter, warm wastewater was diverted onto cold railroad tracks in Garfield and suspicion fell to the Japanese. Jinzaburo was fired and ordered to leave "town" within three days. Accused with no recourse, the Matsumiyas, like so many of their countrymen, bowed to silence."
"...they went next to Payson looking at places to rent. "Even a barn would do," Chiyo said, "but we were told it wasn't for rent to 'Japs.' "
I see that I'm not the only one with blind spots. Humans will be humans. And before one gets angry at Mormons, these stories could easily be about Utahans who haven't stepped inside a church for generations. And who says there Mormon? Still, there is one thing that I do know -- we humans have a knack for cruelty to people outside our group while thinking we're the epitome of fairness and kindness.
D&C 121:39. We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
9 comments:
I'm just mean to those (mostly politicians, and do-gooders) that want to control my life.
To hell to them I say, to Hell!
I hear you. I don't want to live in some other guys vision of Utopia. No thanks 'cause most likely it's screwed up.
My wife is Japanese. I find that people here are very polite to her, sometimes, dare I say, overly polite. Still, her relationship with others in church and in the neighborhood is more of a working relationship. She has a hard time getting into the "inside". She also tends to be called to be primary counselor all the time. I guess she'll keep doing that position for another 20 years until she figures out how to do it right.
The church has generally been very tolerant of other religions. Downtown Salt Lake has cathedrals and places of worship that the church, stakes and members have helped build and support. We understand from our history what it's like to be persecuted by largely Christian communities for one's belief in Christ.
I once knew a black man that moved from Wash. DC to a small town in southern Utah. He felt much better about living in UT. Did not want to ever move back east. And his high school aged son, who was the sole black guy in school, was a hit with the local gals.
I think I once saw a black man down in Southern Utah. Must be the same guy.
Could have been.
I wonder what it would be like to be a non-Muslim in some place like Saudi Arabia.
Heck, do they even allow non-Muslims to build places of worship there? I guess we've all heard some horror stories.
I think we should be thankful we live in a tolerant society like Utah rather than some place where intolerance is part of the dominant religion and government.
Bob
Utah does have an incredible history of tolerence. After Wyoming, we were the second territory to give women the vote, way before the rest of the nation and way before Britain. That's a proud tradition.
I know in the old days South Africans were proud of their accomplishments and compared their liberties to the Congo or Uganda. But that's not entirely fair. We, the developed world, looked at them and said why can't you be more like us?
I'm glad the United States is not China but at the same time that never was nor ever will be the case. We were British citizens who weren't happy with second-class colonial rights. That is our legacy and we should be compared to the G8 at worst.
Developed countries have a standard that is different than third-world or even developing countries. Thirty years ago China was a basket case. Look at them now.
I have been to Saudi Arabia and seen the area in downtown Riyadh outside one of the main mosques where they were preparing to cut off the heads of certain criminals. The way I had it explained to me was that it was important for purposes of redemption that blood be spilt and that it be done so in public.
I'm glad we do not do that in Utah but Saudi Arabia was bedouin land less than a hundred years ago.
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