The Unseparated Church-State

I love Utah.  It is one of the most beautiful, geographically diverse places on the planet, and it is home.  I have spent all but 7 of my nearly 33 years in Utah and it is truly where my heart lies.  However, there are some things about it that rub me the wrong way.

Before I get into those things, let me just gloat on the good things about Utah first.  Other than along the Wasatch Front, it’s not crowded.  South of Spanish Fork, the most populated area is St. George and at its best, it boasts a population of maybe 115,000.  Now, to me that is still a big city because I grew up in a small farming town where in the whole western part of the county there was only about 4 or 5 thousand people total!  Anyway, we have it all in this state:  mountains, lakes and rivers, open meadows, pine and juniper forests, scenic drives, diverse wildlife, red rocks, granite caves, 5 national parks, numerous state parks, several national monuments and recreation areas, and even a glacier (unless it has totally melted by now).  With all of that comes an abundance of activities including skiing and snowboarding (greatest snow on earth-just check out our license plates), water sports, hiking, mountain biking, marathon running...the list goes on and on.  Literally the only thing we don’t have is an ocean with nice sandy beaches...unless you count the Great Salt Lake...

Anyway, all of that makes this place sound like heaven on earth, and among all of the things just listed, it is the home of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), more commonly known as Mormons.  Now, before I continue I will say that I am indeed Mormon, however, I am not a “practicing” Mormon because organized religion just is not my thing.  I can have my own spiritual relationship with God without sitting in church every Sunday and participating in all the activities that go along with that.  I figure if I live my life in a good, meaningful way all the time, I’m doing alright.  And if that isn’t correct, then I guess I’ll be judged for that at my own day of reckoning.  It’s no one else’s place to judge me because I don’t actively participate in church functions.

Ok, back to the story.  As the dominant religion in the state, the better part of the population runs its life on the teachings, rules, and guidelines of the LDS church.  This is fine and dandy.  It is also fine and dandy that people in positions of authority, namely the state government, mostly are LDS.  After all, freedom of religion is a real thing in this country.  What is NOT fine and dandy though is when the church gets involved in the making or passing of laws and uses its influence to sway the lawmakers in this state to approve or oppose various laws.

Remember how I said that freedom of religion is a real thing?  Well, separation of church and state is also a real thing, at least in the other 49 states.  Utah was founded by Mormon pioneers fleeing religious persecution in the eastern half of the country so I get it that the whole basis of its existence started with the church.  However, once Utah became a state in 1896, the church *should* have left the government.  It didn’t.  Utah has and likely always will be, to some degree, a theocracy.

In case you’re wondering why this is a big deal, let me turn your attention to the most recent issue with the church overstepping its bounds.  There are two issues actually...last week a bill was presented in the state senate to increase the punishment against those who commit hate crimes.  Most notably against perpetrators of hate crimes against LGBT people.  Cool!  Yes, let’s please harshen the punishment for people that commit hate crimes, duh!  That just makes good sense.  No one should ever be a victim a crime just because they live a different lifestyle than someone else.  So what’s the problem?  The church issued a statement that it opposes the bill because

“The Utah Legislature achieved something extraordinary last year in arriving at legislation that protected both religious liberty rights and LGBT rights,” the church said in a statement. “Interests from both ends of the political spectrum are attempting to alter that balance. We believe that the careful balance achieved through being fair to all should be maintained.” (Credit to KUTV2 news for the quote, found here)

That statement is so vague it doesn’t even make sense.  No attempt to specify how or why the so-called “balance” would be altered by a bill that simply increases the punishment to those who commit hate crimes.  I’m still scratching my head on that.

What’s worse is that this statement actually persuaded some senators to vote against the bill!  Holy crap Batman...are you serious???  And what is even worse than that is the senator who presented the bill, who has spoken out against the Church’s involvement in lawmaking, will probably receive some sort of backlash from church leaders because of it!

Moving on...another recent and ongoing issue that the church has stuck its nose into is the potential of legalizing medical cannabis in Utah.  So many Utahns are stricken with chronic pain, autoimmune diseases, and other diseases that could benefit directly from the legalization of medical marijuana.  But it seems instead that the Church would rather have them rely on mass produced pharmaceutical drugs (which likely carry a higher rate of abuse and addiction and many times don’t work) than use a natural remedy to ease their suffering.

Anyhow, there are currently 2 bills being presented in the House of Representatives concerning legalization of medical marijuana.  The Church publicly opposed the first bill because it focuses on legalizing whole-plant cannabis for medical use.  It has no objection to the second bill because it focuses only on extracts of cannabis with “trace amounts of THC.”  There are benefits to both and in my humble opinion, both should be allowed.  Of course there are limitations and regulations that would need to be followed, as with any other prescription drug, but this needs to happen for the sake of our friends and families who suffer without relief on a daily basis.

Yesterday a headline was released that lawmakers are amending the bills to “make it more palatable to the Church.”  Now why in the hell are we even giving heed to the Church’s opinion on this???  If the church wants to be involved in lawmaking, it better give up its tax-free status and pay taxes like the rest of us.  But really...if the folks who make our laws can’t put religion aside and do their job, we need to vote them out and get some people in there that can.

When reporting on this issue, FOX13 news in Salt Lake City said this:

“...LDS Church could influence the bill’s chance at success in the coming weeks...The LDS Church, a powerful institution in the state of Utah, carries some sway in the legislature, where a majority of lawmakers are members of the Mormon faith. The Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City has told FOX 13 it is not taking any position on the medical marijuana legislation presently.”

          (click here for the whole story from FOX13)

In this case, I think our church leaders need to take a page out of the Catholic play book and stay out of the lawmaking process.  They are hindering far more than they are helping anyone right now.  Not to mention the bad publicity they are attracting...

To my friends who are suffering in pain and need this bill passed, keep fighting for it.  To those who oppose it simply because the Church officials oppose it, do your research, talk to those who support it and would benefit from it and then make your OWN educated decision.  If you then decide to oppose it, great, just don’t be a sheep and blindly follow.  Separation of church and state in the government needs to happen and some separation within ourselves is also necessary.  We all have to make decisions that we feel are correct but do so after educating yourself on the matter.

That is all...for now

The Great Debate

Some of you know that I don’t care much for politics.  All of that mud-slinging, flip-flopping, blame-gaming hullabaloo just doesn’t do it for me.  BUT…I do feel that it is extremely important for voting Americans to know the politicians and what they plan to do if elected to office.  Now I know that often a politician will say one thing and then do the complete opposite but still, it’s important to at least hear them out.  I don’t mean just find out about the candidate that wears a particular party label either.  In order to make an educated decision about something as important as who is going to preside over our country, you must find out about ALL the candidates involved.

I haven’t been following the presidential campaigning much as it makes me want to hurl…I think I would rather clean dog poo out of my back yard than listen to campaign speeches and the talking heads on TV who think they know everything.  But I decided that I should pay attention to the first debate last night and really see how the candidates handled the on-the-spot questioning.  I’m glad I did…I'm also glad that I got distracted playing bejeweled blitz after the debate so that I didn't have to listen to the so-called "expert" analyses of who won and why and whatever...I'll draw my own conclusion thx! 

Not knowing much about how either candidate plans to proceed if elected, I feel that I am a bit more in-the-know now which is great, but that's not exactly what I want to talk about here.  I will mention a few things specifically but you’ll just have to wait a minute.  One of the first impressions I got, probably within the first 10 minutes of the debate, is that the President seemed very detached and disconnected and that Mitt Romney seemed very sincere and relatable.  Now, before all my liberal friends decide to quit reading and take me off their friend lists, I will say why I got that impression.

Body language is important in a meeting like this because it’s honest, sub-conscious communication.  When speaking, President Obama mostly just looked at the camera (probably looking for his teleprompter, sorry liberals, couldn’t resist that one!!) and only occasionally looking at the audience but Romney looked at him (and took notes) when he was speaking.  Gov. Romney spoke TO the audience rather than AT them but what was the President doing when Romney was speaking?  Oh, that’s right, looking down.  That tells me that he was not paying attention…however, if you ask Al Gore, it was just the elevation of Denver, CO that was getting to the President because he flew in from Las Vegas just hours earlier…Puh-leeeez…really??  Yes it’s the mile-high city but give me a break, it’s not like he was out there playing football or something! 

Anyway, moving on to my thoughts as the debate continued…I noticed that the President clung to the number “5-trillion” plus 2-trillion more that the military would get but didn’t ask for…had he backed up that number with some credible facts/sources I may have believed it but he didn’t.  Romney didn’t put a number on his tax plan (maybe it will be more than 5 trillion…), rather he outlined the steps he would include in his plan: no increases to middle income people, bring down deductions/credits/loop holes, and stop giving breaks to higher income people.  That’s great…of course no plan is perfect but at least he laid out the basic idea.  The president talked about the $3600 in tax savings that he has created for us middle earners over the last four years…whoopy-do.  $3600 in savings would be fantastic if the price of gas were still around $2.00 per gallon and the cost of groceries hadn’t gone up (largely due to the price of gas NOT still being $2/gallon) and if our dollar were stronger.  I have no problem paying my taxes, what I have a problem with is how the government spends them…

I do love that President embraced the term “Obamacare” though!  Nice to see that he does have a sense of humor :)  About that though, I have mixed feelings on the Affordable Care Act.  There are many aspects of it that are great and have already benefited many many people (myself included) however, other parts of it make me scratch my head.  The biggest: student loans.  First of all, why were student loans even a part of a health care plan?  Second, why does the government think they can better handle my educational financing than my local bank?  I had a fantastic rate (2.75%) on my student loans until they were commandeered by the government…now my rate is 6.8%!  Exactly how is that beneficial???  

Medicare was brought up…the President mentioned that he cut some 716 billion dollars from the medicare program and he seemed proud of that, but what he may or may not realize is that cut has likely hurt more than it has helped.  I know that a lot of doctors don’t even take medicare patients now because they don’t get paid or they get paid so little that they can’t afford to practice!  Government control of healthcare is not the answer here.  I like the idea presented by Romney that the states should be in control of medical assistance programs as they are “closer to home” than the federal government and can take care of the people in their own states better than the fed.

Education was also brought up.  I have a lot of friends that are teachers and at one time planned on becoming one myself and I can tell you that many teachers feel that the system is broken.  It’s all about politics and test scores when it should be about the quality of “future-adults” they are shaping.  The federal government CANNOT fix our education system…STUDENTS & PARENTS can.  I could go on and on about how uninvolved parents are in the kids’ lives & education these days but I’ll save that for a later post.  Just know that I feel strongly about getting the government OUT of our education system.  There needs to be standards and oversight but until the parents and students start taking the responsibility for their education, no amount of government anything will fix the system.

Moving on…I know that liberals in every corner of every state are freaking out right now because Mitt Romney is going to take away PBS’ subsidy.  Really?  Does anyone even watch PBS anymore anyway?  I love big bird as much as the next guy but let’s face it people, cuts need to be made and if giving big bird the pink slip helps get our country’s finances under control then so be it.  As Romney said, if it’s so important that we have to borrow money from China to pay for it…  

By the way, I love that Romney mentioned tolerance of ALL religions & beliefs and that we are each entitled to pursue happiness in the way we see fit!  And no, I don’t like him just because he’s Mormon ;)

Just a couple more thoughts before the brains of my liberal friends start oozing out of their ears ;)  Many times when the President was talking, it seemed as if he had forgotten that he has been the one in charge for the last 4 years.  4 years ago he promised to cut the deficit but hasn’t.  He talked about 2.8 billion dollars/year in incentives or credits for oil/gas companies being too much and unnecessary but he was the one who pushed for 3 times that much/year to go to companies like Solyndra for green energy production…we all know how that turned out…  I think the President means well but you know what they say about good intentions…  And let’s not forget about the Vice-President’s laugh-inducing flub about the middle class being buried for the last 4 years…um, I think you just talked trash about your boss Mr. VP!

Enough ranting…if you got nothing out of this except a migraine, go take an aspirin and know that I don’t really care who you vote for, as long as you KNOW who you are voting for.  Don’t vote for someone just because of their party affiliation or skin tone or religion or whatever.  Vote for the person that most closely represents the things that you believe will be best.  Too often we get caught up in the politics of the moment and forget that the decisions we make now (about voting and so many other things) will directly affect us in the future!

Thanks for stopping by!

(P.S. I did a little bit of research for this post but I didn't take the time to proof read so exqueeze any typos!!)

Entitled to what??

For my inaugural blog post, I figured I might as well get the blood boiling for some of you.  The following column was written by a good friend/teacher of mine, Greg Johnston, regarding entitlements.  He teaches high school and sees first hand how we are raising a generation of young adults that think they are entitled to everything.  Whether or not you agree with any of the article is up to you but it should at least get you thinking...enjoy!

"Erroneously, Social Security, is often referred to as an entitlement. Social Security was sold as a mandatory retirement investment program under the New Deal and would still be a good plan if the federal government had not borrowed all the reserve fund back in the ’60s.

These entitlement programs, along with interest payments on the national debt (which is all we pay), make up most of the government’s yearly bills.

Let’s take a minute to define entitlement. It doesn’t matter what Webster’s Dictionary or some political theorist says. What matters is how those who receive entitlements define the word.

On one hand, an entitlement can mean help given at the right time to our neighbors, allowing them to survive a tough time that may be outside their control. Others define an entitlement as something you are supposed to get, from someone or something else, as your right. It is not dependent on your status, efforts or contributions. This is how the courts have come to define an entitlement — it is a civil right.

Though many recipients of these programs have industriously and continuously contributed when able, others have yet to make any contribution to the system from which they receive.

Herein lies the problem with all government-instituted programs — the inability to distinguish between those who deserve and those who do not.

The most expensive program state governments run is education. A good education system, in my mind, is akin to national defense. Educated and hard-working citizens guarantee U.S. economic and intellectual competitiveness. This is a necessary expense and this definition allows me to continue to define myself as a true limited government advocate.

Many others see education as an entitlement, with babysitting and meals provided.

Okay, let us say education is a right given to all, whether citizens or not, instead of a privilege, to be earned by hard work.

Does this attitude create future citizens who feel they are entitled to many other things, regardless of their own efforts or contributions to the system?

I don’t know the answer. On one hand, I have worked with students who, given repeated chances to turn in late work, given multiple opportunities to get it right, will work, mature and eventually succeed. They later have become what Andrew Jackson called “producers” in our society. I stand in awe of what these kids have overcome to become.

But at the same time, I have had many students who simply take advantage of us “suckers” who are foolish enough to give them a pass time and again; the school and teachers are simply things they use to take from, but never give back. I have taught a few “third-year freshmen,” students who have hung around, using the school transportation to subsidize their social life, creating discipline problems in the classroom, and spending as much time not doing work as they can.

Unfortunately, the proficiency tests the CCSD puts so much stock in cannot distinguish between these two types of students. We are obligated to accommodate both. If you remove the folks taking advantage of the system, then the “No Child Left Behind” police threaten you with all sorts of penalties, and your boss’s boss’s panic-driven boss says you are not doing a good job, starts threatening your livelihood, followed by the icing on the cake with the Review Journal writing editorials about how bad your teachers are.

Expectations from the politician-educators who run the CCSD and simplistic editorials aside, my bigger concern is that of entitlement. Are we, by giving multiple opportunities, spending obscene amounts of money on retakes and special accommodations? Are we creating an entire generation of future citizens who will expect a nation that not only tolerates a lack of work ethic and failure, but actually demand we continue to support them, just like we did while they were in school?

I believe wholeheartedly that folks who are willing to work need everything we can give them. My colleagues continually encourage our students and we all spend countless extra hours helping those who need and respond to help.

Personally, I will work extra with anyone who is trying to succeed. But do we all have to support those who don’t wish to work? In spite of all of the political rhetoric, are there children who choose to be left behind and parents who don’t care if their children are left behind? And will we all suffer in the future for subsidizing failure?"

Greg Johnston teaches at Virgin Valley High School.