From: nelson_p@apollo.hp.com (Peter Nelson)
Subject: Re: VOTE GRITZ: Solutions and Hope
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 15:58:10 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Corporation, Chelmsford, MA

In article <BERG.92Sep29085707@malice.cass.usu.edu> berg@malice.cass.usu.edu (Glenn Berg) writes:
>In article <BvB20q.F2n@apollo.hp.com> nelson_p@apollo.hp.com (Peter Nelson) writes:
>
>>  Really?  Would Mr. Berg, or Ms. Morrow care to identify the document
>>  in which He made these promises?      BTW, where do you get this
>>  part about "Zion"?   Are you Zionists?
>
>Be happy to enlighten you.  The document is The Book of Mormon, considered by
>the LDS (myself included) as an inspired document written by prophets in
>ancient America.

  But why should any rational person believe this was not written by 
  some human being just reflecting the internal neural/biochemical
  state of his brain at the time?  

  If God wanted to send us a message He would not leave Himself open 
  to so much doubt and ridicule -- He would do something bigtime like
  rearrange the stars in the galaxy to spell out His message in the 
  sky.   All over the world people are constantly thinking that God
  is talking to them or making them do things.   I see these people 
  on the streets of the Boston every time I go there.



>1) Anita Morrow, a "Mormon", is running for the U.S. Senate from Utah, a state
>where most of the citizens are also "Mormons".  These promises from God are
>accepted as fact by most of the citizens of Utah.

  So?   It's accepted as "fact" by the Taraja (an inland hill tribe on
  Bali) that they are descended from "star people" and they build their
  houses in the shape of "star ships".   And they aren't trying to
  impose their views on others like Morrow's party is.


>2) I felt that many of the things Anita wrote would be of interest to
>Non-Mormon citizens of the U.S. as well, so I took the liberty of posting her
>writings.  I didn't feel it would be appropriate to censor what she had written
>to be more palatable to a national audience.

  Oh, definitely don't censor this.  I want people to know how wacky
  and dangerous these ideas are.  This nation was founded by people
  trying to escape religious persecution but you/Morrow want to make
  the US a "Christian" nation.   Although I have relatives who are 
  Christians, including two ministers, I personally am not and nor
  are many of my other relatives, friends, and co-workers.   I've seen
  what happens in other societies that try to create theocracies (e.g.,
  Iran, Saudi Arabia, 16th century Spain, etc).  Thomas Jefferson warned
  us about this and we have to remain vigilant to protect our liberty.


>4) BYU, a church-owned university, recently refused to give Bo Gritz (a convert
>to the LDS church) the opportunity to speak, despite the fact that both Bush
>and Clinton were invited to speak at BYU (I believe Bush accepted and Clinton
>declined).  Their stated reason was something like that if they allowed Bo to
>speak, other nonviable candidates would also clamor for that opportunity.

  So?  They're under no obligation to allow anyone to speak so they
  have the right to pick and choose who they'll allow.  They probably
  wouldn't allow X-rated movies to be shown on campus either, even though
  I imagine if someone wanted to show X-rated movies in their home, they
  could.  Gritz is X-rated politics -- a political and moral obscenity
  so I can understand their feelings, although I *personally* would
  let him speak because I think his ideas discredit him well enough.
  The First Amendment doesn't guarantee anyone a *forum* for their ideas.                                                    


---peter




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