During the 2000 presidential election I was a freshman in college. To me it seemed like everyone was all "Bush this" and "Bush that" and "AL GORE THINKS HE INVENTED THE INTERNET" although I am sure there were plenty of Democrats around; they were just quieter, or not my friends, or something. One evening I made a large "campaign button" that said "I (heart) AL" or "AL'S MY MAN" or something equally unimaginative, and I sneakily fastened it to the portrait of Joseph Smith hanging in my dorm lobby.
I thought I was being funny (which . . . look, it was a tiny bit funny), and thought that if anyone noticed it they would laugh, or at the most just call it lame. To my surprise when somebody did notice, I was completed RAILED on by a fellow dorm-dweller. He snatched it down and crumpled it and yelled at me for being blasphemous. I mean, maybe it was irreverent but blasphemous?
I just randomly remembered that.
Seriously, he was really mad.
It was just that I didn't think Joseph Smith would have voted for George Bush.
16 comments:
I think it's funny. I would have done something equally imaginative, or so I would like to think. Clever. But mad? Wow, he needs to grow a sense of humor. Do they teach "sarcasm 1010" at BYU?
"You're all liberals...I'm conservative." You know me Eliza, and I would have totally overreacted to the poster, especially as a freshman. Looking back, I should have voted for someone other than George Bush. I don't know if it would have been Al Gore.
I think it's funny.
I think people take politics very personally, myself included I guess. It's still fun to laugh at though.
only at BYU.......
I'm pretty certain Joseph Smith would not have been a Bush man!!
And some people really need to lighten up - or find other things to do!
Good for you!
it's funny how this blog didn't attract 51 entries, like a certain vegetarian one did. Maybe it's that if people openly discuss politics, your bound to have some reprocusions aka violently ripping up a sign.
haha. Yeah, I am still reeling from that one. DAIRY!!! NO DAIRY!!! I LOVE ANIMALS! I HATE ANIMALS! etc.
I am pretty sure that the guy who ripped up my campaign button was in the extreme minority. Less than 1% of BYU students are that psycho-ly anti-Gore. (or psycho-ly protective of portraits of Joseph Smith, whichever it was.) I have a feeling however that the proportion goes up when you are talking about freshmen living in the dorms.
I am not a smug Democrat by the way. I wasn't even old enough to vote when GWB ran the first time. (but I didn't vote for him the second time...umm...maybe a tiny bit smug?)
It's interesting how people try to assign God/Jesus/Joseph Smith a political party. Although I cannot speak for Smith, contrary to what many Evangelical Christians today believe, I don't think Jesus would have voted Republican...or Democrat. If you're interested in the subject, I've had recommended to me the book "God's Politics" (I cannot personally recommend it as I've not gotten around to reading it.).
Joseph Smith was a Democrat and ran for President of the U.S. (although I really can't speak for his endorsement of Al Gore or rejection of George Bush). I think you are right, though--I don't especially believe that God or Jesus would endorse any political party. That statement itself is getting me into tricky territory so I will stop now!
I am not particularly a "party" person, although I originally registered as a Democrat so that I could vote in the primaries.
I looked at the book on Amazon. It looks interesting. "What Wallis sees as the true mission of Christianity--righting social ills, working for peace--is in tune with the values of liberals who so often run screaming from the idea of religion. Meanwhile, in his estimation, religious vocabulary is co-opted by conservatives who use it to polarize. Wallis proposes a new sort of politics, the name of which serves as the title of the book, wherein these disparities are reconciled and progressive causes are paired with spiritual guidance for the betterment of society." Hmmm...now where to find such leaders? Some exist; I don't know that one will ever be president.
(BTW I realize that parties in 1844 and parties now aren't the same, I was just making a point about being affiliated with a party.)
And just to be clear I definitely wouldn't have put a campaign button on a picture of Jesus.
Hahaha! If most mormons are anything like most Non-Mormon-Christians, then I would guess he was less offended by the button being on Joseph Smith's picture, than the fact that the button announced support for Al Gore. And I say all this without having been a Gore fan. Rather, I'm just someone trying to be as God-centered about my beliefs, whether they be political or spiritual.
(BTW, I would have laughed. :-)
Maybe next year you should just start wearing political buttons to chirch. You could pin it on your scripture case.
That might cause some discussion.
This is why I love your blog. I wear a button on my scriptures sometimes, "Proud member of the religious left."
I was going to say that there is currently no candidate who excites me enough that I will wear a button about him/her. I do think pinning a button to my scripture case is a slightly funny idea in any case.
perhaps you would find this funny...
http://jesusvsbush.com/
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