Monday, January 30, 2006

Sunday's article about the divide between Utah's Mormons and non-Mormons on the issue of President Bush's handling about the Iraq war prompted dozens of e-mails from readers with their own perspectives on the subject.

To recap: The Salt Lake Tribune recently sponsored a poll of Utahn's issues about a variety of political and controversial subject. The pollsters also asked for religious affiliations. Though, as expected, there was a significant difference between Utah's Mormons and non-Mormons on many issues, no issue further separated the two groups than Bush's management of the war.

For the article, we spoke to historians, political scientists, cultural researchers, protesters and war supporters. As usual, however, some of the most interesting voices came along after the article was in print.

Many (correctly) identified that the reporter who composed the story as not well versed in Mormon war stories. Thus, they said, I may have missed an important part of why LDS members in Utah so vastly support Bush's war.

"So many of us devout Mormons support the War in Iraq because it is so uncannily similar to the wars in defense of freedom and justice which are so carefully described throughout the Book of Mormon," wrote Darrel Hansen, a Mormon from Alamo, Nev.

Other LDS members were upset that I didn't do more to point out that many Mormons do not support Bush or the war.

"If you were at any number of gatherings of Mormons where I've been since 9/11, you'd hear a lot of people who are angry with the war, angry with its "righteous" -- and false -- premises, and angry and disgusted with a president who can't tell the truth," wrote Tom Plummer. "There are a whole lot of Mormons who think he'll go down as one of the worst American presidents in history. Don't do us the disservice, please, of lumping us all together. We're not the same."

Added John Smith, a Mormon from California: "We couldn't be more antiwar and upset with Pres. Bush and his stupid policies. And yes we are Republicans and active members. I currently live in the Bay Area in California and I don't see the same support amongst Church members for Pres. Bush's policy."

Smith was among many e-mailers who pointed out that Mormon culture, values and political ideology are often different outside of Utah.

"I am a Latter-day Saint who lives in Germany and I can tell you that all Latter-day Saints I personally know do not support the war in Iraq and certainly do not support George Bush," wrote Peter Lohse. "We were all against the war from its onset and had the advantage of being informed by media not influenced by Republican owners . . . If LDS who oppose the war feel that they are on their own I can tell them that they definitely are not. A majority of Church members in Europe support them."

As the article stated, the survey looked only at Utah's population and did indeed find that nearly 30 percent of LDS members in Utah disapprove of President Bush's handling of the war. On the other hand, many anti-war LDS members in places other than Utah noted that they felt similarly in the minority at their wards.

"The things I sometimes hear in meetings (from people I otherwise like) regarding the war and other political matters make me scared to 'out' myself as a war/Bush opponent," wrote Mark Bailey, who lives in Eureka.

And indeed, like some of those who we spoke to in Utah, some anti-war Mormons in other places have decided that it is simply easier to quit attending church.

"I appreciate your effort to describe what has become a trial for many of us who do not hold a similar belief in the divinity of American politics and our President held by our LDS co-religionists," wrote Dr. Kelly DeVries, a professor of history at Loyola College in Maryland. "I am one of those believers you allude to who feel that I have no place in the current US Mormon church . . .

"Despite, or perhaps because of, my belief in the peacefulness of Christ's mission, both in the New Testament and the Book of Mormon, I have been driven from my ward into inactivity. I feel that I can no longer attend services where it is more than likely that a comment will be made such as the one you cited from the Green Beret bearing his testimony not of the religion but of the war and threatening violence to anyone who did not agree with him . . . I have simply decided that if the Celestial Kingdom is filled with people who see no difference in their LDS religious and right-wing political views, I don't really want to be there."

DeVries was not the only one to take issue with the recorded comments of the former Green Beret.

"As for the Green Beret that wants to meet people like me behind the church to 'talk things over,' what is he going to do? Kick my ass? How very Christian of him," wrote Timothy Pace, a disabled veteran who said he fought in the Gulf War, Haiti and Bosnia.

A few other writers questioned whether we knew for a fact that the recording of the Green Beret was actually made at an LDS Fast and Testimony meeting. Yes, we have spoken to witnesses who were there.

Bob Christopulos also took offense at the former Green Beret's recorded comments, but he doesn't disagree with the man's political support for Bush and the war.

"To be candid with you, my observations have been that among evangelical Christians of all denominations here, we are usually in lockstep with most of the moral and ethical positions held by most active Mormons, albeit for different reasons," said Christopulos, pastor of The Church of The Open Door in Salt Lake City. "This includes our support for The President and his basic premises in the handling of the war in Iraq."

And finally, there were several letters which questioned why support for the war in Utah is so high when enlistment appears to be so low.

Among those who asked that question were Ken Panza.

"Why is Utah's military enlistment rate so low when Utahns strongly support George Bush and the Iraq war? A survey by the National Priorities Project ranked Utah 47th nationally for military enlistments."

While the National Priorities Project indeed concluded that Utah's enlistment rate was lower than most other states, it missed a few important elements. From the survey's Web site: "Branches include Army, Navy and Air Force Active Duty and Army Reserves."

That leaves several branches out of the mix, most notably the Utah National Guard and Air Force Reserves, both of which have thousands of members in the Beehive State. We're working on an apples-to-apples comparison at The Tribune.

Thanks for the mail. Keep it coming to iraq@sltrib.com.