It was the 1870's and political cartoonist Thomas Nast, an implacable foe of both Mormons and Irish Catholics penned the question in Harper's Weekly -- "Religious Liberty is Guaranteed--But Can We Allow Foreign Reptiles To Crawl All Over US?" He branded both religions as "foreign" threats to liberty -- The Roman Church depicted as a crocodile and The Mormon Church as a turtle crawling over the Capitol.
Uncle Sam was bothered by several minority groups. Mormons were one of them. In 1879, the San Francisco Wasp published a cartoon showing 5-minorities troubling Uncle Sam.
It seems rather dated; but maybe not. Our current President is giving Catholics the boot by insisting they cover abortions in their healthcare plans. Mormons and other conservatives are getting the boot for wanting to maintain the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.
The 2012 political cartoon by Ramirez, shows the government (Obama) has taken the position of "Church":
Mormons were a persecuted group and forced to leave any town they called home. It was hoped the Mormons would find their own homeland -- "The Lord intends that WHITE FOLKS, and not the Mormons, shall possess this goodly land." (Missouri). (Bennett, History of the Saints, p.193)
Harper's Weekly expressed a similar feeling:
"A new programme for the Mormons is indicated. It is now proposed that they shall emigrate to one of the East India islands, and reliable information is said to have been received that they will do so." (Harper's Weekly, 21 July 1860, p. 454)The Wasp was a San Francisco weekly publication named after the insect -- implying the satirical magazine had a mighty sting. It could as easily been named after White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestants of the time. Those who did not fall into the WASP category were grouped together for ridicule and persecution.
Who's on the Lord's side, who? By their fruits, ye shall know them. I'm sure glad to be on the winning side. Recently I told my husband that I wanted to be at the judgement bar to see the reaction of those who persecuted the covenant people when they find out that the "Mormon's" were right all along.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the contest for the heart & soul of America should be framed as being between the big government guy, Obama, and the free enterprise guy, Romney.
ReplyDeleteWe need to put forth the example of a "wealthy-good-guy" who has come up through the free enterprise system--who gives significantly to his church and to charity--voluntarily.
More than ever now, we need the example of a wealthy man, who is a good man, living the dream the way it should be lived, juxtaposed to the Big government guy, who puts a gun to your head and forces you to give to his causes, and to those of his friends.
Private enterprise & smaller government, with freedom to choose where to give your surplus, versus the point of the gun--"here is where you will give." If you don't pay Big government their taxes, you will go to jail. Isn't that a gun to the head, or am I overstating the case?
Mr. Santorum and Mr. Newt are both big-government conservatives---both are wealthy lobbyist, for goodness sake!