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sustain!
For those who have not yet been drawn in to the raucous debate, Dick Cheney is scheduled to speak at BYU graduation. Many are mad. Here is the Church response to their criticisms.
comments
OK, international church members perspective (even if it is only Canada, my ward has over 20 nationalities in it) Cheney is viewed by many people as the architect of Iraq. He's viewed as someone who violates civil liberties and as a capitalist theocrat. I don't know if you know how much damage Guantanamo and that stupid feud with the French did to your reputation abroad. Cheney is viewed as the Machiavellian individual behind the entire thing (Bush is just viewed as a puppet) Now, there are some serious inaccuracies (and variances, I'm only putting forward a small number of views) in this view. the church is defending their position by stating that "the university and the student body will listen, evaluate and react to them as intelligent citizens capable of making up their own minds about their messages". That is all well and good from an American perspective but the appearance of it is going to make a lot of people very upset overseas.
I'm quite aware that appearance isn't everything, but for a church that is trying to position itself as international, this decision by BYU makes it appear very very American, and what's more, right wing American.
The university and the church are two different institutions, and for the Church to enforce it's limitations on the university might be an undue influence in itself. Of course, we wouldn't have a politician address us at General Conference, but for a politician to address a university student body is completely normal.
It's not a question of the Church's image; it really is just normal university modus operandi--only in this case, there are more people (worldwide) plugged into the actions of this university by way of its Church sponsorship, and so more people got sucked into the debate.
Ok, how was that for rambly. Short version: Scall it separation of chruch and university.
Sustain'd.
That said: the Church can't have it both ways... the Church treats BYU as a very real organ of the LDS PR machinery, so we can't just say "the Church has nothing to do with it... it's just the university being a university".
Exactly, I think that is what is bugging me about this whole thing. The same people screaming that BYU does not have academic freedom are the ones insisting the Church should intervene here. But people are so hellbent on opposing Cheney, and not without reason mind you, that they don't seem to realize their own hypocrisy.
What is good, is that protests are being allowed...now we'll just see if their confined to the area around the Maser building...LOL.
Second, I'm fine with Cheney speaking, but it's ridiculous to say that this is 'Just a university issue'. BYU is incredibly tightly controlled, and there is no way to separate the implications of Cheney speaking in the same way that Notre Dame could separate the implications from the Catholic Church.
Sustained...
(BTW, I would love for someone to explain how Michael Moore's visit was of an academic nature. I think it is important to straighten that up before the atrociously beaten victims of oppression keep on singing "academic freedom")
Well...it's not the Maser building quad, but it's still way the heck out there for a protest...lol
Once again, with the tight ties that the church has with BYU, Cheney speaking there is much more of an issue than if he offered the same at say...Notre Dame. Especially for international Saints. This, and other actions like it places the church on the right of the American political spectrum, not neutral on an international spectrum.
Before we continue assigning sides and prescribing moral medication, we need to highlight some parts of the article. I'll quote some relevant parts:
"The church and the university also announced Thursday that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, an LDS Democrat from Nevada, will speak at BYU on Nov. 27."
"The university has invited Democrats to speak in the past. U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos, D-California, spoke at commencement in 2001. Journalist Helen Thomas proudly called herself a liberal when she spoke at a BYU forum assembly in 2003.
Reid also spoke at the law school's graduation in 2004.
BYU extended invitations to the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates in 1992, Jenkins said. President George H.W. Bush accepted while Bill Clinton declined.
Democratic presidents Woodrow Wilson, Harry S. Truman and Lyndon B. Johnson spoke at BYU, as did presidential candidates Robert F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey."
Important to consider this history of inviting prominent people from both parties before
diagnosing any political diseases. So, the J. Reuben Clark School of Law is on what side of the spectrum now?