Modern Mormons embrace diversity
Contrary to what Katie Strickland wrote in her recent column (“If the religious are racist, feel free to judge,” May 16), the modern Mormon church embraces diversity despite popular misconceptions of Utah and Mormons in general.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has an active missionary program of over 56,000 people deployed at 330 locations around the world. The ages of these missionaries vary, but most are between 19 and 24 years old. In fact, UCLA’s own Ben Olson participated in an LDS missionary program.
Brigham Young University, which is 98 percent church members in daytime enrollment, has one of the most active international language programs in the United States.
One of my personal friends spent two years of his life on the Pacific Rim living in near-poverty conditions trying to get his message across.
Another friend of mine spent two years of his mission in South America working in a village.
As an atheist, I can understand religious intolerance.
Childish bickering about historical blemishes does not always truthfully reflect the current state of affairs.
People deserve a fair chance to be judged rationally.
Bryce Little
Fourth-year, applied mathematics
Christianity not deserving of attack
In her recent article (“If the religious are racist, feel free to judge,” May 16), Katie Strickland said that a politician’s religious views should be considered by the public when running for office. Strickland mocks the Bible of Christians and Jews, referring to the passage to not spare the rod.
But it’s better to punish children (not with a rod necessarily) than to have a no-winners, no-losers world that doesn’t teach children the consequences of life. While I mostly agree with this idea, her article was just an attack on Christianity.
In regards to religion and racism, most religions that view themselves as world religions ““ including most sects of Christianity ““ place an emphasis on being universal regarding race and nationality. Strickland’s reference to the racial history of Mormonism spread to an attack on all Christians for no reason.
Instead of finding immature excuses to attack Christianity, Strickland should care more about radical evangelical politicians who, in trying to cause the end of the world, want to keep the Jews in the Holy Land and to prolong war in Iraq solely because the city of Babylon is there (as if Revelation 17:5 was referring to it literally).
I have nothing against the Jews being in the Holy Land, but I have a problem with the motives of such politicians.
Joshua Nogales
Third-year, computer science