November 8, 2013

November 8, 2013 By

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid addressed Mormonism and gay rights recently in an interview with the Washington Blade, a prominent gay newspaper in Washington, DC. (UPDATE: In the original posting, I inadvertently left out this link.) The comments appear at the end of a rather lengthy discussion with Reid about the legislative obstacles and hurdles that have been cleared by the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and those that lay ahead, particularly in the Republican controlled House of Representatives. Here are his... Read more

November 7, 2013

November 7, 2013 By

In light of recent discussions here at Approaching Justice and other places about female ordination, I wanted to take a step back and look at how the Mormon practice of priesthood is unique and interesting, apart from recent debates. In many ways, the LDS priesthood can be viewed as a symbol of hierarchy. However, I think this is a mistaken view. While the church organization is hierarchical, the priesthood itself is inherently egalitarian and universal. On a recent Sunday, during... Read more

November 6, 2013

November 6, 2013 By

Sheri Dew, the CEO of Deseret Book, the book company owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has published a book about women and the priesthood. The book is titled Women and the Priesthood: What One Mormon Woman Believes. Here is the official description: The fact that women are not ordained to the priesthood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is for some a sticking point, a hot topic, even a potential media controversy.... Read more

November 6, 2013

November 6, 2013 By

November 6, 2012 was a great day. We fully expected to lose. It had been a hard campaign, but it had been a blast. We met lots of great people campaigning in all 23 counties of Wyoming during those 8 months. I really enjoyed talking with people on their doorsteps. For all the resentment I have for the political class and party insiders, the main thing I gained from the campaign was how much I love people…regular people. That night,... Read more

November 6, 2013

November 6, 2013 By

If you went to college, you probably have student loans.  This year nearly 2/3 of all college graduates will graduate with debt.  It has become a common reality for many young people to take out student loans to fund their education.  But, while student loans are allowing more people to attend college, the federal government is also using them as a way to pay for Obamacare. Here is how it works: In 2010, Congress passed the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). ... Read more

November 5, 2013

November 5, 2013 By

During my first campaign speech in 2012, I was asked, “Do you support ENDA?” I had no idea what that even was at the time. I would soon discover the the Employment Non-Discrimination Act would “ban employers from firing, refusing to hire or discriminating against workers or job applicants based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. “ I have always supported such laws and I support ENDA. Even as a Democratic candidate, I was always suspect to some on... Read more

November 4, 2013

November 4, 2013 By

The next governor of Virginia will be a somebody who is most famous for being a political fundraiser. While this may be depressing for those who long for a more inspiring politics, it also makes Terry McAuliffe the most authentic politician in American politics today. What? Terry McAuliffe? Authentic? Yes, that is what I said. Every politician in America is first and foremost a fundraiser. We want our politicians to be able to raise large amounts of money. We want... Read more

November 1, 2013

November 1, 2013 By

There was a swift backlash against yesterday’s Meridian Magazine blog post which attacked liberal Mormons. By mid-day, Meridian had removed it from their website. A number of my friends and associates have mentioned that they were glad that it was taken down. I think it was unfortunate. I thought that the post was an opportunity to respond and discuss what being a liberal Mormon means to me. Hence, I posted a response. The post by Joni Hilton was not offensive... Read more

October 31, 2013

October 31, 2013 By

Joni Hilton over at Meridian Magazine asked this morning, “Are You a Liberal Mormon?” (UPDATE: The original post by Hilton was removed. Here is the text.) Sister Hilton, it is very sweet of you to ask. Yes, I am a liberal Mormon. Some might not like the use of the term “liberal” since it largely has a political connotation. I am indeed a liberal in the political sense. However, “liberal” is also a term with significant theological meaning. That said, it... Read more

October 30, 2013

October 30, 2013 By

Politico reports that Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) referred to the Senate Majority Leader an “absolute a—hole” during a fundraising gala in New York City on Monday. While apologizing for using the word, Coburn insists the frustration is real. I understand frustration with the current political climate and there are no shortage of a–holes in either party. However, I think in all that frustration, Sen. Coburn may have gotten his words mixed up. Back in July, Benny Johnson of Buzzfeed did... Read more

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