March 10, 1999
EDITORIAL:
Live up to your Christ-given name
___Every head bowed and every eye closed. No one's peeking. Now, raise your hand if you've secretly enjoyed Salt Lake City's embarrassment over the Olympics' riches-for-site-votes fracas.
___No American city and religion are more inextricably intertwined than are Salt Lake City and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Unfairly or not, the stain of scandal splashed on the Mormons, who dominate politics in their hometown.
___Mormons and Baptists aren't cozy. Most Baptists see the Mormon church as a cult, even while the Mormons are making a claim for mainstream respectability nationwide. While many Baptists admire Mormons' priority on family and even work with them legislatively on common concerns, they resent the Mormons' slick TV ads that, they feel, mislead people into believing Mormonism holds orthodox Christian views. Baptists who have lived in Mormon strongholds shudder when they describe the ostracism they felt. Many Mormon families who have lived in the Deep South probably describe similar treatment at the hands of Baptists. And to top it all off, Southern Baptists offended Mormons last summer, when we conducted an extensive evangelistic rally immediately prior to our annual meeting in Salt Lake City.
___So, if you've felt at least a twitter of elation over Mormonism's misfortunate affiliation with Olympic malady, you're not alone.
___Unfortunately, most Americans aren't as discerning. They see the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" and link the Mormons with Christianity. When Mormons ski into scandal, we all tumble down the mountainside of public opinion.
___Names are powerful. And even when a name is misapplied--such as Mormonism's use of "Jesus Christ" in its official title, despite its rejection of the traditional understanding of Jesus--it still brands the bearer. Many unbelievers will taint Christ and Christians because of yet another scandal affiliated with a large religious organization.
___Scandal struck closer to home--theologically if not geographically--this month. A Florida court found Henry Lyons, president of the National Baptist Convention USA, guilty of racketeering and grand theft. He still faces trial on a 54-count indictment charging him with extortion, tax evasion and money laundering. That doesn't even get into the matter of his alleged mistress.
___Yet another prominent religious leader has fallen flagrantly. Lyons' case likely will get worse, because as of late last week, he had refused to step down from his post. Leaders of his convention, one of the nation's largest African-American religious bodies, were dividing up politically, prepared to duke it out for the fate of the presidency.
___Lyons' legacy sets Christians, and particularly Baptists, to take a whupping up side of the head with the hypocrisy bat. Self-reliant secular rationalizers once again will say, "What do I need Christ for? I'm just as good--no, I'm better--than those so-called Christians." And, thanks to Lyons and the Mormons (remember, they're perceived to be Christian), we'll have a hard time countering them.
___That hurts. But you know what hurts worse? Self-inflicted wounds. How many people have turned away from Christ be-cause of the way Christians act in your town? Think about feuding churches and congregational splits. Recall philandering ministers, swindling Sunday school teachers, mean deacons and back-biting vacation Bible school teachers. How often have un-Christian acts yielded ungodly results?
___That's a vital reason why Christian behavior must mirror Christ's pure, self-sacrificing example. We must not give them a reason to turn away from our Savior. We must give them every reason to believe.
___The followers of Christ first were called Christians at Antioch. Denouncers derided them as "Christians"--"little Christs." Mockers meant it for evil, attempting to diminish Christians by belittling their name.
___Yet they wore this new name as a badge of honor. "Little Christs" they were, and they changed the world by embodying his Spirit. Let us go and do likewise.
___ -- Marv Knox
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