Letter to the Editor

The Chinook Opinion

Washington Chronicles 10-15-1986

Religious Intolerance

Editor's Note: Allie Marie Uyehara, a former resident of Chinook now living in Bethesda, Md., is a subscriber to the Chinook Opinion with a unique vantage point to view Washington D.C., and other parts of the world. Her views and commentary under the headline "Washington Chronicles" will appear on these pages from time to time.

by Allie Marie Uyehara

A Washington Post article upset me again today.

It was headlined RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE GREETS MORMON TEMPLE'S INVITATION, and went on to tell of the negative response of several protestant churches to the invitation of the Littleton, Co. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to attend the formal ceremony of dedication of their new Temple.

True, several invitees accepted with pleasure, but several big-name denominations denounced the Mormons and scorned their beliefs. In fact, they did so in a public letter.

Growing up in the Chinook, I found the Mormons were just plain folks, and nobody questioned their beliefs. We all had different ones, or else why were there Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, two kinds of Lutherans, Christian Scientists, Nazarenes, members of the Church of God, Jehovah's Witnesses, a few Episcopalians and Baptists, and others in Chinook?

Everyone thought their special beliefs were best, but we didn't get exercised and condemn anybody else for their beliefs. After all, we have freedom of religion here.

I did have one unsettling experience while in college. I was invited home with a friend from southern Minnesota for a school holiday. I went with pleasure, a new experience. Her father was a minister and it was the custom for the family to accompany him on Sunday morning to the two country churches he served. They were all very devout, in fact my friend went on to become a full time missionary to India.

But the sermon that morning shocked me. The entire theme was a criticism of the Mormon faith.

This was my first experience with religious intolerance. I've never forgotten it, but somehow I hoped were beyond that kind of thinking in 1986. I guess not.

I've lived in countries where Islam and Buddhism were the predominant religions. Both are honorable beliefs, teaching and striving for goodness, justice love and peace as do Christians. I certainly have no desire to condemn them because they are not identical to me.

It seems to me the Christian thing to do is to consider all God’s people worthy. If their beliefs are different from mine, I must remember that religious faith comes to us in different ways and each person’s faith is sacred. This is part of America’s heritage.

The Chinook Opinion

Letter to the Editor 10-22-1986

Is sure letter was appropriate

Dear Editor:

The article in last week’s paper entitled “Religious Intolerance” by Allie Marie Uyehara caught my eye. She made mention of a new Mormon temple being dedicated in Littleton, Colorado, and being upset that “several big-name denominations” denounced the Mormons and scorned their beliefs. In fact, they did it in a public letter.”

Unfortunately, she didn’t include the contents of the letter in the article, if indeed she even had access to it. I feel confident that given the letter’s authors as “several big-name denominations”, its content was both truthful and appropriate.

It’s one thing to be tolerant of another person’s faith as an individual and quite another to be asked as a representative of a church group or “big-name denomination” to condone something contrary to your doctrine.

I have, on occasion, been asked by friends of other faiths, whose doctrine I find contrary to Biblical truth, to accompany them to a church function. I can never recall refusing out of respect for my friend. This is religious tolerance.

If, however, I had found myself the head of a church group or denomination and asked as a group to participate in a function of a church, condoning a doctrine not Biblically based, my response would most assuredly have been negative. Whether or not a public letter was in order would most certainly depend upon the circumstances.

As American citizens it is our responsibility to be tolerant of another’s belief, or lack of it. As a Christian our call is not one of tolerance but of evangelism.

Ken Overcast

Chinook.