429: Is the Mormon Church Politically Neutral?

Series Title: Religion IS Political [Part I of VII]

Anyone else noticing religious leaders from some faith traditions throughout the world speaking out against more and more egregious forms of US government-imposed violence, force, exploitation of power, and unaccountability at levels unfathomable until only recently? And other churches, LDS included choose silence and stand by a formal stance of neutrality at this moment.   

This series might be one of the more important and relevant of this podcast as Val & Nathan take you step by step towards their conclusion that religion and spirituality is and always will be political and politics is an expression of one's level of spirituality.  Join them each week for this six-part series hopefully giving you words to make sense of your discomfort over silence in the face of harm and injustice.   

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome and Series Intro

00:42 Why Church Silence Matters

03:32 Six Episode Roadmap

05:02 Personal Take on Neutrality

07:02 Prop 8 and Moral Exceptions

09:08 Isolationism and Autonomy

13:34 Reading the Official Statement

20:51 Initial Reactions and Agreement

23:33 Conscience vs Real Practice

27:44 Mitt Romney as Case Study

30:42 Obedience and Hierarchy Thread

35:12 Immigration Example and Wrap Up

39:21 Closing and Next Episode Tease