Stop Two On The Yellowstone Experience: Orem, Utah

As I wrote last night, Orem, Utah was stop number two of the Yellowstone Experience road trip for the RVFTLC family.
And I thought it was awesome in many ways.
And also an eye-opener on a different way of life and yet refreshing.
I have been in Southern Utah a couple of times and thought it was great. Being in North-Central Utah is almost better because it is another gateway to two of the five National Parks that are in the Beehive State. That would be Arches National Park and Moab.
Orem is in Utah County, same a neighboring city Provo. Provo is the home of Brigham Young University.
If Utah is the most Republican state in the nation, Utah County is the most Republican county.
To give you an idea, in the 2012 presidential election, Mitt Romney handily defeated the Dear Leader, President Obama. The carnage?

Romney     142,337     88.3%
Obama         15,791      9.8%

The remaining 1.9% were scattered among also-rans.
Yeah, its GOP land without a doubt.
But the interesting fact is that, again, it is a university town, Provo. As is Orem with Utah Valley University. And yet, this is the result. Which should give hope that not all college and university towns are doomed.
It is not just the politics that I love. After all, I live in the complete opposite in Pasadena, California.
You can tell that family and traditional values are important to this community.
And the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is pretty dominant.
Because this is more of a suburban area, more neighborhoods. And many, many more Mormon churches. They are distinctive in Utah especially. They are red brick and have the white steeple with no cross. LDS explain that they do not use the Christian cross because they look at that as the past and not the future with Jesus Christ in charge. Anyhow, there are so many Mormon churches that if one looks off the freeway, you can see as many as three in very close proximity. Sometimes there is one right next to another. It is amazing to a non-LDSer as I am.
And again, there is the strong family life that is encouraged here.
But, we got a bit of a shock when we went to dinner at a nearby restaurant to our La Quinta.
We went to a barbecue restaurant, the name escapes me, and it was great. But it was while we gave our nice waiter our order we noticed something strange.
We were not asked immediately what we wanted to drink. As we finished our order, Mrs. RVFTLC said that we would drink water. And the waiter said that since WE did not ask, he assumed we wanted water. And we were not the only ones. I walked around to use the rest room and NO ONE, not one person had a drink but water.
And then it occurred to me.
This is Utah. And LDS central. And a strong tenet of the faith is avoiding caffeine. As well as alcohol. It is part of a supplemental book of beliefs known as Doctrines and Covenants. And the specific belief is known as The Word of Wisdom.
Now, I am not Carrie Nation as I do not consume the Devil's Urine. But I also don't tell other people what to do on that score. Same with tobacco, even though 40 years of smoking unfiltered Chesterfield cigarettes killed my father. With them on illicit drugs. But you totally lose me on the coffee and tea. Sorry, I would be the best Jackmormon on that score.
But as odd as it was to this Coca-Cola, coffee drinking American, it was in a sense refreshing to see people clearly live what they believe.
And that is the sense I get in the whole state of Utah. The LDS influence is strong enough to even influence non-Mormons in the positive ways.
What is interesting is that in Utah County, Salt Lake County to the north and a couple of other counties, the majority of the people of Utah live. They live in an area known as the Wasatch Front, the foothills of the Wasatch mountain range. Many of the homes are built right up the hills. It is long and narrow. And trust me, when driving through Southern Utah, you yearn for this region of population.
I can not explain it other than I felt very much at home in Utah. It was great to be among people that take their faith seriously. That were genuine and friendly. And yeah, one thing about the coffee led to this comment from your humble blogger.
You know the one place you will not find a Starbucks?
BYU!
And yeah, we did find a Starbucks!

Next stop: Jackson, Wyoming, home of the three liberals in Wyoming!

Meet Utah's Next Big Thing, Congressman Mia Love

Mia Love is now a household name since her stellar speech yesterday at the Republican National Convention opening night.
Mrs. Love is running for congress in Utah's fourth congressional district. The only one currently in the hands of a Democrat, Jim Matheson.
Although not for long for Rep. Matheson.
Mrs. Love is, if you want to go there, a minority, within a minority, within a minority.
What do I mean?
Well, the obvious is Mrs. Love is Black. The daughter of Haitian immigrants that came to the United States for the proverbial better life. They got it and then some. And got to see their daughter graduate the University of Hartford. What is wonderful is the story Mrs. Love tells about her dad telling her this after her college orientation:

 "Mia, your mother and I never took a handout. You will not be a burden to society. You will give back."

Understand that these people were from Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. They could have easily gone the dependency route was they arrived in the United States in 1973. But they did not and instilled that important value in their daughter.
The second minority is being a Black member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Understand that until the late 1970s, the Mormons did not allow Black men to rise in the lay-ministry that separates the Mormons from other Christian denominations. Since  seeing the light and really understanding the Holy Bible, the growth of Mormons, especially Blacks, is very impressive. But in the United States, there are really not that many Black Mormons.
And the third minority is being a Black Mormon woman. No doubt on that one.
And roll it all together and this is all happening in Utah, one of the most White and religious states in the nation.
OK, so what makes Mrs. Love think that she can be a great congressman? Hell, just a congressman?
Well, she is mayor of her home town, Saratoga Springs, Utah.
Saratoga Springs?! Never heard of it.
Seriously, I never heard of it until yesterday.
But she has been mayor of a town basically built from scratch.
Saratoga Springs was incorporated in 1997 and according to the 2000 census, there were but 1,003 people in the whole town. But by 2010, the population exploded to 17,781. A huge increase. And as a city council member, Mrs. Love did change the way taxes were collected from agriculture to a municipal tax. And when there was the economic debacle of 2008, taxes were not raised but expenses cut. And the city has a AA+ bond rating, the highest for a city of the size of Saratoga Springs.
And what guides Mrs. Love's political positions? According to her own words:

"Is it affordable. Is it sustainable. Is it my job?"

And Mrs. Love believes in fiscal discipline, limited government and personal responsibility.
Pretty conservative and Republican, isn't it?
Yes, it is!
And to understand a little something of the town she is mayor of, it is in Utah County, the most Republican county in the United States. And like the rest of the state, probably very White. And yet this woman has been elected mayor of her home town.
I always believe that is very easy for a minority to win in gerrymandered districts in which their particular group is the majority. The real test for a minority person is to run and win where they are nowhere near the majority.
Ask Rep. Allan West. Or Rep. Tim Scott. Both Southern, Black Republicans that ran and won in pretty White districts. Oh, and Rep. Scott? He only defeated one of Strom Thurmond's sons in the GOP primary in 2010.
How about Nikki Haley, governor of South Carolina? An Indian-American. Same for Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana.
And how can we forget Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida? And soon to be Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas?
And, God willing, we can and must add Mia Love to that list. She will make an outstanding congressman and set the old Black establishment back on its heels. I would love, no pun intended, when Congressman Love joins the Congressional Black Caucus as she has promised to do for her to be right next to the Devil herself, Rep. Mad Maxine Waters, and as Mrs. Love says, "take that thing apart from the inside out”. Of course she can start with Rep. Mad Maxine.
Here is where you and I can help Mrs. Love out to not just fight but win the Utah fourth congressional district. And if you missed the speech, it is right here. Mrs. Love made more sense in four minutes than a certain occupier of the White House has made in four years.
Lets all work together to make sure this political studette can get to Washington. President Romney and Vice-President Ryan will need people like Mia Love to pursue the reform agenda.

Another Obligartory Yes, Christians CAN Vote For Non-Christians Post

Sigh! And a double face-palm.
Once again, a crazy Christian pastor is telling his flock, and by extension, anyone who is a Christian, that no, we can not vote for Mitt Romney for president.
I think that you know why. But I am obliged to delve into this once again.
Because Mr. Romney is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You know. The eeeeevvvvviiilllll Mormons.
The pastor in question is one Steven Andrew of a group called USA Christian ministries. And according to this article on The Blaze, Pastor Andrew is mad that Pastor Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, said in a interview that it is OK for Evangelical Christians to vote for a Mormon for president. Or for any office for that matter.
Well, Pastor Andrew believes it is a sin to vote for a non-Christian for office. So much so that he wants Pastor Graham to "repent".
Really?!
Because a true Christian can not vote for someone like Mitt Romney and or Jon Huntsman, Jr. No, no, no. And if one is a Buddhist, the aforementioned Mormon or Islamic, forget it. Can't vote for them. The exact quote from Pastor Andrew is this:

Consequences of Voting for Ungodly People
Voting for non-Christians (Mormons, Muslims, Buddhists and others), or people who just say they are Christians but don’t rule in the fear God, results in God’s Judgment.

I am going to bet that Pastor Andrew did not quite want to come out and say this one particular group. But I am certain in another time, this would top the others.
The. . .Joos!
OK, I consider myself a Christian. Sure, I belong to the Episcopal Church. And yeah, they need a lot of prayer. But I have voted for people that were probably not Christians.
And you know what?
I forgot another group that Pastor Andrew would have mentioned in another time or place.
The Roman Catholics.
Many people who call themselves Christians do not think that RCs are really Christians.
See, I vote for a candidate that is closest to my conservative policies. If that person is not a Christian, but is a conservative, I do not have a problem. Because we will agree on issues probably more than 90% of the time. Maybe on religion we would not. But, especially for president, I am voting for the person that can lead the United States. I am not voting for the Christian Theologian in Chief.
Sure, I want more people of faith to be involved in politics. And that maybe a non-Christian that I will possibly vote for.
So, regular readers may note that in 2008, I was all in for Mitt Romney for president. And the Mormon thing, really does not bother me. Because in a strange way, on some of the so-called social issues, my thinking is more in line with Mormons than my own Episcopal Church. And if Nr. Romney is the Republican presidential nominee, I will be for him with no doubts. Mormon and all.
We are a Christian nation in regards to the majority religion. The founders were aware of that heritage. But they were aware of the co-mingling of church and state. They did not want one religion, more precisely one form of Christianity to be the religion of the whole nation. And so far for well over 230 years.
Again, I want to assure wavering Christians that should Mr. Romney or Mr.Huntsman, Jr. become president this.
Don't look for a mass of Mormon missionaries on bikes swarming the United States direct from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And no, the capital will not be moved to Salt Lake City. And no, the SLC Mormon Temple will not become the new capitol building.
The business of the United States will go on. As it has for over 230 years.
So my fellow Christians, please do not pay attention to Pastor Andrew. And pay attention to Pastor Graham. For I leave you with this straight from the words of Pastor Graham:

“I think when we’re voting for president we need to get the person who is absolutely the most qualified. You can have the nicest guy and he can be a Christian and just wonderful but have absolutely no clue as to how to run a country.”

Here We Go Again On Mormon Bashing And Mitt Romney

UGH! It appears that Texas governor Rick Huckabee, er Perry, has a supporter that is using his position to once again question the former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney and his belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Meet the Rev. Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas.
Now on the surface, the Rev. Jeffress simply appears to be a leading Evangelical minister leading Megachurch in Dallas.
But scratch the surface and you get a pretty sure of himself religious bigot. And of course, the Rev. Jeffress trots out the Mormonism-is-a-cult card.
Look, I am not here to convince you that it is not. But read what the Rev. Jeffress said. It is not as bad as the former Arkansas governor, the Rev. Mike Huckabee, in his "question" to a New York Times reporter.
In that infamous interview, the Rev. Mike asked if Mormons believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers.
Just another way to ask the "Say, aren't them there Mor-mons Christians or not?" canard.
Now, Gov. Perry has plummeted since entering the GOP race for president. Does any one really think this will help him with the overall Republican voters? And the fact that he has not totally dismissed the Rev. Jeffress support sure does not help.
Let me write that as a Christian, and yeah I consider myself Evangelical, I have voted for people that are not my vision of a Christian. As a Protestant, I have voted for Roman Catholics. Would do so again when the right one comes along. Will vote for a Jewish politician that I would agree with. Even, hold on to your hat, and Islamic if he or she were along the same way politically.
See, overall views are important to me. Sure, I would like to vote for a Christian first and foremost. But if say Eric Cantor, the House Majority leader was running for president against the Dear Leader, President Obama, would I not vote for him? Oh, did I mention that Congressman Cantor is Jewish? Should I not vote for the Jewish pol I agree with over the nominal Christian that I have absolutely nothing in agreement with?
Why does not the Obamawhore media ask the Rev. Jefress that question?
Or another question that always escapes the same Obamawhore media when engaging in Mormon bashing.
Does the Rev. Jeffress think that the Roman Catholic church is a cult? Many Evangelicals do. I think since the good pastor opened the door, we need to ask him some questions.
But, no one will. Because it is now open season on Mormons.
Again, for the umpteenth time, I do not agree with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints theologically. But I accept that they are Christians. A different kind of Christian, yes, but they are Christians as they see it.
Hence, I can vote for Mitt Romney with a clear conscience that if he should become president, he will not turn the White House into the newest Mormon Temple. Nor will he send cadres of white, button-downed shirt young men on bikes to knock on the doors of the rest of the non-believers of Mormon doctrine. And, I do not think Mr. Romney will turn his religion into the state religion since the constitution rejects it and he would not do that.
Two people I respect had the best comments on the issue.
Radio talker Bill Bennett called the Rev. Jeffress out as a religious bigot. Right on my Roman Catholic brother, Bill!
And Presbyterian presidenital candidate Herman Cain said this in an interview yesterday courtesy of CBS Face The Nation:

Schieffer: How about you, Mr. Cain. What's your thought on this?

Cain: I feel the same way. We're not running for theologian in chief. We're running for president of the United States of America. What I believe is that the American people want to know: what are your values? What are your principles? Because your values and your principles may impact how you make decisions. But not get into the specifics of your chosen religion.

Schieffer: Do you think Mormons are Christians?

Cain: I believe that they believe that they're Christians based on their definition but getting into whether or not they're more Christian than another group, I don't think that's relevant to this campaign.

Exactly.
That is why Gov. Perry must dismiss the support of the Rev. Jeffress. And he must denounce they kind of talk the Rev. Jeffress is engaging in. And we all must remember that this helps. . .the Dear Leader, President Obama.
After all, the race to the Republican nomination is to see who will face the Dear Leader, President Obama, in November 2012. This is not the race to see who is the true Christian or not.
Please good GOP voters, keep that in mind. And remember one more very important thing.
Thousands of our young men and women are fighting against Islamicfacist terrorists that would impose a state religion if they are not defeated. It is a form of Islam that is not even recognizable to most Islamics. These young men and women are fighting for the unique American position that all religions are free to practice in this Great Land.
Remember that in your vote fellow conservatives.