Wanna see what a persecution complex looks like?

Jeremy Lott at the American Spectator published an article today comparing the Mormon concept of God to the character of Dr. Manhattan from Watchmen. I thought the article was a respectful and amusing thought exercise and could find no trace of anti-Mormonism within it. I haven’t seen the Watchmen movie yet, but I’m a fan of Zack Snyder and a fan of the comic, so it’s likely that I will enjoy it when I do.
Check out the comments from TomH, GW, RICHARD JERNIGAN, Kent Lyon and MinJae Lee. Wow. Just wow. I’d bet money that these are the same people who think the Song of Solomon is “pornography.” Having your deity compared to a character in one of the most cherished graphic novels of all time does not warrant this kind of a response. In fact, I think it’s a flattering comparison.
One of my favorite evangelical Bible study series ever involved using scenes from The Matrixto teach the Gospel. I love applying my theology to pop culture, and I thought the teacher was talented and insightful in his use of the film. I guess I should have just yelled at him to stop making base comparisons between my faith and “poorly crafted” rated R movies, “poorly crafted” apparently meaning “critically acclaimed” for both The Matrix and Watchmen.
I can also teach a really rollicking gospel lesson from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. While not rated R, I knew evangelicals who condemned it because of its use of hobgoblins, spooks and demon-like characters. They missed out.
Seriously, people are not putting down your faith just because they find parallels between what you believe and pop culture. Lighten up. You may just learn to see spiritual truths in the least likely of places.
For more on the spiritual value of R-rated movies, see:
Hollywood’s R-Rated Faith by Jesse Carey ~ “Some of the most powerful and challenging movies I’ve seen were rated R. Because sometimes, the realities of the world, the dangers of evil—and how God can redeem even the worst situations—aren’t always safe for the little ears.”
H/T: T&S

Comments

Wanna see what a persecution complex looks like? — 12 Comments

  1. I love pop culture for that very reason: sometimes you can gain such valuable insights from it! Like when Edward the Vampire’s skin is sparkling in the sunlight and they’re totally NOT having sex, I’m like, “WOW. This is SO. DEEP.” :)
    In all seriousness, I’ve gained spiritual insights from films as diverse as Billy Elliot and Independence Day. There’s a lot to be had in even popular expressions of entertainment/art.
    But, Jack, I think you’re forgetting what was most offensive to the commenters on that post you linked to. And that is, when you’re a Mormon, there ARE no R-rated problems. Remember?
    (NOTE: the above was said with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Seriously not trying to be snarky.) :)
  3. Jack,
    While I agree that the AS article was merely wrong and not trying (viciously) to attack the Church, I do take a bit of an exception of your use of “persecution complex.”
    You of all people know that there are ARE people out there who make their living off of selling lies about Mormons. They are actively persecuting. Using a charged term like “persecution complex” implies a mental illness, and is it’s own form of name-calling. It sounds very calloused. I don’t like it. I just can’t imagine Jesus saying, to anyone even when they are wrong about being persecuted “You just have a persecution complex.” I know I’ve felt very devalued with Evangelicals who dismiss rapes and murders as “persecution complex.” I don’t think it’s ever been legal in any state to “exterminate” an Evangelical. Yet there is also persecution against Evangelicals as well. Just my 0.02$
  4. MadChemist ~ I have to disagree with you on a couple of levels. What anti-Mormons do is almost never “persecution” of Mormons; persecution involves destruction of property, denial of civil liberties, torture, imprisonment and execution because of one’s religious beliefs. The early Saints in Missouri and Illinois and Utah were persecuted. Latter-day Saints today? They’re almost never persecuted. Saying that an anti-Mormon handing out pamphlets at Temple Square is “persecuting” Mormons demeans the people out there who are actually being persecuted for their beliefs. Evangelical Christians are regularly persecuted in other countries today because we carry our gospel to countries where Christianity is illegal—visit Voice of Martyrs for more info. The LDS church probably would be persecuted in the same capacity, but it doesn’t proselyte in countries where Christianity is illegal, so it isn’t.
    A person with a persecution complex is someone who sees attacks against his or her religion where there is none and dwells on attacks on his or her religion when they do exist. The hostile comments calling the AS article an attack on Mormonism were indicative of a persecution complex. They thought Jeremy Lott was attacking Mormonism when he wasn’t. He wasn’t even in the ballpark of attacking Mormonism.
    I don’t like the way Mormons are often treated in American and evangelical culture. I spoke up against the ugly post-Proposition 8 behavior, I’ve spoken up against this Big Love mess, and I’ve called the evangelical counter-cultists out on their dishonest tactics. I do my part curb anti-Mormonism when I actually see it.
    But Mormons crying “anti-Mormon!” when there isn’t one doesn’t make my job any easier. It just makes people not care when they actually are being picked on.
  5. Thank you for that glorious insight into the psychological dysfunction of certain Mormon commentators on the above linked article. I’m appalled that grown men and women can so egregiously misconstrue the obvious correct interpretation of the word ‘persecution’. Never mind what the dictionaries say. Being persecuted for believing we’re persecuted, will the vicious cycle never end?
    I’m seriously hilarious, sometimes. This claim is highly debatable, as I’m sure you’ll agree.
    If people choose to take offence at the article, don’t they have the right to say so? TomH sounded as if he were ready to punch someone in the face. Still, there’s nothing like a healthy online debate (a.k.a flame war).
    A couple of things that I think need clarification…
    > Zack Snyder, is just a tad overrated.
    > Watchman the comic (graphic novel sounds so pretentious) = awesome!
    > Watchman the movie = really well done, but ultimately unsatisfying.
    > Being compared to a comic character, I think it’s like the whole Islam we don’t depict Muhammad thing. It comes across as disrespectful to undedumicated types who don’t actually read comics and think that they’re (comics) are utter crap.
    > my favourite pop-culture comparison I’ve heard in a testimony: Jesus is like Harry Potter. Yeah, I guess in some kind of esoteric alternate universe type of way we can pull that comparison off.
    > my favourite R rated movie is the ever popular Shawshank Redemption, I regret I don’t have a more original choice.
    > the comic version of Dr. Manhattan wasn’t endowed well enough to be the Mormon God. Siring chidren as numerous as the sands of the sea with that tiny member? Not happening. The movie version? Now your talking.
  6. Speak for yourself; I was persecuted as a teenager and a pre-teen, in part for my behavior as a Mormon. It wasn’t severe, but some of it was physical abuse.
    For me, if it reaches a level where a law like the Civil Rights Act of ’64 were triggered, it’s persecution. If it’s a car parked on the street in front of my house with the words “Bigots Live Here”, that’s persecution, too.
    If it’s the publication of a list of donors to a popular ballot initiative, in an environment of reactionary anger, that’s persecution, too.
    And as you know, it’s very, very easy to have empathy towards people suffering that kind of thing, especially when events like that are no more than, say, four months old. It’s not paranoia if they’re really out to get you.
    If it’s Jesus-Freak-On-The-Street waving a pair of garments around at General Conference, not so much.
  7. “But Mormons crying “anti-Mormon!” when there isn’t one doesn’t make my job any easier. It just makes people not care when they actually are being picked on.”
    That’s on my list of “Reasons to Love Jack.”
    I remember talking to some LDS members in Mexico. Some of them were getting beaten up at school because they were Mormons. They all pitched in and bought judo lessons for one of them, who took the classes and then taught everyone else. They weren’t picked on anymore.
  8. See Jack, it’s really your choice of words. If you said the people on the post were “over-sensitive” that’d be one thing. But persecution complex…Unless you also got a degree in psychology, you may be over-reaching your bounds.
    Furthermore, “persecution as violence” is a very specialized definition, one that society as a whole does not subscribe to. Wikipedia defines persecution as “systematic mistreatment of an individual or group due to their religious affiliation.”
    At the end of the day, the cause of persecution is emnity, hatred. President defined pride as a form of emnity between an individual and God or between an individual on our fellow men. The cause of persecution is emnity. Jesus taught there was also sin in being angry with your brother, not just in killing him. Maybe what some Mormons are calling persecution isn’t quite murder, maybe it’s only violent manslaughter. In the end, it has the same cause, emnity. I thought you understood this based on the number of Evangelical counter-cultist you condemned. The Evangelical “beat them to show them how much you love them for Jesus” is just not a language Mormon’s understand…
  9. Rob,
    I think the phrase goes “just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean people aren’t really out to get me.”
    But likewise, just because people are really out to get you doesn’t mean you aren’t paranoid too.
  10. MadChemist ~ I don’t need a degree in psychology to make fun of people on teh Intarweb. “Persecution complex” may be harsh, but I’m sure the anti-Mormons didn’t like me telling them that they “ride the intellectual short bus,” either. I’m even-handed; in fact I’d say my condemnation of anti-Mormons has been much harsher.
    The Wikipedia article on religious persecution further elaborates, “Often it is the alleged persecution of individuals within a group in the attempt to maintain their religion identity, or the exercise of power by an individual or organization that causes members of a religious group to suffer. Persecution in this case may refer to confiscation or destruction of property, incitement to hate, arrest, imprisonment, beatings, torture, and execution.” I don’t think my take on persecution is specialized at all.
    I don’t really understand why you keep bringing up what evangelicals often do to Mormons as if I don’t condemn it. And I certainly don’t hate the LDS commentators at the AS article. They got silly on the Internet over an issue they feel passionately about. So what? We’ve all done it before. Hopefully if they see my post they’ll live and learn.
  11. Seth, I’m sure that’s another way to put it. But since I’m such an etymology buff, I looked it up, chased its latin cousins, and found out that you get to be right. This time! ;-)
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