Here's A Not-Surprise

Uh-oh, leftists trying to stir up religious tension, as well as the racial tension they caused when they mentioned the new AZ law.

The dispute regarding Arizona’s new law cracking-down on illegal immigrants has seen endless allegations of racism thrown around, principally by opponents who fear that it will lead to police harassment of anyone who happens to have olive skin.

Behind the scenes, though, the ongoing controversy is also sparking an ugly and increasingly tribal clash between members of two of the State’s most popular organised religions: the Catholic and Mormon churches.

Opponents of the hard-knuckle law, who were addressed by the singer Shakira at a youth centre in Phoenix today, are largely Hispanic, and therefore Catholic. Indeed, when I spent time with them earlier this week, they were holding prayer meetings at a makeshift shrine, complete with candles, outside the State capitol.

Intriguingly, though, I also discovered that many of the right-wingers who are responsible for the allegedly-racist new law belong to the Mormon Church, which is based in next door
Utah.

The new law’s author, Senator Russell K Pearce, is part of what was described to me by Daniel Pochoda, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties, as a “cabal” of Mormons who have been elected into the State’s government.

“They’ve been trying to pass a law like this for a great many years,” he told me in an interview. “There’s a couple of very rabid folks in the legislature, a cadre of Mormon Republicans. They really are a rabid reactionary, racist crew, the sort of people who are critical of Utah Mormons for being too lenient."

The Mormon Church took a kicking in 2008 for supporting and helping finance a (successful) effort to outlaw gay marriage in California, and its leaders are unlikely to enjoy being caught up in another divisive national controversy.

They may have no choice, though. As any student of the somewhat eccentric religion will tell you, the Mormon Church has a long and unhappy history with regard to race relations. Among other things, its authorities officially denied that black people had souls, until 1976.

Two caveats: Far from all Hispanic, Latino, Mexican or Spanish-surnamed people are Catholics. Actually, some are Mormons. Nor are we entirely certain that LDS theology concerning black people was that they were soul-free until '76. Although it wouldn't surprise us.