Up in Malheur County, Oregon right now there’s an armed protest being held by disgruntled ranchers, some of whom are members of the same church as myself, and are using scriptural references to justify their actions. This has drawn enough attention that the Church has felt it necessary to disassociate itself from these ranchers and condemn their actions, issuing a statement to that effect earlier this week.
That same day I was listening to an address given by Dallin H. Oaks, one of my church’s apostles, that seemed abnormally relevant. In discussing the power of ideas, especially the ideas presented by Jesus Christ, he had this to say, drawing from the works of C.S. Lewis:
It is surprisingly easy to take what should be our first devotion and subordinate it to other priorities. Fifty years ago, the Christian philosopher C. S. Lewis illustrated that tendency with an example that is distressingly applicable in our own day. In his book The Screwtape Letters, a senior devil explains how to corrupt Christians and frustrate the work of Jesus Christ. One letter explains how any “extreme devotion” can lead Christians away from the Lord and the practice of Christianity. Lewis gives two examples, extreme patriotism or extreme pacifism, and explains how either “extreme devotion” can corrupt its adherent.
“Let him begin by treating the Patriotism or the Pacifism as a part of his religion. Then let him, under the influence of partisan spirit, come to regard it as the most important part. Then quietly and gradually nurse him on to the stage at which the religion becomes merely part of the ‘cause,’ in which Christianity is valued chiefly because of the excellent arguments it can produce in favour of the British war effort or of pacifism. … Once you have made the World an end, and faith a means, you have almost won your man, and it makes very little difference what kind of worldly end he is pursuing” (C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, rev. ed., New York: MacMillan, 1982, p. 35).
We can readily see that tendency in our own time, with many causes that are good in themselves but become spiritually corrupting when they assume priorities ahead of him who commanded, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Jesus Christ and his work come first. Anything that would use him or his kingdom or his church as a means to an end serves the cause of the adversary.
The Church has long advocated that its members be informed on current events and trends and actively engaged in the political process, though it has not advocated for any particular party or platform, only reserving the right to speak on moral issues. There is scriptural support aplenty for both liberal and conservative causes, as witnessed by the fact that Orrin Hatch and Harry Reid are both members of the church.
However, a mistake too many make, including these ranchers, is precisely what Lewis outlines. Their focus has shifted away from striving to follow Christ and toward a semi-militant crusade against government overreach, using and abusing gospel teachings to justify themselves and their beliefs. I believe something similar is happening with militant Islam. Rather than letting their religion drive their world view, they’re letting their world view drive their religion–religion becomes a vehicle for reaching their world-view-selected destination.
The Bundy family doesn’t speak for the Church or for God. Their decision to invoke scripture in support of their aims, thus dragging the Church into the matter by association, is unfortunate. But no one should mistake what is going on in southeastern Oregon for Christianity or the will of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It can’t be stated any more plainly than the Church’s own Articles of Faith:
12 We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
What’s going on in Oregon is sad, but the approach being taken is not at all supported by the Church and its doctrine. As the Church’s statement indicates, there are legal avenues for achieving their goals, and those should be used. I hope this entire situation can be resolved calmly, peacefully, and quickly.