A Vote for Mitt Romney is a Vote for Satan?

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2008 Republican Primary Election Outcomes

            Religion is an essential component in the United States presidential elections. Indeed, while there have been some rather unorthodox theist presidents (such as Thomas Jefferson) there has never been a president that has not also been nominally Christian. As such, religion has become a rather decisive aspect in debates and rhetoric.  Religion is used to both gain adherents as while as used as a deterrent from their opponants. This has been seen in the case of John F. Kennedy (the first Catholic president), Barrack Obama (accused of being a Muslim), as well as Mitt Romney. In the case of Mitt Romney it came to the point where it was stated that a vote for Mitt Romney is a vote for Satan.
            In the 2008 Republican primary election the three main runners were John McCain, Mike Hukabee, and Mitt Romney. Both John McCain and Mike Hukabee are mainline Christians. In fact, Mike Hukabee is an ordain Southern Baptism minister. However, Mitt Romney is a devout Mormon, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Mitt Romney's religion quickly became a political platform in which he was examined and ridiculed. This because many Christians view Mormonism as a non-Christian cult.

Mormon Salt Lake City Temple
Completed 1893

             Mitt Romney's devotion to his faith is almost indisputable. Mitt Romney pays a minimum of 10% of his income to the Mormon church as a tithe.  In additional to tithing, he delegates funds to various other causes within the church including welfare. When Romney was in his early 20's he served as a full-time missionary France for two year.  He later served as a Bishop of a Mormon congregation (an unpaid local congregation leader), and as a Stake President (a leader over several wards or congregations) all of which are unpaid ecclesiastical positions.  Romney regularly attends church as well as temples (dedicated buildings where Mormons perform liturgical convents and oblations to God). Romney has spent thousands and thousands of hours in service of his church and donated millions. He is by all accounts a devout member.

             To most, these traits would seem ]desirable, it demonstrates that he has deep rooted convictions, finds passion in his commitments, works hard, performs selfless service, and sacrifices time and money for what he believes to be true.  Further, just the fact that Romney is a Mormon in the face of frequent ridicule shows that he sticks to what he believes even if it is unpopular or a minority view. While devotion may be admirable trait, for many Romney has placed his faith in the wrong religion. For many evangelical and traditional Christian religions the Mormon church is not a Christian religion, that they deny the divinity of Jesus Christ, that they do not follow the bible as the ultimate source, that it is a religion inspired by the devil, and it is a satanic cult. Despite Mormons claiming otherwise, 50% of American do not believe that Mormons are Christian. Further, when asked one word to describe the Mormon religion the most common answer was "cult" (Pew Forum, 2012)).

Pastor Bill Keller

             One prominent critic is Pastor Bill Keller. Bill Keller is a evangelical pastor, a televangelist, creator of Bill Keller ministries, and the creator and host of Live Prayer (www.liveprayer.com), an online ministry which sends over 2,400,000 people regular emails in relation to Christ, their website and other Live Prayer information.  
             Bill Keller caused a national scene when he sent an email to his followers that "If you vote for Mitt Romney you are voting for Satan" and that "[Mitt] Romney getting elected president will ultimately lead millions of souls to the eternal flames of hell!!!" (2007).  This caused uproar not just in religious and political realms but also in legal circles.  The reason for this is because Live Prayer is a non-profit organization and thus it is illegal for it to “attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates”(Internal Revenue Services, 2012).  Keller’s email was seen by many as a political statement which is directed to influence his audience against voting for Mitt Romney. The American United for the Separation of Church and State petitioned the IRS to examine the tax exempt state Pastor Keller's organization.

            This story was taken up by most major news sources and provided me, as a politically minded Canadian Mormon, significant entertainment. In this blog post I would like to show you two interviews of Pastor Bill Keller which are informative, entertaining and interesting.

Interview #1 - Bill O'Reilly and Pastor Bill Keller Talk on The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News
          This first interview is between conservative Fox News political commentator and Roman Catholic Bill O’Reilly and televangelist Pastor Bill Keller, founder of www.liveprayer.com.            

Now as fun as it is to see to see Bill O'Reilly treat Pastor Bill Keller as if he were five, I feel he dealt with the interview in a less-than-ideal way.  Bill Keller did make some very prejudiced, close minded, and ignorant statements. However, it is wrong, ignorant, and ironic to respond to intolerance with intolerance for the intolerant.
 In this interview Bill O'Reilly made a very good point about the validity of his claims.  In discussion he said to Keller(3:06): 

"He is not bringing anybody into anything. I mean that is ridiculous. How can you back up an assertion that the former governor of Massachusetts is bringing people into his religion? How could you back that up?"  

Keller had claimed that  "[Mitt] Romney getting elected president will ultimately lead millions of souls to the eternal flames of hell". How can Mr. Keller show evidence that this is true? In 2007 there were only 302 million people in the US (Population Reference Bureau, 2007). For "millions" to be millions it must be at least two. That would be at least 0.7% of the entire population converting, which would be an increase of about 33% for the current US Mormon Population. This is a very unlikely claim with no base.

Interview #2 - Alan Colmes, Pastor Bill Keller, and Scott Gordon on The Alan Colmes Show on Fox News Radio

            
                   This second interview is a three way interview between liberal Jewish radio host Alan Colmes of Fox News Radio, Mormon and president of the Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research (FAIR (www.fairlds.org) Scott Gordon, and Pastor Bill Keller (www.liveprayer.com). This rather lengthy interview focuses on the question of the Mormon belief in Christ: Are Mormon Christian? Do Mormon believe in a "different" God and Christ than mainstream Christianity? What is he nature of god? Bill Keller claims that "a Mormon is no more a Christian than a Muslim", that they believe in a different and false God and Jesus and that the Mormon church is a "satanic cult" and that "millions of people will die and go to Hell if Mitt Romney is elected to become president".
                   This interview also examines some very sensitive issues such as polygamy, angels, racial bans to priesthood, their holy scriptures "The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, their so called "secret" temple practices, grace vs works, the atonement of Jesus Christ, temple undergarments, difficult historical issues, apotheosis, the afterlife, their ultimate authority and several other like issues.

Here are some of my favorite, or most interesting, quotes from the interview: 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

(4:27)

Gordon: Don't believe in the deity of Christ?  That is clearly untrue.

Keller: You deny the deity of Christ. Don't sit there and lie to the people!

Colmes: Wait, Wait! Isn't the full name of the church "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

Gordon: That is correct.

(12:12)

Keller: They try to make people believe, even your guest is trying to make people believe, that they are just another Christian denomination! But a Mormon is no more a Christian than a Muslim!

Colmes: Wait, why can't you accept what Mr. Gordon is saying if that is his faith, if that is his belief? Why can't you accept that that is what he believes?

Keller: He can believe anything he wants, just be honest!

Colmes: Are you claiming, sir, that he is misrepresenting what his religion actually stands for? 

Keller: They are deceiving people to try to make them believe they are Christians and they not!

...

Gordon: You know, I don't really even know what I can say about that. What can one say other than "he's wrong"? 

(16:05)

Keller: I would love to see you get saved because you would be a powerful man of God Alan.

Colmes: Well, and maybe I am a powerful man of God without your religion. 

(17:30)

Colmes: Whatever happened to "judge not lest ye be judged"?  Did you read that part of the bible?

(26:12)

Keller: Hey Alan, you really want to ask your other guest about the fact that they believe when you die you'll be God of your own planet, that Jesus is the brother of Lucifer, and some of these beliefs about the magical underwear.

Gordon: Well, as to the "magical underwear", I think Mr. Keller has an undue attraction to underwear items.

(29:26)  

Colmes: Are you calling [Scott Gordon] a liar?

Keller: Of course he is a liar!

Gordon: You know, That's the thing - as soon as I say something all that Mr. Keller says is to say that I am wrong. Now how is it that he know my beliefs better than I do?

(33:06)

* Gladys Knight Song Playing*

Colmes: Hey, Bill Keller, you like Gladys Knight?

Keller: Love Gladys Knight. Love Donny and Marie [Osmond] and I pray that they will turn from the lies of the Mormon cult before they die and go to Hell.

(34:06)

Gordon: I find it interesting that [Bill Keller] berates us, calls us a satanic cult, he calls us evil, and then he says "and by the way, come over and join my group". Why would we want to do that? You know, you treat people that rudely, it's certainly not a very good missionary effort. 

...

Keller: ...let me tell you something: there is only one truth, and I know it is tough to hear, but it's the bottom line and it is out of love that I share that truth tonight with you. 

Colmes: I haven't heard much love on these phone lines.

Gordon: I haven't either.

Keller: Hey Alan, truth is the greatest love their is my friend.

Colmes: I'm not feeling the love.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Colmes and Gordons attempt to have a respectful interfaith discussion with the hysterical, interrupting, snickering Keller. However, all Keller seems to be interested in doing is rehashing his original article and to close off the minds of the public by demonizing Mitt Romney and the Mormon religion.  Keller also seems unwilling to talk to Gordon directly, rather, he seems to refer to him only as "your other guest" and address any comment he wishes to make to Gordon through Colmes.  Nearing the end of the interview it seems that Keller breaks down and desperately starts throwing out every trick in the book to discredit Mormons (most of which were misleading, unsubstantiated, or false) while alluding that he hasn't even scratched the surface of the wild and outrageous beliefs of the Mormon church (27:23).  As Gordon and Colmes pointed out you can make almost any unfamiliar practice seems crazy by the way you word it.

Are Mormons Unchristian and Non-Biblical?

Pastor Keller based his claim that "a vote for Mitt Romney is a vote for Satan" on the grounds that Mormons are not Christian. During his interview with Colmes, Keller answered why it was unacceptable for Mitt Romney, or any Mormon, to become president. He initially states that he would not support anyone who "denied the deity of Christ". Later he clarified this statement by sayin that Mormons do not believe in the same Jesus Christ as was presented in the Bible and in historic Christianity; Bill Keller implies heavily that Mormons are ignorant in the Bible and of true Christianity. Lastly, he made the statement that he would fight against any candidate that "masquerades as something they are not".  Are these accurate claims and criticisms?

Do Mormons Deny the Deity of Christ and purposefully Misrepresent themselves as Christian? 

             Do Mormons deny the deity of Christ? What does that even mean? The word deity is defined as "god, or divine nature, especially that of the supreme being: divinity". Thus, the idea that Mormons deny the deity of Christ is easily tested by examining the scriptural canon of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their prophets.

The Book of Mormon is a Holy book for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which portrays various historical events between 2000 BCE and 600 AD.  In it, it states that the people "...serve the God of this land,who is Jesus Christ..." (Ether 2:12, The Book of Mormon).

In 2000, the leading head of the Church came out with an official declaration of belief concerning Jesus Christ.  It states that:

"[Jesus] was the great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New... He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind... We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles -- that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of his Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine son." (The Living Christ)

             It is quite obvious from the texts and words of the official works of the Church for Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that Mormons do believe in the deity of Jesus Christ.  So, are they misrepresenting themselves? By what other measure would you gauge them by other than their words, their official doctrine and ministerial teachings?  These sources are the most basic source of theology for the Mormons faith and I see no reason to accept the claims of Keller according to this information. I sympathize with Gordon's statements statements to kellers claims: "I don't really even know what I can say about that. What can one say other than "he's wrong"?" (Int-2, 21:26).

A "Different", Unbiblical, Jesus?

             Jesus stated that "this is life eternal, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent"(John 17:3 KJV).  But who is Jesus? Who is God? This is a subject that has been debated through centuries. From the creeds of Nicea, to the definition of Chalcedon, to the reformation, theologians have argued the nature of God and Jesus Christ. Why are there separate churches? Because they can't all agree on the same nature and laws of God or Christ! So a claim that Mormons believe in a "different" Christ is meaningless.

             A more interesting question is if the Mormon view Jesus is unbiblical.  Biblical interpretations vary from person to person and from church to church.  While several churches proudly proclaim that they follow "the Bible only" they disagree about even basic concepts of God and theology. As such, I believe that it is impossible to fully answer the question "is the Mormon idea of God, Jesus, theology exactly concordant with the Bible." Rather, I will present some sources demonstrating that Mormons do know and read the bible. It it to be assumed that both reading reading and understanding the bible is positively correlated with an accuracy of the teaching from the Bible (if more you read and understand the bible the more likely you will have an accurate understanding of the laws and the deity found in the Bible).

             The Pew Forum constructed several religious surveys in the US.  They found that on average, Mormons answered correctly more questions about historical Christian than any other surveyed religious affiliation.  

             They also found that Mormons outperformed all Christian denominations in the overall religious knowledge quiz and percent of people with more than 53%.  Mormons also performed better than any other religious affiliation in the quiz of biblical knowledge (see chart 1) (Statistics of Interest are Mormons and Evangelical Christians (pastor Keller religious standing)). 

Chart 2 (click to enlarge)

Mormons also answered correctly more questions about historical Christianity and Judaism than any other quizzed religious affiliation.  Mormons also performed better on the world religion quiz than any other Christian denomination (see chart 2).

Chart 2 (click to enlarge)

Mormons also were seen to read the scriptures, attend church, and praying more frequently than other Christian religions and the US general public. (see chart 3). 

Chart 3 (click to enlarge)

What is more interesting is that Mormons with a higher education (and presumably better informed in science, history, religion, culture, and world affairs) find Mormon believes easier to believe than those with less education. In fact Mormon college graduates are less than half as likely to report having a hard time some things than are people with a high school diploma or less. So while I don't think it is appropriate or plausible to claim that anyone's perspective of Jesus is biblical or not as both measures are very subjective I do believe that Mormons do have a good belief and practice of reading the Bible (and presumably have a fairly reasonable interpretation of the Bible and Christ).

   

Conclusion

Overall I was entertained by the interview but was very disappointed with the arguments Keller made.  While there are legitimate concerns and criticisms of  the Mormon faith Keller choose to demonize the teaching of the Mormon church.  Keller was using fear tactics, not trying to understand others' belief systems, turning to misrepresentation and straw man arguments; It appears his motive was not the truth but rather to convince his audience of the monstrosity which is Mormonism. Further, Keller makes several blanket statements which are obviously untrue (e.g. (Int.2-1:34)The false teaching of the Mormon Cult are in 100% contradiction to biblical Christianity) and several times employ very obvious and overt logical fallacies which not only do not help his arguments but hurts his legitimacy and authority of everything he says (e.g. (Int.2-32:00) "We must only accept what is in the bible" (Why do we accept that law? Because it says that in the bible?(circular logic)), (Int.2-32:34) "the basic tenants of the Christian faith is agreed upon by all those who follow Christ" (So the basic teachings and laws of Christianity is all agreed upon by all those who follow those same teaching and laws?).).

             It seems to me, as it did to Gordon, that Keller has a deep fear that Mitt Romney being president could give the Mormon church some sort of legitimacy, respect, and greater understanding.  It seems Keller is afraid that  This is a rather informative and enlightening interview to see some of the contention and friction between evangelical Christianity and Mormonism.

Presidential Republican Candidates
From Right to Left: Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum 

             Currently Bill Keller continues his anti-Mormon and anti-Romney campaign and has on his webpage a "Judas Gallery: Christians who have sold out Christ to back Mormon Cult Member, Mitt Romney" with a list of Christians who support the Mitt Romney campaign.

             Whatever is to happen in these 2012 elections I hope that people will see the good in every political candidate.  I hope that one's religious beliefs will not be a stumbling block or a shew-in for any voter but rather the convictions, issues, integrity, and morality of the candidates.

A banner found on www.liveprayer.com

References

Population Reference Bureau. (2007). 2007 World Population Data Sheet. Retrieved from http://www.prb.org/pdf07/07WPDS_Eng.PDF

Pew Forum. (2012). Romney's Mormon Faith Likely a Factor in Primaries, Not in a General Election. Retrieved from http://www.pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/Romneys-Mormon-Faith--views-of-the-mormon-religion.aspx

Internal Revenue Services. (2012). Exemption Requirements - Section 501(c)(3) Organizations

Keller, W. (2007). If you vote for mitt romney you are voting for satan. Retrieved from http://liveprayer.com/ddarchive3.cfm?id=2931

Seventy-Six and Counting

Crescent Valley, Nevada: one square mile, one elementary school, one gas station, two hundred people, seventy-six stop signs. It was the densest concentration of nothing within fifty miles in the middle of the waste which is northern Nevada. Fortunately for these people, God loves all his children and sent to them two willing, young men on a mission.

Speeding down the I-80 in a 2006 Mazda 3, my cruise control was set to 83 miles an hour, just 8 miles over the limit that way if the cops were to catch me with their radar guns they would not pull me over since I was not even going 10 miles over the limit. It was 10:15 in the morning and there was not a cloud in the morning sky. I squinted down the road as the sun glared back at me off of the blacktop. There was no denying it; even with the air conditioning maxed out it was a hot summer morning which only promise was a hotter afternoon. Gently droning from the car speakers was the enthused voice of a man lecturing. I glanced over to my passenger, he wore a white shirt and tie with a stark black name tag over his right chest pocket His seat was reclined, sunglasses askew with his mouth draping open. His hair, shaggy, brown, and unruly, hid his forehead from view while his eyes remained shut and motionless. His hair was way too long for missionary regulations. He just did not realize how important it is to be obedient. I turned back from my sleeping companion to survey the road ahead of me. There was one thing that was for sure: being the senior companion had its drawbacks. Most notably in my mind at this moment was the responsibility of driving.

On this particular trip our destination was the aforementioned Crescent Valley. We were currently exiting of the town in which we were stationed, Carlin Nevada. The town was really only good for one thing: gold. What else would lure 3,000 people to a little town with no natural resources or beauty in the middle of a desert? Everyone in the town was working for the gold, whether directly or indirectly, their efforts were to support the extraction of this shiny substance.

            We, as the missionaries in the area, covered a huge geographical area a little over 8,000 square miles. That is about the size of New Jersey. However, unlike New Jersey, which has thousands of cities and a population of around nine million, this desolate portion of Nevada consisted of only three small towns: Carlin, Crescent Valley, and Eureka, each of which were significantly distant from each other and which collectively was home to fewer than five thousand people.

I looked out my window to the left; there was nothing but a cluster of rolling hills and a vast panoramic horizon. I thought I could see a point of reflected light shining in the sea of brown, it must be a shed or possibly a small trailer home.  Being stationed in Carlin defiantly afforded me a lot of opportunity to dive. I would have dreaded driving if I didn’t enjoy it so much.

As missionaries we do everything together. We eat together, read together, travel together, shop together; we even sleep in the same room. As a rule we were to never be apart from our companions. This can become very stressful at times. You do not get to pick your companions, and sometimes you just need to be alone for a while. These regular trips afforded me the opportunity to have some solidarity. As we would prepare to go on one of these trips I would slip in the Mazda, crank up the air conditioning and pop in one of my favorite lecture CDs. This served a dual purpose: firstly I really did enjoy listening to Truman Madsen speak of the Life of Jesus Christ, and Hugh Nibley speak of the ancient prophets but also because it quickly and effectively placed my companion in a comatose state, allowing my mind to wander and be freed from the constant confinement of companionship.

 As I turned off the main road onto the car rumbled and swayed as we started down a narrow gravel street. My companion jerked awake. He quickly readjusted his seat and then fixed his glasses. He looked around; there wasn’t much to see. The rolling hills were behind us now, the view now was nothing but flat, treeless desert, which was littered with mobile trailers and a few small houses. A few dozen meters ahead was a fire-red stop sign caked in dirt, an utterly useless precautionary measure as you could see a car coming down the road from ten miles away. As I approache I scanned the horizon: not a sign of life in sight. I continued on through the stop sign. It was illegal but I blame my audacity and dissonance on the fact that I am a second child. Second children are notoriously free willed and natural rule breakers. It was not a big deal.

We took a right onto a smaller, less-well maintained gravel road. A sign proudly proclaimed the roads name: Hillbilly Lane. A short while later I threw the car into park, unbuckled my seatbelt and opened the door. I was greeted by a scorching vindictive cloud of trailing dust, two dogs and a half-dozen young boys. This was our first stop.

            An hour later we returned to our car, which in our absence had been turned into an oven. After it had cooled we continued on our journey. Five minutes later we were passing the crown and jewel of the community: the Elementary school. It is a huge school for the number of people who attend it. The grounds were pristine and held a monopoly in the city on grass. You see, because of the gold mines and the low populations of the area, the cities receive huge sums of money from the mines which goes into the public facilities of the area. As I approached the school I glanced at a sign at the side of the road: School Zone: 15 miles an hour. It was an hour since school let out. There was no one in sight. I continued at 45 miles an hour beside the school. Ahead was another stop sign; I slowed to 30, looking around. I saw in the distance a bus traveling very slowly. I continued on through the stop sign. We just had one more stop, and then we would start on our way home. We approached the trailer, walked up the constructed stairs and knocked on the door. There was no reaction. After about fifteen seconds longer and a repeated attempt to notify the occupants, we returned to our vehicle.

As I slammed my car door behind me I fell back into my seat, my head tilted towards the roof, my eyes shut. As I sat up and turned the key in the ignition I surveyed my surroundings. The horizon was a tapestry of purple and red. How stunning it was to see the darkness creep into the sky. The sinking sun bred long shadows from behind the far blue mountains, texturing the otherwise barren landscape. Maybe Nevada did have some redeeming beauty after all.
My companion turned to me; “Hey, we need to go to the Holts and pick up some milk before we go home.”

“Right.” I replied.

I turned from the view and we drove off towards the Holts’. The Holts were an extremely nice family who were members of our church. They supported us by feeding us when we came to Crescent Valley, telling us who needed to be visited, and giving helpful suggestions and information. They also owned a couple of milk cows and offered free milk to the missionaries.

As we pulled up next to their high fence and walked in through their driveway we saw Brother Holt was outside doing some chores. Brother Holt was a middle aged man in his late 40’s. He was about 5’10” with salt-and-pepper hair, slightly overweight with thick large rimmed glasses. He was wearing jeans and a tight striped collared shirt. I smiled and waved to him, offering a salutation.

“Brother Holt! How are you doing?”

“I’m doing well, how are the Mission Mormonaries doing?”

After a few moments of talk he looked deep into my eyes. I could tell that something was coming. Brother Holt was known for several things, one of those was for being forthright and opinionated. There was something in those eyes that told me that I was now the focus of his opinionated displeasure.

“I have a bone to pick with you two!”

“What is that?” I asked

“Who is the driver?”

“I am.”

“Well then I have a bone to pick with you! Do you believe in obeying an honoring the law, Elder?”

I didn’t like the way he used my title, nor did I like his aggressive tone of voice. This was a rebuke, I knew it, and the use of my title was merely an attempt to manipulate me. He was also citing an Article of Faith, a pillar of the Latter-day Saints doctrine.

“I do.” I replied

“I don’t l know if you know, but I am a school bus driver. This afternoon as I was returning to the school with the bus I saw you blow past a stop sign in a school zone going forty-five miles an hour! We are trying to show the people in this town what kind of people we are by the kind of lives we live, and it’s tough when you go and blatantly disregard the laws. I have it all on camera on my bus.  The footage now belongs to the school, they can do with it what they want, whether it involves you getting a ticket or not.”

Walking away from that conversation I felt a spectrum of emotions. We grabbed our milk and started the long trip back home. There was no CD playing, I was very concerned about getting a ticket.  Missionaries do not make money, all I had was the money I had earned from work back home as a cabinet installer, which was already in use to support me on my mission. On the way home my companion attempted to console me. He told me of how Brother Holt was being unfair and how he doubted I would get a ticket. Shortly after, he fell asleep, leaving me in the solitude of my own thoughts driving towards the failing rays of light emitting above the mountains. It was ridiculous the way he reacted, who is he to lecture me? He is just a grumpy old man. He has nothing better to do then to harass the people that were trying to do some good in this deplorable town. There was no logical reason for the laws, no one even lived there! There were more four wheelers on the road then cars, what is the point? It was unreasonable! I felt a passionate wave of anger towards the man. I had a strong desire to speed past that same intersection going 80 miles an hour with Brother Holt standing on the corner. That would be satisfying, that would be justice. I would show him what I thought of his tirade. I smiled at this, as the final rays of sun disappeared. I felt closure, I felt a simmering pleasure laced with vindictive fury. As I sped down the highway I looked over to my right at my passenger; his seat was reclined, glasses askew, mouth draped open. His shaggy hair hid his forehead from view while his eyes remained shut and motionless. I looked out my window to the left; I stared at the silhouette of the mountains eclipsing the bright shining stars for a long moment.

 I closed my eyes and whispered to myself; 

“He was right.”

View Larger Map

P.S. Pictures taken by Lynden.  The families name has been changed, though it seems pointless as if anyone in that area were to read this they would know who it was.  If anyone in that area or family does read this know that I have great respect for that man/family.

An Author, A Priest, and A God: The Making of Saint Valentine’s Day

In a few days it will be the dreaded Valentine’s Day, a day which is most feared and loathed by the world in general.  Ok well maybe not, but to some it is quite intimidating.  It is marked with large red counterfactual shaped hearts, mystical flying doves, boxes of cheap chocolate, cheesy long steamed roses, and a pleasant naked winged baby called cupid who flies around shooting people with his infatuating arrows of love.  It is a time to express love, a time to exchange cards of care,   a time to unveil your true feelings, maybe even a time to become more committed to your significant other.  

                Although all these things are very heart warming and pleasant to the eye it begs a few questions; where did these symbols come from?  A naked winged baby?  Hearts?  Roses? Doves?  How did these ludicrous ideas become a national holiday?  Furthermore who or what is a Valentine?  What is special about February the 14^th? Why are we celebrating this day in the first place? All legitimate question to which over 90% of the people celebrating the holiday likely have to clue!  Today I am going to explore the origins and the symbols behind this festive holiday.

History

     Let us start with the name, which is officially “Saint Valentine’s Day”.  So we are remembering and honouring Saint Valentine.  Now comes a shocker, this holiday (Holyday) patronizes two Catholic Saint Valentines!

              

Saints Valentine of Rome

                Saint Valentine of Rome was a priest of Rome (surprise!), and even possibly a bishop.  He was known as a physician.  The sources for Saint Valentine of Rome are sparse and uncertain, but it is believed that during the reign of Emperor Claudius II Valentine aided to-be martyrs which were in prison.  Unfortunately for Valentine he was found and taken before Emperor Claudius II, who attempted to make Valentine deny his faith in Jesus Christ.  This being ineffective Valentine was then beaten and imprisoned.  In lore it is said that while imprisoned he converted the jailer by restoring sight to the jailer’s blind daughter, who then he fell in love with.  Valentine was in due time further beaten and finally beheaded on February 14, 270 C.E. An interesting postscript found in lore is that on the eve of Valentines death, he penned a farewell note to the jailer's daughter, signing it, "From your Valentine".

Saint Valentine was buried in Rome on the Flaminian Way. His relics are at the Church of Saint Praxed in Rome, and at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland.  The date of his Sainthood is unknown.

Saints Valentine of Terni

                Saint Valentine of Terni was born around 175 C.E. at Terni, Italy.  He was Ordained by Saint Felician of Foligno and later consecrated as the Bishop of Terni, Italy by Pope Victor I around C.E. 197.  Saint Valentine of Terni was a noted evangelist, a miracle worker, and a healer.  During the reign of Emperor Aurelian he was imprisoned, tortured, and beheaded by order of the prefect Placid Furius during the persecution of Aurelius. He was murdered in secret and at night on the Via Flaminia between Rome and Terni to avoid riots and revenge by the people of Terni. He is also buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location than Valentine of Rome. His relics are at the Basilica of Saint Valentine in Terni.  Some scholars believe that he and Saint Valentine of Rome are the same person.

             

   Older Traditions

                In older tradition in Rome, or possible pre-Rome, there is a holiday called Lupercalia, observed in Rome on February 13 through 15.  Lupercalia was an archaic rite connected to fertility.  This festival was in congruence with the more general Roman Festival of Juno Februa, was also celebrated on February 13 through 14.

Valentinian Evolution

In 496 Pope Gelasius I (C.E. 492-496) abolished Lupercalia in what is commonly believed to be the attempt to Christianize this pagan holiday, and in its place they were to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in honour of the Valentine Saints and all “those "... whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose acts are known only to God,"”  This is in similar nature to most holidays,  this being the Christianizing of Paganism, or as sometimes I think of it, the Paganising of Christendom. 

In these forefathers of today’s Valentine’s Day there was almost no romantic association with the cultural or the historical events,   not until much later was these sentiments graphed into the tradition.  The first claims of romantic contamination commonly arise in the late 13^th century and the early 14^th century where they start cropping up in westerns Europe’s poetry associating Saint Valentine with love, and birds.

Conversely many associate the romantic intrusion into the holiday as early as the 1300’s claiming the author as Geoffrey Chaucer and the medium being his poem “Parlement of Foules” (1382).  This theory is based on a singular line speaking of a “Volantynys day”which many now believe is not in association with what we know now as Valentine’s Day, but rather a Bishop Valentine that died around 307 C.E. some years after the before mentioned Valentines.

The Valentine Card and the EXPLOSION of Love

In the late 17^th century in England Valentine’s day progressed to sending poetry and cards to those your loved ones, there started to be published books of love poetry specifically designed to help those woo their maidens even if they themselves were not great poets or orators.  In the early 18^th century this became so popular that Valentine cards would be assembled in factories.  During the 18^th century, Valentine’s day became a more commercial, and as such, a more established holiday, particularly in Britain.    Britain was the breading pool for modern Valentine’s Day, soon gifts were being delivered to their wooed victims; chocolate, flowers, and fancy laced letters to show their love.  As one observed in 1849, "Saint Valentine's Day... is becoming, nay it has become, a national holyday.”.  Like always, the United States of America one step behind jumped on the Valentine card frenzy around 1847 starting in Massachusetts.  Within a few years the whole civilized culture was celebrating Valentine’s Day as if they had always been so, and just as quickly forgot why they were doing it.

Symbols

Cupid

Cupid (known to the Greeks as Eros or Amor both which means ‘love’) originates as Roman mythology.  Cupids name literally means ‘desire’, which epitomized his role in both Greek and Roman mythology wherein he is the God of sexuality and beauty. Cupid is usually portrayed as a nude winged youth, or child.  He was known to cause people to fall in love by shooting (or throwing) his magical arrows at them

 Cupid is the son of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty.  Venus was jealous that a mortal princess called Psyche (meaning soul) was infatuating the peoples mind so much that they were forgetting to worship her.  Venus sent her son to put a stop to this, but cupid soon fell in love and by and by married Psyche who became a Goddess as well.

 The connection to this mythological creature to Valentine’s Day is simply by natural Association.  His character resonates so well with the commercial portrayals of Valentine’s Day that he has come to be associated with it, the time when this association took place is unknown to me. 

Valentines' Day Cards

As seen and explained in the above “Valentinian Evolution” and “The Valentine Card and the EXPLOSION of Love`` portions, Valentine’s Day cards originated in England during the popularization of Valentine’s Day.

Roses
Roses have always been the subject of great importance and a certain hit with the lovers all around the world. Roses symbolize love, compassion, peace, friendship and romance. They are available in various colors, each in turn signifying a different thing. Red for passion, Yellow for friendship and White stands for true love and devotion.

Hearts
The Heart in literature and in art does not so much have to do with your biology as it does your passions.  It is a symbol of who you consciously are. Hearts are also given to symbolize ones love being given exclusively to another or to give one's existence to another. Hearts pierced with arrow forms the most important symbol of Valentine’s Day and can have various meaning from sexual fulfilment, to the sting of love.

                Birds, Love Birds, and Doves

            Birds have long been a symbol of souls, they represent the dreams of mankind,  a fascination that man has.  The flight which is so effortless to these winged animals eludes and allures us,  we desire it,  as an escape, as a freedom, Birds represent natural, spiritual and free man .

Lovebirds are social and affectionate small parrots. Often used in English they are so named for their affectionate attitude and mannerisms, they groom each others and date for life (up to 15 years); such dedication is hoped for inhumanity and is a symbol of commitment and affection for their human counterparts. Lovebirds were also commonly used in English weddings where their symbolism was further established.

            An interesting belief about birds and Valentine’s Day is the belief that birds find their mates on Valentine’s Day.  This is believed to have stemmed from the writings Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Parlement of Foules” (1382) which states:

“For this was on seynt Volantynys dayWhan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.”["For this was sent on Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate."]

Ironically many now believe that the Valentine’s day that Chaucer referred to was not February 14^th, nor in celebration of the afore mentioned Valentines but rather a different Valentine altogether.

 Doves signify purity, peace, humility, and wholesomeness.

Alternatively swans are also a common sign for affection in the bird species.

                 Love Knots
     There is a custom of sending love knots, which custom originally was from Arabic traditions wherein young Muslim Women in traditional and orthodox households displayed their love through the giving of love knots. They would send their messages to their beloved one's woven in the knots of a carpet. 

Later, the Dutch sailors adapted this and tied ``love knots`` to remind them of loved ones back home.  Thus came the Celtic and the Dutch Love knots. 

Knots in general represent fastening of two ends, implicitly we can see that a knot can represent a relationship where two people are intertwined to become stronger.