Within 24 hours of the initial news story, it took on a life of its own, branching tired old canards of “polygamy”, “Mountain Meadows”, “Blood Atonement”, and even the “Ground Zero Mosque”.
Although some articles spawned by the story of the LDS family have been written in such a manner as to be acceptable to both proponents and antagonists of Mormonism, they have revealed one abiding truth. Truly, prejudice and its best friend intolerance are alive and well in America and in the news media today.
From the news article the world has been newly enlightened on the following things about Mormons and about those who would deride the beliefs of the LDS Church: “Mormons . . . American-born church, one of fastest-growing in the world . . . call themselves Christians . . . preach faith in Jesus . . . subscribe to the Bible but also to the Book of Mormon which tells of a visit by the resurrected Jesus to . . . the Western Hemisphere. Mormons . . . believe God the Eternal Father, Jesus His son and the Holy Ghost are three separate and distinct beings . . . believe the original church Christ established on earth vanished . . . after his death and . . . was restored through Joseph Smith in 1830.”
The LDS family weren’t members of the evangelical megachurch, but signed up. When Christ Covenant found out Stokes was an Eagle Scout, they were thrilled. So why did Christ Covenant reject the Stokes’ application? “Because they’re Mormons,” The Rev. Gabe Sylvia confirmed “they could not become leaders. Mormonism is not consistent with historical Christianity. That view is shared by other Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox Christian churches.”
The Stokes’ sons were welcome to join, but the parents couldn’t be leaders. They subsequently pulled their sons out and signed up their 8-year-old for the smaller Cub Scout pack chartered by their Mormon ward which named Jeremy Stokes pack Cubmaster and Jodi Stokes chair of the Scout committee.
Great!! Daddy and Mommy Stokes are finally accredited leaders, and it looks like their kids will be Scouts after all. Hopefully they will grow up to be Eagle Scouts, just like their daddy and will forget that this unfortunate foolishness ever scarred their young life.
Does anyone really care whether the Stokes were barred from being Scout Leaders in a Presbyterian sponsored Cub Scout operation?
If they do, they really should rethink their priorities and consider the real agenda of the media and the bigots; discredit the LDS Church in the eyes of the ignorant.
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