Bishop of Utah speaks out against anti-Mormon humor

September 12, 2013
Jim Naughton

The Rt. Rev. Scott B. Hayashi hears a lot of Mormon jokes when people learn he is from Utah. He’s tired of it, and believes it should stop. From the Deseret News:

“As bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Utah, I have travelled throughout the United States for meetings,” Bishop Hayashi wrote in one of his daily inspirational Facebook posts. “When people learn where I am from I hear snarky, unkind comments about Mormons. Jokes about LDS people are also told. I find this distressing.

“We would never allow these comments to be made, or to make them, about Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists or other religious people,” the bishop continued. “For some reason, it seems to be ‘okay’ in the minds of people to say unkind things about people who are LDS. I believe it should stop.”

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tgflux

September 15, 2013 6:37 pm

Hmmm. There’s “snarky, unkind comments”, and then there’s legitimate criticism (moreso about Mormonism, than about Mormons as people). I’ve certainly heard both. And I’ve heard the latter called the former.

It would help me evaluate Bp. Hayashi’s judgment of the two, if he acknowledged that there was legitimate criticism of Mormonism to be made (or if he offered some!).

But in the “Deseret News”? Maybe not. :-/

JC Fisher

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