I wrote a satirical defense of Bennion Spencer today.
I usually won’t spend a lot of time talking about people on this site unless I feel they really have earned the distinction. Mr. Spencer has crossed the line from the political to the dogmatic in such an overt way that I felt compelled to address his claims.
I’m going to refrain from addressing the claims of divine endorsement for Mr. Spencer because I believe that most people are wise enough to see such silliness for what it is without any help from me. Instead, I’d like to focus on the claims he has made regarding his position and why it contrasts with that of Jason Chaffetz.
The Bush Tax Cuts
Mr. Spencer has said we should not make the Bush tax cuts permanent because they are hurting families. Mr. Spencer obviously has not been watching the news in the last four years. Nationally, unemployment has been at it’s lowest level in decades, which means that more families have a better income than we have seen in years. How is it that we can have almost non-existent unemployment, but still our families are hurting as a result of the tax cuts?
Mr. Spencer also implied that Jesus would vote to repeal those tax cuts out of compassion. Mr Spencer obviously believes in a very different Jesus than the one I know. Did the Jesus of the Bible teach that we should support governments that engage in legal plunder to benefit those who will not work at the expense of those who will? Or that we should support governments that will usurp the role of the Church in caring for the poor and the needy? Was Jesus a Socialist? If you are Christian, and especially LDS, you must answer a resounding NO!
Jesus believed in obeying the law of the land correctly. An example of this is found in Matthew 17: 24-27.
And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay atribute?
He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?
Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.
Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.
Jesus questions Peter’s submission to a law which did not apply to him. The tribute spoken of was a tax collected on foreigners (strangers), which did not apply to citizens (children). Initially, the United States operated on a tax system very similar to this. It wasn’t until the Progressives (Socialists) came into power in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s that we began to tax the “children.” Socialism was not what the Founders envisioned.
Immigration
Mr. Spencer wants you to believe that Jason Chaffetz’s plan is to round up all 12 million or so illegal aliens and hold them indefinitely in a concentration camp-like tent city. Mr. Spencer is simply incorrect about Jason’s plan. We all know rounding up 12 million or more people into one place is a logistical impossibility. Jason knows it too. But it is interesting to note that each time in our history that we have begun to rigorously enforce our border laws, and arrest a good number of people, an even larger number of those here illegally return to their home country of their own volition.
You see, there is no way for them to know if they will be arrested next or not. Rather than take that chance, they prefer to exit the country. It works every time. There is never a need to round up everybody.
Mr. Spencer would have us believe that Jesus would want a “very compassionate” immigration policy. But he doesn’t go into detail on what that entails, so we are left to only guess at what he means.
But “compassion” is always the buzz word trotted out by those who apparently don’t believe we should be enforcing our laws for one reason or another. Mr. Spencer wants us to equate compassion with not rounding people up, which means with not enforcing our border laws. But we LDS believe in honoring, obeying and sustaining the law–even if we disagree with it. We don’t believe in flouting the law for compassion’s sake. In fact, we believe just the opposite.
Let no man break the alaws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land.
We can see that God’s position in the scriptures is one of obedience. We may not break them ourselves, but the result is the same if we allow them to be broken by others and we do nothing.
We believe that agovernments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men baccountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society. (D&C 134: 1)
A careful study of the issues brought up by Bennion Spencer indicates that he is not in line with the mainstream of thought in Utah’s Third Congressional District, even though he actually lives in the district. It also shows that he is not in line with Christian doctrine on government. There are several more points to cover, but they will be addressed in the next post.
