By Martin J. Kidston
Montanas latest members are taking up residence in our burrows and towns, spreading their seeds of thought like a plague that nobody wants to catch.
These members, the flock of the World Church of the Creator, have recently enjoyed the headlines on most Montana newspapers, along with blips on quality radio like NPR. Surprise, surprise. But really now, sensationalism has never thwarted anyones attempts to make headlines.
The supremacists remind me of a movie I saw in the late 70s called The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It seems these pods came in from outer space to spread their seeds like nobodys business. In the movie, there wasnt a thing that could be done.
In a parallel analogy, one could say the World Church of the Creator came from space East Peoria, Illinois to be exact and landed, for whatever reason, in Montana. Trying to take root, it sows its seeds while hoping for Jacks beanstalk. The end has yet to be written, but a lot can be said about the story thus far.
Undoubtedly, the World Church of the Creator spreads its seeds in the most cowardice of ways under the cover of dark, passing out literature that angers the more enlightened citizen.
But thats OK, unless we fall victim to hypocrisy.
Its OK because the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints have knocked on many a door, including mine, attempting to spread their own seeds of thought with persistence and deaf ears. Then theres the Jehovahs witnesses, and lets not forget the Association of Christian Business and Professional Men key word, Christian who pass out the Gideons bible like candy.
Question: What makes the actions of the World Church of the Creator any different than those factions listed above? Hate versus love? Forgiveness versus vengeance? Not even close. The irony is that we tolerate some beliefs while condemning others, picking and choosing whats appropriate and what makes us feel safe in our blind little world.
Because the supremacist lacks tolerance, anything less from non-supremacists would make the two parties, no matter how polar in thought, nothing less then disagreeing equals.
A woman was quoted by an Associated Press story as saying We need to tell people like (them) that theyre not welcome here, and we need to say very loudly that their values, their actions and their ideas dont mesh with our values...
In so many words, this is almost as fearful as the most misguided interpretation of Mein Kampf.
Tell me, exactly, whos not welcome where? Whos values dont mesh with whos? Come on!
The hypocrisy of such statements, no matter how well intended, slur with divisions of its own, not in race, but in values. And segregation based on value should be reviled with disgust equal to the racial segregation preached by the World Church of the Creator.
Nevertheless, many people in our society have been victims of value segregation, condemnation and revulsion, because of some invisible community standard invented by a long-dead patriarchy.
Perhaps the supremacist isnt intolerant of race, but rather, with the difference therein, which gives him a lot in common with the ruling majority those who set the lopsided standards of acceptable values in our segregated society.
