Another Team Refuses To Play BYU Over Racism

[Everybody Wang Chung]

Here we go again. Could this possibly be related to systemic racism in the Mormon church?


https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/more-s ... r-AA13ST9T

[IHAQ]

Good. This is the only way that change in the Church will happen. I’d like to see more teams refusing to play BYU over both racism and homophobia within the University and Church.

[Wonhyo]

Sports is often a powerful medium to bring uncomfortable problems to light and to encourage introspection.

The 1978 "revelation" that changed the race-based priesthood ban and temple ban didn't happen in a vacuum. Many Mormons could and did turn a blind eye (or cast an eye of contempt) to the American Civil Rights Movements of the late 1950s and 1960s. But when public pressure on the church over the racist ban began to grow by way of certain college football teams threatening to boycott games against BYU, the uncomfortable issue finally had to be addressed. Really, there just wasn't any other workable option than to look at the problem and do something about it.

There were other factors, too, such as the church's growth in Brazil. But those other factors weren't in the public eye. (Nobody outside of Mormonism gave a rat's ass about the church's growth in Brazil.) Sports, being the powerful medium that it is, was in the public eye.

I have my issues with the church. And also with BYU. But I love BYU sports. And I really hope that the recent forfeit of games against BYU sparks some school-wide inner reflection on the damage that our racist teachings and folklore have caused and, apparently, still continue to cause. The first step in mending something is to finally open our eyes and see that it is broken.

[Dr Moore]

It's a matter of trust, and it seems people don't trust the Mormons to self-investigate.

Simple as that. Doesn't really matter if there weren't any racist slurs at that Duke game.

The Mormon church and its auxiliary enterprises - including BYU - haven't earned the public's trust.

An issue that goes back 200 years...

[Wonhyo]

It's a matter of trust, and it seems people don't trust the Mormons to self-investigate.

Simple as that. Doesn't really matter if there weren't any racist slurs at that Duke game.

The Mormon church and its auxiliary enterprises - including BYU - haven't earned the public's trust.

An issue that goes back 200 years...

BYU has not earned the public's trust, you're totally right. Not even the State of Utah trusts BYU. It tried (unsuccessfully after an administrative hearing) to decertify the BYU police department because it was shown to be patently untrustworthy as a public law enforcement agency, acting instead as agents of the university and its sponsoring church.

BYU missed a good opportunity a few months ago after racist slurs were shouted at the Duke volleyball player in the Smith Fieldhouse. Rather than conducting its investigation in-house, it should have allowed Duke to choose outside, neutral investigators to handle everything. If the results of the independent investigation exonerated BYU and the crowd of spectators from shouting racists comments, it would have been much easier for the public to accept. But, an in-house BYU investigation that exonerates BYU or its fans is sort of like the church in-house financial auditors declaring every General Conference that church monies and donations are handled properly and in accordance with the church's mission.