It is an interesting and ironic coincidence that the March 15 edition of The Tribune contains a public forum letter by Sage Gage wherein the writer exhorts the newspaper and everyone else to treat the the local religion with respect and avoid any critical comments about it in order to avoid losing the truth under layers of opinion and emotion.
The irony comes in the article describing the state treasurer who compares the concept of ESG investing, a commonly embraced strategy to provide for sustainability and environmental benefits, to Mormon doctrine regarding the “war in heaven.” This inappropriate behavior by a public official is a good example to illustrate why people who believe in freedom of religion become critical of specific churches and the actions of its members who hold important positions in the secular world that affect all of us, both believers and nonbelievers.
Richard Sandberg, Ivins
