Kyle Bradarich
Blog 10: Globalization
and the Church
Finding
an answer to the overall impact globalization has had on nations and peoples
continues to be one of the most widely contested issues of our time. Globalization “refers to the increase in the
scope and extent of political, economic, and cultural connections between
governments, organizations, and individuals across state borders” (Samuels
2011, 346). Proponents of globalization
say that globalization has increased and accelerated economic growth worldwide
and created greater peace and cooperation between nations. Critics of globalization argue that
globalization has benefited the advance economic states at the cost of the less
developed states. They argue that
globalization has encouraged and produced even greater inequality between
nations and peoples as advanced economies have largely exploited the less
developed economies. While it is certain
that globalization has had both negative and positive consequences worldwide, I
argue that the positive benefits globalization has brought the world largely
outweigh the negative. As your fellow
BYU student and also as a member of the LDS Church I would like to focus
specifically on how globalization has impacted the LDS Church and on how the
Church has responded by taking advantage of this powerful global force. Once again, I argue that the effects of
globalization on the church have been largely positive.
Not
only as a resident of this world or as an American, but also as a Latter-day
Saint, I feel very strongly that globalization has been and will continue to be
largely a force for good in this world.
With increasing interconnectedness between nations and peoples, understanding
for others, their beliefs, and their cultures has been greatly enhanced on a
global scale. The media, television, and
the internet have helped immensely in this regard. Where once the LDS Church was persecuted for
being known as a cult, it is now being recognized for its high moral standards,
humanitarian efforts, and dedicated members.
Ugly rumors about Joseph Smith or weird Church doctrines used to greatly
mar the Church’s appearance. With the
creation of the internet, the church has responded by creating websites like
LDS.org to help clearly explain Church truths, and prophets like Gordon B.
Hinckley or Thomas S. Monson are interviewed on live television, even on such
popular television shows as Larry King Live.
With the world becoming smaller, many of the things the Church does has
come under closer scrutiny, yet because the Church really has nothing to hide,
this has only blessed the Church with greater media attention to items such as
its especial focus on the family, its extensive family history services, or its
ongoing humanitarian efforts.
Not only has the world’s
perspective of the LDS church been demystified, but members too have greatly
benefitted from the effects of globalization.
Church conference talks are made available to all members everywhere
through live satellite broadcasts; and afterwards, church members can download
from the internet these same talks and put them on their I-phones so that they
can listen to them anytime they want.
The quick and efficient dissemination of important information such as
conference talks to church members from Church leaders is a vital service that
the tools of globalization have brought.
And nonmembers who are investigating the Church may look up information
on the Church anytime they want.
Finally,
the role that globalization has had in increasing economic and cultural connections
between peoples internationally has played a very important part in the
Church’s overall goals. The LDS Church
seeks worldwide to share its message of the restoration of the true Church of
Jesus Christ. Its goal is to proclaim
repentance to literally all of the nations, kindred, and peoples of the
world. However, for this to happen, countries
must first be willing to open their doors to foreign influences. Economic globalization has pushed most
countries to open up their borders through foreign trade and investment. Among other things, today, the role of
multinational corporations in providing jobs and revenue has proved so attractive
that many countries have greatly lowered their tax rates and cut their labor
costs just to attract MNCs to operate within their borders (Samuels
357-361). This openness to foreign
investment and influence has further spurred the dissemination and subsequent
acceptance of foreign cultures and beliefs.
Increased tourism, another effect of globalization, has also helped
countries further open their borders to outside influence. The LDS Church has benefitted greatly by this
openness as it has allowed for the Church’s establishment and missionary
efforts in such countries which no one even 50 years ago would have imagined
possible; countries such as Russia, China, or Israel (there are LDS branches in
China and Israel; however, the Church is not allowed to proselyte there,
yet). The Church now has worldwide
membership of 14,441,346 with a strong presence in at least 128 countries and with
members in many more countries (Newsroom).
Furthermore, the increasing acceptance of cultures worldwide has
fostered greater love and understanding between peoples. The principles of love, compassion, and
understanding are central to the doctrine of the LDS Church.
It is
true that globalization has brought some negative consequences to the
Church. Some of these include negative
media attention directed at the Church, incorrect information published online
about the Church including anti-Mormon literature, and the widespread reach of
pornography into virtually every home now occupied by a computer or television
set. However, for the most part,
globalization has been largely positive for the Church as it has enhanced the
Church’s image in the eyes of millions, perhaps billions. Just consider for instance the good that has
come to the church by the mostly positive media attention it attracted during
presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s run for the U.S. presidency. Through television and the press, people in
countries across the globe were able to pay close attention to that election,
many of whom previously probably didn’t know much anything about the
Church. This is just another one of the
many ways that the Church has benefitted from the effects of globalization. By looking at the way the Church has
responded to globalization, we learn that the tools and effects of
globalization such as television, the internet, and greater understanding of
other cultures, can be very good things.
We learn that globalization creates great opportunities for the sharing
of values and beliefs. To summarize, I
hold that although globalization may not have equally benefitted all peoples
the same, it has greatly increased jobs, connections, understanding, peace, and
acceptance for different peoples worldwide.
REFERENCES
Newsroom: Facts and Statistics. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints http://www.mormonnews room.org/facts-and-statistics/ (accessed December 5, 2012).
No comments:
Post a Comment