October 8, 1999

Whether what he said angers you or not, many people love Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura for speaking his mind, but among politicos he's about as popular as Martin Luther was at the Vatican. And speaking of Luther, it's quite ironic that Mr. Ventura has ignited such controversy from his post in a state where Lutherans are behind every other bush, burning or not.

"Why?" you ask. Well, maybe you didn't, but let me proceed. Being in the middle of a book about the 16th century leader of the Protestant Reformation, I had him on my mind before the governor's interview. When Ventura said that organized religion is "a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people," it understandably caused a bad reaction from church-attending folks, as well as some non-affiliates. To paraphrase old sci-fi movies, those are pretty strong words.

My first response was that Jesse Ventura must have been suffering from an acute build-up of residual bravado left over from his wrestling days. Surely he is prone to human weakness, as are we all, so why does he judge if some people seek solace in the church? Anybody who admits no weakness or frailty is either deluded or lying anyway; most of us find our own ways to bolster ourselves and fight off feelings of helplessness. Practices can range from belonging to a church to seeking guidance from a counselor to Twinkie binges, sometimes all in one person.

But considering the tenets of Martin Luther, were all aspects of the former WWF contender's views on institutionalized religion inconsistent with the sect? Hardly. Martin Luther's theses heard 'round the world and his compulsive publishing were in protest of what he saw as the sham of the Roman Catholic Church in those days of indulgences. He attacked the organized religion of his day and promoted each individual's faith as the way to salvation.

So why did Jesse Ventura's approval rating drop 19 points among the huge Lutheran membership in his state? It's a combination of his harsh tone and having crossed the boundary of orthodox opinion. I believe his ratings will rebound as long as he avoids spin-doctoring and maintains himself as a human being first and a politician second.

Certainly he could've benefited from reflection before speaking, but frank thoughts from a real person - rather than scripted responses - were captivating, even if pretty wacky. Then again, he is the governor of Minnesota, where the state bird is the loon.

© 1999 Cynthia Hahn