Here in California there is a Proposition that, if passed, will only recognize a marriage between a man an a woman as legal. Right now, any one can be married, really. It's a big deal here. We have been read letters in Sacrament meetings about the issue, encouraging us to save marriage and vote yes on the proposition. Our Prophet feels that this is so important and wants us to preserve the divine institution of marriage. But ever since the church has been doing so much the campaign, I have heard many many people arguing that the church is being too political, and they shouldn't get involved. Why shouldn't they? It's more of a matter of values, not politics. I have read newspaper articles from Salt Lake and other Utah papers who have expressed their opinions of the proposition, and think that as a church we have gone to far. They think that if we fight this so hard, we will give the church a bad name among many different social groups. But, if it doesn't pass, there are so many things that go against our values and our teachings that will be effected. I support this, and want to have it pass. I want my children to grow up and learn that marriage between a man and a woman is really their only option. If this doesn't pass, it will be required that schools teach both in their curriculum. Homosexual marriage will be the norm, and will be addressed as such. Sexual education for schools at the appropriate age will discuss both lifestyles. This isn't something that thrills me at all. The idea of sex education for my little kids kind of scares me, anyway, but to think what they could learn. It's scary.
Don't get me wrong, however, I don't hate gay people. I have friends who are gay. Our favorite landlords were a gay couple, who lived in the front house of where we lived. We loved them. I love the people, but don't like what they are doing. They can choose to live in sin, many people do, gay or not. It's their choice. But I don't think they should be given the choice to marry, when that right has been given, by God, to be between a man and a woman. It's a value that we need to uphold in our society. Our society is going downhill, but we can stop that downhill slope from being so rapid if we do our part now.
I don't know if any of this makes any sense at all. I have a lot of thoughts running through my head. But I do know that this is important and isn't just the church being political, it's a real moral thing. It's about preserving marriages, and saving our children. I know we can't live under a rock and keep our children safe from all of that around us. And because of that, we need to focus on something like this. Something that could be so easy. It's just a vote...a yes vote. And if we get that, we can save our children from something. There are few links on my sidebar to go to learn more about and see the church's stand in it all. And why it is so important. It's not something that will just effect California. It could potentially effect everyone. Anyway...just had to share my thoughts on the matter.
1 week ago
7 comments:
You did such a great job expressing yourself! And way to be proactive. I've heard the same thing about the church being too political, but I agree with you that it isn't. It's not like they are supporting a specific party. I read one letter, which I can't remember where it is from, but it was quiet upsetting and scary how he just doesn't get it (it being the whole point).
Open Letter to California Mormons
Jeffrey S. Nielsen
I am a member of the Mormon Church, a married heterosexual, and a supporter of marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples. I am asking you to pause and give sincere thought to the letter from our religious leaders you have heard read, or will soon hear read, over our church pulpits asking you to get involved and oppose marriage equality in California. Please think deeply about this, not only as a member of a particular church, but also as a citizen of a democracy.
To press for an amendment to a civil constitution that would legalize discrimination against an entire class of people is no small matter, but of the greatest significance. When the argument, no matter how well intentioned, is based solely upon a religious proclamation; then, I believe, it is a serious contradiction of the wisdom of our founding fathers. It also does tremendous damage to the great progress in civil rights we’ve made in our country respecting the equal dignity of each person and towards a more certain legal equality for all citizens.
You should also know, not all faithful Mormons agree with our religious leaders’ encroachment into political matters. In fact, a growing number of active Mormons, who have gay friends and family members, are coming to the conclusion that our current leaders are as mistaken in promoting discrimination against gays and lesbians as was the Mormon hierarchy in the 60’s when they opposed equal rights for people of color, and our Mormon leaders in the 70’s when they opposed full legal equality for women.
Of course, religious authorities of any denomination possess the right, and may claim the legitimacy, to set the theology and policy for their religious community. When they; however, attempt to interject religious doctrine into the public spaces of a diverse democracy without reasonable justification, then members, especially faithful members, of that religious organization have the civic responsibility to express public disapproval of such dangerous and undemocratic behavior.
No one is asking that you condone a behavior that might violate your religious faith, but we need to allow everyone the freedom to live their life as they see fit, so long as it does not physically harm another person. After all, religious values must be something an individual freely chooses, not something forced upon him or her by the state. We should never allow our constitutions, whether state or federal, to become weapons in a crusade to impose a particular religious value system upon a pluralistic democracy. Today it might be a particular religious value that we affirm, but tomorrow it might be a religious system, which would seek to legislate against our own sincere beliefs. So now is the time to take a stand and keep separate civil and religious authority.
I do not believe that people choose their sexual orientation any more than they choose their skin color or gender. So to discriminate and deny them equal protection and equal opportunity under civil law because of these natural traits; especially in this case, sexual orientation, is grossly unfair and should be rejected outright in a compassionate and just democracy. If anyone could give me a single reasonable argument against marriage equality in our civil society, which doesn’t make fallacious appeals to tradition, misplaced appeals to religious authority, or make some ridiculous claim about nonhuman animals, then I would like to hear it. So far, no one has been able to present me with even a single justifiable reason.
You should know that like you, family and marriage are very important to me. As I have become acquainted with gay and lesbian couples, I have been touched by their goodness, sincerity, and commitment. I am persuaded that allowing marriage equality would, in fact, strengthen the institutions of family and marriage in our country. Perhaps it might even make all of us a little more considerate and responsible as both marriage partners and parents. I can only hope that the citizens of California, and my fellow Mormons, will possess the wisdom and moral decency to reject the call to discriminate against our gay and lesbian coworkers, friends, neighbors, church members, and family.
thanks for the comment! That letter is pretty disturbing. He like uses the Proclamation as his basis. Like that's the only reason behind it, just because the church issued a proclamation. Doesn't he get that the proclamation was given by God...and was only issued because of the moral downward slide? Where did you find the letter?
This "Brother"'s rhetoric is unconvincing. Who exactly are these "religious leaders", how far up does he take that? I take it to whose name we bear, and disseminating from His mouthpiece.
Comparing this to the civil rights of the 60's etc. is a straw-man argument, it seems he's only using his position of a member of the church to sway us. Give me a good reason why I should condone act's that go contrary to the nature of God? Historically, if we're still calling the scriptures history that is, this scenario is not new. The outcomes are dire.
Compared to the civil rights of before, this is absolutely different. Many of the Brethren were actually for the civil rights movement but moved at a stable pace and only until the Lord said it was time was the 1978 Declaration presented to the Church for sustainment. Not sure about the womens suffrage statement, I thought the law of common consent has always been given to ALL members of the Church, not to mention Relief Societies beginnings in the 19th century.
What kind of a light are you shining when your worried about how others feel about you? I'd rather be an enemy to the world then friends with no hope. We are to fight sin, and this is what this represents. It's no different then Missionary work, helping people come to Christ by overcoming the Natural man. in this we are simply preventing further condonement. Look, the world is what it is, we know it's going to get worse. We know that if this passes, we are sure to hear a stronger flag being raised from our opponenets, but should we give up in such a fight? Courage! (D&C 128) Prohibition was ended for why? We didn't have enough fatalities at the time?
Do not fail to see the trials of Faith placed before you, your actions to them are being recorded...
Yesterday, Lindsay came home telling me that some car was honking frantically at her and she couldn't see why at first. The guy sped up alongside her and showed her a "Vote No on Prop 8" sign, to which she deducted that he could have only been responding to our BYU-Idaho license plate frame. Our voice is being heard, and in the end, who's voice will that represent?
I found the letter on Facebook friend's notes. It just didn't make any sense how 10 people were sitting there praising this guy for his letter. He was a teacher at BYU, but was dismissed because he had written several letters similar to this to the local papers on numerous occasions.
I totally agree. I found his arguments laughable. First off, I am pretty sure that all the social movements mentioned in the third paragraph, were not handled in the way he suggests. There hasn't been any church leader that has had a position as strong as this, acting in authority, on any of those issues. He might possible be referring to McConkie's Mormon Doctrine, however that is not Mormon doctrine, just his opinion.
Travis and I loved how he based most of his arguments on doing the "morally correct" thing. At the end, urging us to use our conscience and morals, but vote for gay marriage? Not only is it contradictorily to God's law, it is against biological laws.
Satan created political correctness and instead of tolerance and love, acceptance of evil.
I know this is going to seem so random. I grew up in Edmonds with Adam and Kim (whose site I found you from) my name is Laurie (Marlin) Wood. I hope you aren't going to be upset that I posted on your site.
I couldn't agree with you more on Prop. 8 and was dumb founded to learn that google; the very people who support our blogs is publicly apposing Prop. 8. I thought since this is close to your family, you might be interested in knowing this. I think all of us LDS using blogs need to switch our support to another site!!! The link below is google's post regarding this.
http://googleblog.blogspot.com:80/2008/09/our-position-on-californias-no-on-8.html
Our position on California's No on 8 campaign
9/26/2008 03:23:00 PM
As an Internet company, Google is an active participant in policy debates surrounding information access, technology and energy. Because our company has a great diversity of people and opinions -- Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals, all religions and no religion, straight and gay -- we do not generally take a position on issues outside of our field, especially not social issues. So when Proposition 8 appeared on the California ballot, it was an unlikely question for Google to take an official company position on.
However, while there are many objections to this proposition -- further government encroachment on personal lives, ambiguously written text -- it is the chilling and discriminatory effect of the proposition on many of our employees that brings Google to publicly oppose Proposition 8. While we respect the strongly-held beliefs that people have on both sides of this argument, we see this fundamentally as an issue of equality. We hope that California voters will vote no on Proposition 8 -- we should not eliminate anyone's fundamental rights, whatever their sexuality, to marry the person they love.
Posted by Sergey Brin, Co-founder & President, Technology
Keep up the good work. It is good to see people are still listening to the Prophet in part of the world!
Laurie
PS we are woodysfam.blogspot.com
I have it set to private but if you would like to be added as a viewer email me at woody96@earthlink.com and I will gladly add you!
Post a Comment