http://mormonsformarriage.com/
It looks like there is a group of Mormons who understand that gay marriage does not threaten "the traditional marriage"! You go guys!
I also appreciated their link http://mormonsformarriage.com/?p=255#more-255 that talks about the fact/fiction of the documentary 8 The Mormon Proposition. I saw the documentary when it was still newly out and I was kinda turned off by the focus on all the money that the LDS church spent to promote Prop 8. I did like, however, that they showed families like mine that are hurt by the homophobia that exists in peoples hearts. It was a little scary to see these guys confirm most of what the documentary stated.
All too often people use the guise of religion to hide their hatred of the "other" or the "enemy". Personally, I don't see a major difference between the attack on the WTC 9/11 and "moralist" attacking gay marriage. They both hide behind their religion and pat each other on the back for doing Gods will.
So today, I guess I wanted to thank this group of Mormons for daring to be different. The leadership of the LDS is just as anti-gay as many other American religions and I think it takes balls when people call out their church for deviating from their foundation of love and tolerance.
I think these Mormons probably have a lot more in common with their ancestors then most.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Shocked and ashamed
My old mission companion and his beautiful family are moving today. They invited me to help with the move so I decided to go and help them out. It was a nice chance to say goodbye.
I stopped by Starbucks so I could get a quick something to eat and noticed an article in the Salt Lake Tribune (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/49904283-76/argentina-marriage-church-lds.html.csp). As I read the article my heart sank. I've been trying for years to rid myself of the pain and frustration with the LDS church and this caused me to become infuriated once more. Sadly, the online version is missing the little addition that the paper version had. They included the letter the church sent to their members saying "Concerns have been raised regarding the proposed legislation which would change the definition of marriage in Argentina. The doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is absolutely clear: Marriage is between a man and a woman and is ordained of God."
FALL IN LINE SINNERS!
See, I'm used to this kind of language telling Mormons to make sure they fall in line and agree with the LDS church headquarters, but what I was surprised by was in the middle of the article: "That letter [referring to the LDS church's involvement with Prop 8] launched the church’s most vigorous and widespread political push since a 1970s effort to block the Equal Rights Amendment".
My heart just SANK! Equal Rights Amendment, what could the Mormon church possibly have against this?! I've researched it a little and found it on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_Rights_Amendment) and it's own site (http://www.equalrightsamendment.org). I personally can't see a reason for them being against it. Leaving the Mormon church was probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my entire life. I still hold a secret place in my heart for that church and for the good things I learned from it. But it's so discouraging to see an institution that is supposed to be a place of faith and love turned into an organization that demoralized and defames other human beings.
MORMON SCRIPTURE
When I was a Mormon I used to read their scriptures daily for about 30 minutes. I remembered loving by this set of scriptures in the Book of Mormon:
Alma 30
7 Now there was no law against a man’s belief; for it was strictly contrary to the commands of God that there should be a law which should bring men on to unequal grounds.
8 For thus saith the scripture: Choose ye this day, whom ye will serve.
9 Now if a man desired to serve God, it was his privilege; or rather, if he believed in God it was his privilege to serve him; but if he did not believe in him there was no law to punish him.
10 But if he murdered he was punished unto death; and if he robbed he was also punished; and if he stole he was also punished; and if he committed adultery he was also punished; yea, for all this wickedness they were punished.
11 For there was a law that men should be judged according to their crimes. Nevertheless, there was no law against a man’s belief; therefore, a man was punished only for the crimes which he had done; therefore all men were on equal grounds.
SO WHERE DOES THE "EQUAL GROUNDS" START AND STOP?
I wonder how Mormons can read scriptures like this and yet still support their church meddling in the lives of others when their own scripture clearly shows a needs to put all men (as in human race) on equal grounds. I guess they could use this scripture to say that I should be punished for my wickedness of homosexuality. But seriously?! What would the Mormon church have had against women’s rights to equal treatment in the 1970's?
I stopped by Starbucks so I could get a quick something to eat and noticed an article in the Salt Lake Tribune (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/49904283-76/argentina-marriage-church-lds.html.csp). As I read the article my heart sank. I've been trying for years to rid myself of the pain and frustration with the LDS church and this caused me to become infuriated once more. Sadly, the online version is missing the little addition that the paper version had. They included the letter the church sent to their members saying "Concerns have been raised regarding the proposed legislation which would change the definition of marriage in Argentina. The doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is absolutely clear: Marriage is between a man and a woman and is ordained of God."
FALL IN LINE SINNERS!
See, I'm used to this kind of language telling Mormons to make sure they fall in line and agree with the LDS church headquarters, but what I was surprised by was in the middle of the article: "That letter [referring to the LDS church's involvement with Prop 8] launched the church’s most vigorous and widespread political push since a 1970s effort to block the Equal Rights Amendment".
My heart just SANK! Equal Rights Amendment, what could the Mormon church possibly have against this?! I've researched it a little and found it on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_Rights_Amendment) and it's own site (http://www.equalrightsamendment.org). I personally can't see a reason for them being against it. Leaving the Mormon church was probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my entire life. I still hold a secret place in my heart for that church and for the good things I learned from it. But it's so discouraging to see an institution that is supposed to be a place of faith and love turned into an organization that demoralized and defames other human beings.
MORMON SCRIPTURE
When I was a Mormon I used to read their scriptures daily for about 30 minutes. I remembered loving by this set of scriptures in the Book of Mormon:
Alma 30
7 Now there was no law against a man’s belief; for it was strictly contrary to the commands of God that there should be a law which should bring men on to unequal grounds.
8 For thus saith the scripture: Choose ye this day, whom ye will serve.
9 Now if a man desired to serve God, it was his privilege; or rather, if he believed in God it was his privilege to serve him; but if he did not believe in him there was no law to punish him.
10 But if he murdered he was punished unto death; and if he robbed he was also punished; and if he stole he was also punished; and if he committed adultery he was also punished; yea, for all this wickedness they were punished.
11 For there was a law that men should be judged according to their crimes. Nevertheless, there was no law against a man’s belief; therefore, a man was punished only for the crimes which he had done; therefore all men were on equal grounds.
SO WHERE DOES THE "EQUAL GROUNDS" START AND STOP?
I wonder how Mormons can read scriptures like this and yet still support their church meddling in the lives of others when their own scripture clearly shows a needs to put all men (as in human race) on equal grounds. I guess they could use this scripture to say that I should be punished for my wickedness of homosexuality. But seriously?! What would the Mormon church have had against women’s rights to equal treatment in the 1970's?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)