Proposition 8 has not captured my attention. I was quite pleased to see that it passed and very grateful for all those who sacrificed their time and resources, but that was pretty much the extent of it.
Fighting against gay marriage is starting to feel like the war on drugs. Most of the people I know and associate with feel they are both wrong (drugs and gay marriage, that is...), but the energy to "fight the good fight" seems to be waning. How many states have confronted the issue now? How many more are on the horizon? How long will it be before the courts find a way to overturn what voters have already decided?
Frankly, those who lose interest in the church because of our position on gay marriage make me wonder how interested they really were anyway. There will always be something.
I read this article written by Jonah Goldberg in the National Review Online. He comments on the lack of outrage in the face of quite conspicuous attacks on the church due to their support of Prop 8. He makes this very insightful comment: "...it’s just that Mormons are the most vulnerable of the culturally conservative religious denominations and therefore the easiest targets for an organized campaign against religious freedom of conscience." What a thought--we're the most vulnerable of the conservative churches. Does anyone think this isn't true? Aside from the really out-there, wacky churches, what other organization would this apply to? It does seem that all other conservative denominations are quite happy to put aside their differences in order to bash the Mormon Church, does it not? Are we not, therefore, culturally vulnerable? It's an interesting commentary. The article is worth the read.
I have a coworker in another office who is gay. He's a totally nice, entertaining, and down-to-earth guy. He tells me that he doesn't care about gay marriage; all he wants is to be able to get information from the hospital when he's informed his partner had a heart attack and has been admitted to the emergency room. He's not family so he isn't privy to his partner's condition--he doesn't even know if he's dead or alive. How much sense does that make? Not much, in my opinion.
I support the sanctity of marriage one hundred percent. When the day comes that my state faces this issue, I will do my part in lifting the banner in support of marriage between a man and a woman. Realistically though, it's beginning to feel like it's all part of the decline of our country and the world in general and that it's bound to happen. It's a good thing there is always the vigor and zeal of the next generation because I'm feeling ambivalent towards many issues lately. We just have to raise our children to carry the right banner, I suppose.
This whole issue just seems like such a trendy boondoggle to me. What a waste of time. Aren't there still starving people in the world? Oppressed and enslaved nations? What about temperatures on the rise? OK, maybe another boondoggle there. The things people obsess over...
4 comments:
Very interesting. I would feel that way too but I know the prophet and churh leaders in California were told to do battle so to speak. Your generation and even mine to some extent grew up with immorality being the cultural norm. So coming out and fighting against it seems futile to us. I don't think any of us really understand how important marriage is to the Lord. As I've said before I'm beginning to think that a lot of the issues we're facing in these last days are to give everyone ample opportunity to choose side. We will be left without excuse then at the judgement bar. I totally understand where you are coming from. I was glad the gay marriage fight wasn't here in Tennessee.
Of course I can't ever support gay marriage and if the church leaders asked me to actively fight it I would follow them, but here's the issue that I can't reconcile in my simple mind: Our nation was founded on freedom, sure it was claimed to be mostly religious freedom, but as our world has moved to a more open and rampant sinful state, then those same freedoms that were in place for religion also cover sin. Example: I believe it was in the 1970's (I'll have to look it up and get back to you on the actual date) a group of Nazis went into a predominately all Jewish, survivors of the Holocaust neighborhood to have a rally. People tried to fight it, but as they were not doing anything illegal or violent their rights of freedom of speech were upheld. So my long winded point? If we claim freedom as a country, shouldn't it be all freedom not just religious freedom. Shouldn't we allow people the freedom to sin as well as the freedom to do what's right? Give them enough rope to hang themselves as my grandfather would say. I don't know...I do think this is the beginning of the saints being persecuted again, but that's another long winded comment.
BTW--"When the Nazis Came to Skokie" is the book that talks about the incident I mentioned. It took place in Skokie IL. in 1977
Jenn,
Gays are not banned from getting married. They can marry whoever they wish - as long as they are of the opposite sex.
Same sex marriage is disallowed for gays, straights, and neutrals alike. There is no discrimination. All are treated equally under the law.
R.S.
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