2 years ago
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
An Important Discussion...
I just spent quite a bit of time commenting on a post on another blog, and want to direct you there. It is an important and interesting...and might I add, very honest....discussion of homosexuality and the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Two of Jon's fabulous, and strikingly attractive, siblings have started the discussion on their blog here. With a follow up here. It also provides interesting insight into the status of single people in the church. this is something that I very close to my heart and I encourage you to check it out!
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8 comments:
Thank you for sharing this blog. It really made me thnk. I do agree that this is a very touchy subject for some to talk about. I also agree with you that it does need to be talked about more.
People are afraid to talk about it because they are too worried about what others think. They don't want to lose friendships over this one topic. To me friends are going to have different views on the same topic and if someone is your friend then they like you for who you are and it shouldn't matter what your views are. I think having friends that have different points of views make for good conversations.
Do you feel that it is impossible for someone who is "gay" to accept the gospel?
Thanks Anne, and thanks to your sibling-in-laws. I enjoyed their article.
It's nice to read some other views on this delicate subject. Thanks for posting.
WOW. Thanks for sharing and allowing me to feel enlightened! I also watched the Oscars (for the dresses too of course!) and was also taken a back by that moving speech given by that young man. I really hate being grouped together w/ people who are perceived as being close-minded and hateful. I actually teared up at the end when he thanked his mother for loving and supporting him no matter what. Is it really so hard just to love one another?
You have some great thinkers in your family. They can also articulate well their thoughts in writing. I'm more of an off the cuff kind of person.
It's clear to me that we would want to treat people only in a loving (Christlike) manner. Some issues may cause us to feel uncomfortable, but that is no excuse for not behaving in a humane way to others.
This discussion has also made it clear to me that it's important to know and understand the Lord's position, and not to sugar-coat or manipulate that position to our use. So much of what we may say or imply can be distorted by societal behavior.
Thank you for your thoughts, and the thoughts of all others.
I am EXTREMELY glad you posted this!! :)
I agreed with the majority of the first post, part of the second post, and your comment. On the other hand, I want to kick some of the people that commented on the first post in the face....HARD! LOL
You pretty much know my feelings about "gays" since we have had this discussion multiple times... :) ...but I think this is an important convo!
The thing I HATE about this whole controversy is when people say that gays are somewhat inferior or something because God has sanctioned marriage between a man and a woman, and when they throw scripture verses in your face to suport their side. Last I checked the scriptures also say to let God by the judge, not yourself....
So this only beggs the question if whether some council in the scriptures is "optional"...i think not.
This is one topic that I really get pissed about. I have MANY close friends who are gay, and have witnessed MANY hours of tears and pain because they feel inadequate, worthless, and like they are now sentanced for damnation. I think it is ignorant of someone to say that being gay is a choice, because if it were I do not believe we would have this issue.
One of my best friends is LDS....and gay. He has had such a hard time dealing with this, and feels shunned by the majority of mormons he meets. REALLY?!?! Who has the right to be disrespectful and rude to someone doing the best they can, living my the commandments of God, that just happens to be attracted to the same sex. Its ridiculous.
I have REALLY STRONG FEELINGS about this topic. I dont know about you, my the God I believe in and pray to doesnt reject people for being different than the "norm". If you want to believe that you are better in the sight of God because you are heterosexual, go ahead...but I do not believe I should be loved more or recieve more blessings simply because I am attracted to the opposite sex, which is accepted by society. My God doesnt choose favorites, and doesnt make people feel inferior...instead my God is there aching with the people who feel dejected because they are not the same as everyone else. I am not saying that homosexuals are superior to heterosexuals, I simply believe we are all equal, and are judged more by our thoughts and actions in this life than whom we love.
Sorry this is an incredibly lengthy post....but I am opinionated I guess.
:)
As for the marriage thing. I think it is stupid that gays cant legally be married. I do not feel superior to gays, and think they should have the same opportunities as I do. I am sorry, but if things were the other way around, and society favored homosexuality, I would have to be different. There is NO way I would be able to put on an act and pretend to be attracted to women, because I could NOT be....
I think that marriage between a man and a woman IS ordained by God, but I also believe that marriage between gays is not a sin. I think people should be free to love whom they love, as long as I am free to love whom I love.
I feel my responsibility in this life is to live happily, accept everybody, and let God decide in the end.
[thanks ANNE! sorry this is long!!!! :)]
I just wanted to record an official "thank you" for your link to the blog posts and for all of your readers' comments. And totally stoked that anybody reading our blog might mistake us for being smart (I'm assuming we've not met these friends of yours.:)) We were hoping to spur thought and discussion and glad to see that even more discussion has taken place. I think that's what a lot of us need -- dialogue.
What did Jesus have to say about the issue of homosexuality?
He said nothing specifically.
On the other hand, he did have much to say about issues of the heart, and about morality.
Jesus was a radical, and in many ways he continuously pushed the envelope against the prevailing jewish religious and judicial powers. Jews have always been interested in what makes an individual "clean" and "unclean". The "law" lists many purity requirements, like washing at prescribed times or not eating certain foods. Take for example: circumcision. Being circumcised qualified a person as "Jewish", but no one thought that God rejected the uncircumcised. The purity requirements of the Jewish law were part of being a Jew; they were not necesarily part of being a good person, just, or righteous before God. Jesus was clear that being a good person and keeping the requirements of the Jewish law were not the same things. One of the reasons he was killed was that he challenged the real importance of the law.
"It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles... what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles, for out of the heart comes evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander; these are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile." (Matthew 15:10, 18-20)
The only purity that mattered to Jesus was purity of heart. Jesus objected to people fasting in public so others could see, praying in front of everybody, putting a lot of money into the collection so others will notice. "People honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." (Mark 7:6)
Jesus is not impressed with externals, for he is more interested in matters of the heart. "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; they only thing that counts is faith working through love." (Galations 5:6)
The Christian scriptures insist that being clean or unclean "on the outside" does not matter as much as being "clean on the inside". On this principle, Jesus, and the Christian testament reject Leviticus and other "clean and unclean" codes condemning male-male sex. Leviticus actually talks far more about unclean sex between men and women, (especially if a women is menstruating, etc.) I believe most of us in our modern lives live by the message Jesus has given us regarding Leviticus, and in how we approach these laws.
Jesus did not stand for oppression of any kind. Jesus did not stand for inequality. Jesus did not ever approve of sexual activity that took place when it was coerced, or not consensual; whether it was between a man and a women, or male-male.
In the end, I believe we all need to work to help each other and give blessings to each other to support healthy and stable marriages. If same sex couples desire to solemnify a partnership through legal documentation, that partnership should be equal to those in "traditional" heterosexual marriages.
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