As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS or Mormon) most people already get the gist of what I believe. Even people who don’t know us well are quick to draw connections with our LDS affiliation. Just recently as we were unloading from the car after church our neighbor asked where we had been and then qwhat religion we were. Before I could spit out all the words she nodded and said, “ah, I thought so.”
In light of the recent Supreme Court rulings I want to briefly address the touchy subject that has dominated the news recently.
It’s been hot here too…
Ha. Just kidding.
I’ll be honest. I haven’t fully figured out what might be the best logistical way for our government to deal with same-sex marriage. There are complications at what seems like all levels of government. How do they deal with separation of “church and state” and how do they figure out all the financial implications that accompany the changes to related laws? It’s a bit of a mess if you ask me.
Here’s what I do know. Families are important. Super important (not to put it casually or anything). Children do best with capable and committed mothers and fathers. Male and female influences are important for children. They are different. They bring different things to the table that the opposite likely cannot.
With that said, I also know that the human race is a fallen species. We live in a fallen world. The only thing we can do about that is strive for the ideals that we know or feel to be right.
In general, Christians (and likely most religions) teach to be tolerant, supportive and accepting of the people who either struggle with, choose or even feel they are made to be a certain way which is different from what we believe to be correct. Difficult is the situation where lines are blurred between the person and the life they live. I don’t know how I would handle it if a family member or friend were to proceed with a same-sex orientation lifestyle. Certainly no banishment would occur but what part(s) of their life would be part of mine? I can’t say. Would lines be drawn? Most certainly.
I was impressed by what President Packer said at the most recent General Conference.
“Tolerance is a virtue, but like all virtues, when exaggerated, it transforms itself into a vice. We need to be careful of the “tolerance trap” so that we are not swallowed up in it. The permissiveness afforded by the weakening of the laws of the land to tolerate legalized acts of immorality does not reduce the serious spiritual consequence that is the result of the violation of God’s law of chastity.”
And because I can’t remember at the moment how to put the picture where I want it, you may now enjoy this picture of the family I love more than any thing.
