BRACE YOURSELF! It's a prop 8 post! Dun dun dun!!! I know I said they would be over... but I just have to tie up a few loose ends.
For the record if you felt like in the last month that I was trying to convince you (you being any reader of this blog) about Gay Marriage (which from now on I will refer to as Garriage)- you are misled!
Any postings done on this blog were not official "Rachel Campaign" actions. I just used this blog to iron out arguments and facts that were boggling around my head. I was using my readers to give me support and help me understand all the facets of Garriage. In the last 3 months I have been so innundated with information it was hard to know exactly what information to give to the right people.
In the end I think I only really had to convice one person of the realities of Garriage- but even she was not really a California registered voter. Just Mormon gone.. well.. I have no idea where she is or if she will ever really talk to me again. But whatever. I love her and hope she "gets it" someday.
In fact, really none of you are registered California voters.. so i'm sorry but your feelings matter to me.. but not that much.
The real campaigning we did consisted of vote surveying, sign waving, door knob hanging, "Yes Voter" call reminding, and having a good old bumper sticker on the butt of our car.
If you are wondering what basics were talked about in my LDS ward campaign meetings I only came away with two urgent thoughts:
1. The Prophet wants us to warn our fellow man not to be in homosexual relationships- lest God will seriously smite California. So we need to warn them.
(Just a thought: when same sex marriage was legalized in June I recall that the "fire season had never been worse" (I know fire gets bad every year, but still!) and that it took the Goverment over two months to solidify a budget for the state. Alot of government workers lost their jobs, and alot of people who needed government programs (like the mentally handicapped) sufferred.)
We specifically discussed the very last paragraph in the Proclamation.
2. The second (and less important than the first, but still important) was that if Marriage was legalized it would mean a slew of lawsuits for the church. Apparently there were (in July) already a few lawsuits waiting in the shadows- but my bishop did not specify what/when/who/how.
According to Matt M. there are some lawsuits trying to be put against the church for "using their free speech" anyways. I have no idea whatever that means but just goes to show people don't care for the church. My dad always said, "people leave the church, but they will never leave it alone."
Here are some thoughts I shared with my cousin about Garriage:
...A close friend "came out" and that made me question why God would make someone gay. What a hard thing to be judged for! Well I didn't know what to think, but I knew I had to ride on my parent's testimonies and parrot their answers until I did. I had to assume God was right, before He let me know why He was right.
It took no less than a year before I was able to come across all the material and experiences that would help my testimony be as strong as it is today. One thing that always sticks out to me is an article I found on the "Rights of Children." Along with basic things like the right to food, shelter, love, and innocence was the right to a mother and a father. It was years ago that I found this article, but if I run into it again I will make sure to post it.
Anyways, God was gracious and gave me the information I needed as I showed faith.
That first experience was about 5 years ago. I'm happy to say that this newest opportunity to show faith (being on the Yes on 8 campaign) has helped me realize more reasons to encourage a society that supports traditional marriage. The latest one that sticks with me is a realization of what our joy will be in the next life. As I raise Marie I realize that my joy in the next life will be the continued joy of having children. However, what about someone who maintained a same-gender relationship in this life? Sure in the next life they could accept the gospel if they hadn't done so here. But what if they spent 70 years on earth loving someone who couldn't help them complete their joy in the next life? Even in their bodies most perfect form they would not be able to have children (let alone be with each other) and would be denied that ultimate joy.
I would feel horrible if I didn't do everything i could to prevent someone from making that mistake. "
WHEW! Alrighty, I just wanted to clarify that I already knew I was preaching to the choir when I was posting stuff. It probably didn't feel like that to some of you though. It was just a great place for me to contemplate, vent, and vent some more. Also, I came out of the experience with a great poem about a lady who smokes.
Also, the election was two weeks ago- I just got the memo.
7 comments:
Rachel, first of all I do like the term garriage. Secondly, I'm not aware of any lawsuits against the church. What I was referring to was efforts by gay rights activists to take away the church's tax exempt status as a punishment to the church for using their first amendment rights. Efforts such as this petetion. http://www.mormonsstoleourrights.com/ On a side note, an amusing excerpt from this website. "They told us churches would lose the right to free speech. Lies." I found this amusing because they say this on a website that wants the government to punish the church for exercising free speech. Thirdly, I like hearing what you have to say about this matter. I say don't worry about limiting yourself on this, just write about it whenever you want to. My two cents.
I'm with Matt - it's your blog so write what you want whenever you want. Plus, who cares if you were trying to persuade people? Isn't that the point? While no one cares about the votes right now of non-Californians, I think we can all learn a great deal from all of this ... I know it's made me look harder at my testimony and how I react when certain things happen.
So true what your dad said. My Pop says the same thing and I have found it to be true time and time again.
Carry on...
Rachel,
I love your point about helping others achieve the highest happiness that they are able in the next life. Isn't that some of what this gospel is about? Showing others that there is much more happiness available if they keep the commandments of God? Whether it be through not doing drugs, not committing adultry, not having homosexual relationships, whatever. People may be having the time of thier life doing these things (sinning) but there will come a time when saddness will override any small joy that they were able to experience. I truly believe that. And as members of the church with the knowledge that we have, we should share our joy with them! I sure don't want to have the "why didn't you tell me?" conversation in the next life with any of my aquaintences. Thank you for all your insite. I have really enjoyed reading your blog. I appreciate your passion for something that you truly believe.
Love, Brooke
Thanks for posting this Rachel. You have done an awesome job in California. Even though I wasn't a voter in CA, I really took seriously the Church's position. I have been working hard to understand as much as I can so that when I am asked to do the same I can be as valiant as you have been. I haven't "gotten" all of your points but you have set a great example. Way to go.
Rachel,
I was thinking the same thing this morning before I read your blog. It really all comes down the joy you have from having children. An eternal increase. Sorry but in the eternal courts on high, there will be no adoption for gay couples.
They will have to do their protesting in the telestial world--forever. Maybe that is the true definition of Hell. Some people say we are just judging people,not so much as trying to warn them. Also if we don't make a stand, we might as well hand over our childrens future on a silver plater to the Sodimites.
haha thanks Mom. Everyone, that was my mom who just posted the word "sodimites" on my blog. I love you mom!
Hey Rachel - I have loved reading your musings and I am so impressed and inspired by you! If fact, I wrote about you on my blog if you want a pep talk!
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