I dare you to read all of this...

Ok...so there's a topic I've been wanting to vent about, but I've been scared, nervous, hesitant, etc. I dont know if scared is the correct word, because I'm not afraid to express my opinions and beliefs. I am, however, hesitant to approach such a hot topic when I am no expert and I cannot express anything but opinions rather than facts. But here goes. The topic is regarding homosexuality in the LDS church.

I was reading a blog of a friend of mine and she was laughing at this "hysterical" joke her husband made regarding an LDS member that was excommunicated because he supports gay marriage. Here is the direct quote from her blog: {"Duh, if he knows ANYTHING about our church, it is that it is all about a family and marriage. And marriage goes all the way back to Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!!!"I thought his comment was so funny that I almost peed my pants laughing. }

I'll be honest, though I consider the writer of this blog a good friend of mine, I was really upset by their blatant ignorance regarding this topic. I had to close my laptop and walk away so that I didn't post a rude comment on her blog telling her how I felt about such a "joke." I am VERY aware that the LDS church does not support homosexuality or gay marriage. All I keep thinking to myself is wow, he is ignorant. Now, the term ignorant is defined by Merriam-Webster as: destitute of knowledge or education ; also : lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified b: resulting from or showing lack of knowledge or intelligence . In fact as I'm posting this, I feel like I'm having deja vu. Wow. I really feel like I've typed this blog before, but I know I haven't. Maybe I've just dealt with a lot of ignorant people lately.

Now, I want to apologize in advance if I may offend anyone with this blog, but I feel like because this is MY blog I have the write to express MY opinion. The writer of the above quoted blog may very well read this, and if you are, please accept my apology if I offend you. However, I request that you hear out what I have to say.

My best friend is a gay mormon. Of course, he no longer can participate in the LDS church. He has shared with me a book called "No More Goodbyes" by an LDS author-Carol Lynn Pearson. I haven't yet finished the book, but I've already read so many profound thoughts that I really suggest every LDS person out there consider reading her books. You can visit her website here: http://www.clpearson.com/. She has also written a book called "Goodbye, I love you." This book was written about her own experiences with her husband who was gay, and died of AIDS. Her experiences are so very touching and it really puts a new perspective on the topic of homosexuality in the LDS church.

I am NO expert regarding religion, and I cannot quote prophets or give you direct scriptures. What I do believe is that God loves ALL of his children. This is a simple fact that I was taught since i was a young child in primary. Do you really think God picks and chooses who to love? Of course not! No one will ever make me belief that God loves Sara more than Sammy because Sara goes to church every sunday and Sammy misses church to take care of his sick grandpa. Just as I believe God doesn't hate my best friend because of his lifestyle. GOD LOVES EVERYONE!!!!

We as human beings have absolutely no right to judge or criticize anyone. We do have the right to disagree, absolutely. It is our God-given, American right to have our own free will and freedom of choice. If you choose to hate gays, fine. But keep your hatred to yourself. Although you may hate the homosexual lifestyle, it is NOT your responsibility to judge or criticize others. Leave that to God, please. No one is perfect. If you were perfect, you would have transcended already. So dont you dare judge me or anyone else. (I'm not saying this to anyone in particular, just in general-we as humans have no right to judge anyone.)

In the books "No More Goodbyes" there is a quote from a young man in response to an article published in the BYU "Daily Universe" which stated: "I read a recent letter to the editor [of your newspaper] with great regret. The author compared my friends and me to murders, satanists, prostitutes, pedophiles, and partakers of beastiality. Imagine having to live with this rhetoric constantly behind spewed at you." The man who wrote this later committed suicide, as do many mormon homosexuals. The constant judgement and criticism of other church members is often the cause of gay suicides.

While reading "No More Goodbyes" there is an entire chapter dedicated to the lack of choices gay mormons have. She mentions how many LDS members commit suicide because they cannot face life with the challenge they are presented. It basically comes down to only two acceptable choices for active LDS members: a life long of complete celibacy, or marrying heterosexual partners. CL Pearson specifically says "most of those marriages have ended in extreme sorrow. A few of the marriages are still intact, with the partners experiencing some satisfaction along with significant difficulty." The other option (which is not approved by the church) is of course, leaving the church and living the lifestyle they cannot deny. I wish I could quote every line of this book, as she phrases it all so eloquently.

There was a study in 2000 that estimated that 5% of people are gay. I imagine this rate has increased significantly over the past few years as homosexuality has gradually become more culturally acceptable. At that rate, at a large family Thanksgiving dinner, the statistics say at least one person would be gay.

(No More Goodbyes, pg 11) "But--but they're not REALLY gay are they?" That is the hope of many of us. "They're really just "so-called gays" who are actually heterosexuals suffering from same -sex attraction that can be healed, aren't they?" CL Pearson mentions that was the exact hope that she had when she married her gay husband. They hoped that being in a loving, committed, heterosexual relationship would cure him of his same sex attraction. They had four children together, who they loved dearly, but this could not change what his own instincts were.

Unfortunately NOTHING can make a gay person straight. Yes, you can choose to ignore your natural instincts, but there is NO CURE. People in the past have tried-they underwent shock therapy, allowing electrodes to burn their genitals, which of course did not cure them. Nowadays, people will fast and pray until near madness, but this doesnt work. Pearson goes on to say "Yes yes, they're really gay. How will this work out in the eternities? I am comfortable leaving that in the hands of God. But for this lifetime, there are people who are truly homosexual, meaning that they fall in love only with people of their own sex and desire with them emotional and physical intimacy."

Do people really think God would rather a gay person marry a straight person and make both of them miserable, just to make it to the highest kingdom of glory? No, I personally don't think so. God loves of us, and therefore wants us to all be happy. If a gay person thinks marriage is the right choice for them, I applaud their efforts and wish them the best of luck. However, (and this is the best quote of the book so far):

"Sleeping in the garage does not make you a car. Nor does sleeping with a heterosexual spouse make you straight."

Seriously? I love this book. It is so refreshing to read an open minded non-judgmental LDS view of homosexuality. The quote goes on to say: "A large number of gay people I know who have slept for years with their straight spouses without it making a slightest impact on their sexual orientation lead me to believe it would be an impossible assignment to take a truly heterosexual person and turn him or her into a gay person. Which brings us to a major point that must be understood. Both straights and gays discover rather than decide their sexual feelings.

C.L. Pearson mentions that as our times change, our views and perspectives and lives change. In Deuteronomy Chapter 14 it is mentioned that it was an abomination in the sight of God for you to eat meat of swine, rabbit, or shellfish. Do we consider this an abomination now? Of course not! Who doesn't love bacon with their breakfast? Laws/rules/abominations/etc change depending on the times. Take polygamy for example. At the time the LDS church was first organized, it was common and acceptable for men to have multiple wives. This of course was changed later. The church no longer accepts and supports polygamy. Things change depending on the times and the situations. I have my own opinions regarding this matter. It may sound blasphemous, so please realize this is just my own opinions. I really honestly think that one day the church will fully accept homosexuals into the church. Back when the church was founded, we did not allow black people to hold the priesthood, that has changed n ow. I believe that the same will happen with gays. Although it is against the doctrine in our times, I honestly think one day the church will accept and love gays just the same as they love and accept everyone else, black, white, purple, males, females, etc. No matter what color, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

My best friend "came out" to her parents recently, and it was a horrible experience for her. It breaks my heart to see people rejected from their own families. Her mom said "what do you want from me?" and she said "All I want is your love and support." Her mom's response was "so you think i need to be gay too? because being gay is the only way to support you." OF COURSE NOT! You don't have to be gay to support gays. All they want is love and support and equal rights. You may not approve of their life decisions, but shouldn't you still love them like all your other children, and just like you did before they came out? Ridiculous. My response to her " you have to gay to support gays" comment was this. Do you have to be a democrat to support a democratic president? If Obama wins the election, are you going to refuse to support him?? Are you going to move to another country? No of course not! You dont have to be republican to support republicans, or vise versa. That theory is just beyond ridiculous.

Ok, I really should shut up. I'm sorry if I offended anyone. But I'm NOT sorry for expressing my opinions. We are all Gods children and he loves us no matter what. He loves us whether we are male or female, black, white, purple, red, blue, whether we are republic, democratic, liberal, whatever! He loves us whether we are sinners or active church goers. He loves us whether we are gay, straight, bisexual, transgender, etc. No matter what, no matter who we are or what we look like or what we believe, God loves each of his children no matter what. And although the church currently believes in "Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" we as human beings have absolutely no right to judge anyone else. If you are perfect, you will be transcended and then I wont have to deal with you. In the meantime, everyone else left here on earth, be nice! LOVE EVERYONE!! If your goal is to be Christ-like, then you can start by loving everyone. Ok. I'm done. Thanks for reading, and I hope you wont be afraid to comment back and tell me if you think i'm a freak. :) And on a final note, I absolutely DO believe in, and support gay marriage. And I really believe that eventually (though probably not in my lifetime) gay marriage will be legal, and accepted, and gays will be able to hold the priesthood and enjoy the blessings of the gospel without being rejected.

...um...Can I get an Amen? HALLELUJAH! :)