A recent survey found that most Mormons feel they have been discriminated against. This result was greeted by the response, “Uh Duh” by most of the nation.
Anyone who has read this blog more than a few times is probably aware of how I feel about any form of discrimination. I simply can't understand how anyone can hate someone they don't know based on what group they belong to, when if you take the time to get to know someone as a person you will find so many real and nuanced things to hate about them.
While I would like to sympathize with the “mainstream” Mormons, it is hard get passed the fact that they support a church that does everything it can to discriminate against gays. I definitely sympathize with the Mormons in the Affirmation movement but the others, not so much.
I know how it feels to face discrimination because of my religion. Some bloggers have done several posts attacking me personally because I am a Unitarian. The way I deal with this is to not discriminate against others.
In the words Gandhi, “Be the change you seek in others”. If you feel you've been discriminated against, remember that feeling when you see others being discriminated against. If you are a Mormon when your church starts spewing out hatred against gays, remember how you felt when someone said hateful things about Mormons. Use those feelings to speak out against against the hate. Remember that the hate being said is directed at living breathing humans with feelings and emotions.
I know a few Mormons and most of them don't agree with their church's stance on gays. While it is tough to speak out against a group, a funny thing happens when you do stand up to blind hatred. You see that the person spewing the hatred is really just a scared little bully. Then when you experience the same hatred it loses its power over you.
So to the Mormons who complain about being discriminated against and feel they should be able to discriminate, I say, “Shut-up Stupid, if you stop discriminating, you can be the change you seek in others. When people see it is not alright to spew out blind hatred against any group the discrimination will stop and people will start seeing each other as human beings.”
By Darrell B. Nelson author of I KILLED THE MAN THAT WASN'T THERE
Story Time: Overkill
8 months ago
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1 comment:
Agree on all counts, including the disgust for the hatred toward gays. And I was raised a Mormon.
I don't like the hatred aimed at Mormons (though I've deliberately broken with the church), but they would do themselves a favor by showing more of the tolerance they'd like for themselves. It's hard to feel sympathy for them if they are part of the problem.
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