I am a peculiar person. The odds that one individual out of the 6.7 Billion humans on this earth will be Mormon is about 0.192% The odds of being both Mormon and Gay is roughly 0.013%. Needless to say I am an oddity. A minority. A pittance of concern compared to the earth. I have been told by my church and the gay community that reconciling these two facets of gay and Mormon is impossible. Yet I am trying to find a balance between these twin souls of mine. While some tell me that there is no middle ground, there is only black or white, a 1 or a 0 I can not believe them. So here I am stuck in the middle. Trying to discover the one true solution to the MoHo's Dilemma. A Japanese Proverb states that The perfect blossom is a rare thing. You could spend your life looking for one, and it would not be a wasted life. Many great people have spent their lives trying to find the Way, the Path, the Tao. I do not feel as if my life will be wasted if, after dedicating myself to the search, I left this world with no answer, but only if I keep looking for one. I might focus on activism, advocating for changes in opinion from botht he gay community and the church and its members. I might focus on the spiritual boulders that I face, trying to illustrate how I have overcome, traversed, skirted or submitted to them. I might, on occasion get personal and discuss events in my life as they relate to the MoHo's Dilemma. But I will always have my focus on finding perfection, on finding kanzen, the complete completeness, the absolute truth, the way, the life, the light, always my focus will be on trying to discover this middle path that I know exists
Showing posts with label Activism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Activism. Show all posts
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Open Letter to the First Presidency and Elder Clayton
“The church "does not oppose civil unions or domestic partnerships," that involve benefits like health insurance and property rights. That stand was outlined in a statement the church posted on its Web site earlier in the campaign. ” How does this stack up with what is happening in Illinois right now?
Looking at these two statements I have to come to some conclusions. Either 1. Elder L. Whitney Clayton (head of Same-Gender Attraction issues in the Church) was not authorized to make the statement concerning the apathy towards civil unions that is now the Church’s reported position that was not only clear in the Press release statement from Elder Clayton, but also by their clear demonstration that they do take an apathetic statement towards civil unions and equal rights as seen in their silence on the Common Ground Initiative.
Or 2. The bishop of the Nauvoo 3rd ward is following the precedent set by the Church’s actions during the Prop. 8 campaign and taking upon him a stewardship that is not his own?
So is this a call from the Church Headquarters disguised to appear as coming form an individual ward? Or is it the actions of a bishop who has fallen into the trap of all men who “as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion."
What will church Headquarters do? Will they stand by and let this bishop take unrighteous dominion over the people? Or will they come out with an official statement saying that this order came from them? Or will they stay silent yet again? And if they stay silent what does it mean? To me it means that they support the actions of Bishop Church and Susan Combs of the Nauvoo 3rd ward to 1. Use the Church ward as a political powerhouse and 2. the political message can be counter to the official church statement with no repercussions. IF that is so, what is to stop a bishop in Vermont to call for support of Civil Union legislation? Would that not cause great division within the church?
So Elder Clayton, and President Monson, I urge you to take a stand on this issue, do not sit on the fence take a stand if the actions of Bishop Church are from you then say so please. If it is not please make a statement and rebuke his attempt to turn his ward into a political machine but rather focus on Christ and his message of Love. But whatever you do, please do not sit back and do nothing.
Looking at these two statements I have to come to some conclusions. Either 1. Elder L. Whitney Clayton (head of Same-Gender Attraction issues in the Church) was not authorized to make the statement concerning the apathy towards civil unions that is now the Church’s reported position that was not only clear in the Press release statement from Elder Clayton, but also by their clear demonstration that they do take an apathetic statement towards civil unions and equal rights as seen in their silence on the Common Ground Initiative.
Or 2. The bishop of the Nauvoo 3rd ward is following the precedent set by the Church’s actions during the Prop. 8 campaign and taking upon him a stewardship that is not his own?
So is this a call from the Church Headquarters disguised to appear as coming form an individual ward? Or is it the actions of a bishop who has fallen into the trap of all men who “as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion."
What will church Headquarters do? Will they stand by and let this bishop take unrighteous dominion over the people? Or will they come out with an official statement saying that this order came from them? Or will they stay silent yet again? And if they stay silent what does it mean? To me it means that they support the actions of Bishop Church and Susan Combs of the Nauvoo 3rd ward to 1. Use the Church ward as a political powerhouse and 2. the political message can be counter to the official church statement with no repercussions. IF that is so, what is to stop a bishop in Vermont to call for support of Civil Union legislation? Would that not cause great division within the church?
So Elder Clayton, and President Monson, I urge you to take a stand on this issue, do not sit on the fence take a stand if the actions of Bishop Church are from you then say so please. If it is not please make a statement and rebuke his attempt to turn his ward into a political machine but rather focus on Christ and his message of Love. But whatever you do, please do not sit back and do nothing.
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Revolution Will Not be Televised, It will be Networked!
I am sorry to say this but we are an infection, a plague upon the world. We are like a virus, spreading to each and every person, transmitting ourselves and our symptoms upon all those who "know" us. We are viral. 20 years ago we could never have dreamed of having such impact upon any stage, we would not have known of each others existence so profoundly, We would not have the power to infect others with knowledge about us that we currently have.
I was just on facebook and I saw this article by Jose Vargas, a political technology writer for the Washington post. I have followed his stuff concerning the rising generation and their impact on the political sphere and have greatly admired his work up till now. He has discussed many aspects of this virality (yes I meant that and not virility) that each and every one of us posses. He has discussed how, using the internet, citizens of Idaho got a huge amount of people supporting Obama. His newest article is entitled "Bloggers are changing the way the gay rights movement communicates."
This article shows how a group of people with no voice without the internet, now have a large voice in the white house and it is through this technology. We have the power to become like this group. We have the power to band together, to share our message with all that we know. The interesting thing about this is that this is a movement that is being propelled exponentially and it will not stop. This movement is like a stone cut without hands growing until it fills the whole earth. We are here, we have a voice, and we have more power than we know.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others" - Nelson
We have the ability to become the city on the hill, the light uncovered, and as we share the light of that candle with others it does not diminish our own light, but increases the light of the whole. As we share our information, our knowledge, our stories with those around us we are illuminating the whole. We need to get up, to stand up, not to leave, but to speak. We need to share our stories with all those who will listen because who knows who the beating of our small butterfly wings will influence for the better. Who knows what torrential storm of change, what purifying force we can become. We will never know if we stay silent, but if we continue to stay silent then what becomes of us? We fade. We become worthless. So speak up, and share yourself with the world, do not limit yourself to the few circles of interactions that make up your life, but expand them for we are all members of the HUMAN race. We are all connected to each other.
I was just on facebook and I saw this article by Jose Vargas, a political technology writer for the Washington post. I have followed his stuff concerning the rising generation and their impact on the political sphere and have greatly admired his work up till now. He has discussed many aspects of this virality (yes I meant that and not virility) that each and every one of us posses. He has discussed how, using the internet, citizens of Idaho got a huge amount of people supporting Obama. His newest article is entitled "Bloggers are changing the way the gay rights movement communicates."
This article shows how a group of people with no voice without the internet, now have a large voice in the white house and it is through this technology. We have the power to become like this group. We have the power to band together, to share our message with all that we know. The interesting thing about this is that this is a movement that is being propelled exponentially and it will not stop. This movement is like a stone cut without hands growing until it fills the whole earth. We are here, we have a voice, and we have more power than we know.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others" - Nelson
We have the ability to become the city on the hill, the light uncovered, and as we share the light of that candle with others it does not diminish our own light, but increases the light of the whole. As we share our information, our knowledge, our stories with those around us we are illuminating the whole. We need to get up, to stand up, not to leave, but to speak. We need to share our stories with all those who will listen because who knows who the beating of our small butterfly wings will influence for the better. Who knows what torrential storm of change, what purifying force we can become. We will never know if we stay silent, but if we continue to stay silent then what becomes of us? We fade. We become worthless. So speak up, and share yourself with the world, do not limit yourself to the few circles of interactions that make up your life, but expand them for we are all members of the HUMAN race. We are all connected to each other.
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