I have so many better things I should be doing this morning but I have to take a few minutes to express my feelings on something...even if no one reads or cares.
I like to watch Conan occasionally - I think he's funny. Last night he performed a same-sex marriage on his show, so I decided not to watch that. This morning I see posts on Facebook from people saying how wonderful it was to see that and how "bad" it is that same-sex marriage isn't more widely accepted. This got me a tad bit upset.
Now I honestly believe that everyone has the right to do whatever they want (I certainly do whatever I want). I have NO problem with this. One of my beliefs as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is that I "claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of [my] own concience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may." This means I believe in God - and I worship Him and follow His commandments. I also feel that everyone else should be able to believe and do whatever they want. What really iritates me is the fact that people expect ME to accept all these things that I feel are immoral and "wrong". Yet they do not want to accept that I can believe whatever I want and feel however I want. Why MUST I accept something you are doing? Why can't I have morals and values? You tell me it is "wrong" that I don't accept your lifestyle yet you won't allow me to feel that your lifestyle is "wrong". Do you see the problem with that? I can be wrong but YOU can't? I have every right to not accept the idea of same-sex marriage or people killing human life inside of them or having sex with anyone you want whether or not you are married being ok. And there is NOTHING "WRONG" with that. I am so sick and tired of people telling me I need to be more "accepting" of people's lifestyles and actions. I have absolutely NO obligation to feel that what they are doing is ok. I am not one of those people picketing in front of hospitals that perform abortions or churches that perform same-sex marriages. I feel that people can make their own choices. I can teach my children to have morals and values and responsibility. I can teach them that our Heavenly Father's plan for us is to marry someone of the opposite sex and have a family and that anything other than that goes against His plan for us. I can teach them that Heavenly Father is disappointed when he sees His children abusing their bodies and doing things that are contrary to His plan. I can teach them that although He loves EVERYONE because they are His children, He has rules and commandments that He wants us follow (and that it is in our best interest to do so). I can teach them that there are consequences for our actions, especially when we do things that are contrary to His plan and His commandments. And I WILL teach them all these things. I will teach them that Heavenly Father DOES NOT approve of same-sex marriage as it goes completely against His plan for us. He DOES NOT approve of abortions - a woman killing a human life inside of her simply because she wants to be irresponsible and not have to care for and raise that child. He DOES NOT approve of us watching pornography, piercing and tattooing our bodies, and all other acts that defile the temples he gave to us. What is very sad is that society tells ME that I must NOT teach these things to my children!! Society tells me that having morals, values, and standing up for what I believe in is WRONG!! Punishing my children for being disobedient is WRONG!!
I read an article online the other day about politics. In a nutshell it talked about "Mormonism" and the fact that so many voters are prejudiced agains Mormons. It talked about how far we have come with racial equality. Yet we as a society are WAY MORE prejudiced against religion that we have ever been. Polls show that as much as almost 40% of voters say they would not vote for a Mormon for president. Simply because he was MORMON!! Can you believe that? In the comments were arguments about the fact that people "choose" to be Mormon but don't "choose" to be black. I can understand that. But it is still ignorant and prejudice to not vote for someone simply because of their religious preference. People don't agree with the Mormon belief system. Well I don't agree with people engaging in homosexual activites. BOTH ARE CHOICES. People choose what religion they will belong to. And people ALSO choose what kind of people they will have sex with and marry. Just because people INSIST that others are born with certain tendencies and feelings DOES NOT mean that those tendencies dictate their actions.
I understand that this is probably quite a pointless rant but whatever. I am very passionate about what I believe in. I feel very strongly about who I am and what I believe. I have extreme self-confidence and am not the slightest bit swayed in my beliefs by what society says. But most people aren't. They care too much about what other people think. They care too much about what "the masses" think and feel. "Well if that is what everyone else thinks, then so do I." I swear this is the mentality of most people. We're all just a bunch of sheep. Following the loudest voices. And today, the loudest voices are pretty stupid.
