Mormonism

http://www.pewforum.org/Christian/Mormon/mormons-in-america-infographic.aspx
Here is the link for my post if you are interested in taking a look!

The statics of this forum may come as a surprise to many members of the church. Even as I went through and looked at the different subject matter, I was shocked to find that some information about Mormons were statistically lower than expected. As I grew up in the church, there were fundamental principles, such as going to church or prayer, that were put into my head that I followed and thought that many followed as well. To my surprise, this forum has proven me wrong and that there are many who identify themselves as Mormon but do not follow those simple principles as strongly I thought everyone did. 

As members of the church, we do feel much discrimination against in many aspects of our faith. We currently have a candidate for the republican presidential nomination who identifies himself as a Mormon. Unfortunately, many do not fully understand what Mormon’s really believe and look on websites that are incorrect on the doctrines in which we believe. These issues have been brought up to this candidate and he has handled these issues well but many are still unsatisfied with his answers. As citizens of the United States of America, we have amendments that protect our rights. It still fascinates me how many citizens are still discriminated against, whether it is for their religion, race, or sexual orientation.

As I read this forum and looked at the graphs, I began to understand why maybe the statistics were as I thought would have been. This survey was only asked to people who identified themselves as Mormons, therefore, they may not live the lifestyle of a Mormon but just identify themselves as such. I also observed that the candidates who were asked the questions were eighteen years of age or older. Some of the statistics would not necessarily be applicable to those of younger age than to those of an older generation.

Growing up in a community where my close neighbors were not members is a blessing given to me. I have been able to share the gospel with those around me. Even if it is not the first discussion, the presence I share of happiness and caring has been able to bless those not of my faith. I think by understanding that many are inactive or struggling to come to an understanding of the gospel or even those not of our faith will benefit us and give us opportunities to share our testimony or even give a helping hand to these individuals in need.  

Merrili Taylor Gardner 

Praying to stop being Gay

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/22/my-faith-how-i-learned-to-stop-praying-away-the-gay/

This was a very interesting article (copied on top) to me. It was written by a gay African-American and how he grew up praying every day for God to change him, or "...stop having crushes on boys..." As I read through this it caused me to put myself in his shoes. How difficult it must have been for him to not tell his parents, pretend to be something he didn't feel comfortable with, begging God for help but without feeling any answers coming. He must have felt alone; many times in his article he talks about how depressed he was because around the age of five years old he felt like he was going to Hell and that he was a sinner. I have had many friends in my life who are homosexual and none of them have ever presented themselves in a way to make me hate them or dislike them. In fact, I would even argue that they were more compassionate and likable than many heterosexuals. Of course, I understand that is a very small sample size to make such a comparison, but I feel it is substantial enough for me to think twice before I judge and categorize every living gay person. I think this article was well written and worth the read.

My Battle, Our War

I believe pornography is a social issue. It will pervade our society or be absent according to our individual responses. I believe that each member of a community has the privilege and the right to surround themselves with that which is beautiful and compelling. That privilege starts in the privacy of our homes and extends to the public displays in our neighborhood and from there to society in general.

I have always tried to protect my home from pornography. I cut inappropriate pictures from the newspaper so my family could read it with safety and expurgated our sons’ high school art books so they could avoid as much nudity as possible. I taught my children to turn away from the TV when improper commercials came on and to “look for pennies” on the ground at school when skirts were too high or cleavage too low. Now my protecting also includes keeping our home internet connection a safe portal to the world.

The first time I fought public pornography was when a beauty shop next to my local bank put up over-sized signs that caused me embarrassment. I was a young mother and wasn’t brave in those days. I telephoned from home after my errands were done, knowing there was no caller I.D., and I would be completely anonymous in my request that the signs be removed. To my surprise, they were gone when I happened that way again and I felt somewhat gratified.

Recently I have felt I must do more. So when a family grocery store in my area displayed a six-foot cardboard model which made my husband blush, I asked to see the store manager. I inquired if she knew what was at the front of her store. She did not and when she returned, she was blushing. Apparently a vendor had put up the display without permission and for hours customers had been getting the wrong impression about the moral values of those who ran the establishment. The sign was removed and wasn’t replaced. Sometime later, I found bottles of root beer with nudity on the cardboard label in that same store. That visit with the manager produced the same results: the product was removed from the shelves.

So over time, and with some renewed conviction, I have learned I can make a difference in the visual context of society. It is mostly in my home, my neighborhood, and my community that I have tried to keep things clean and safe. But then, if every conscientious adult took the initiative to clean their home, neighborhood, and the areas where they run errands of visual filth, I don’t believe there would be any more dirt of that kind to clean up.

Some time ago I visited a recently opened “super store” near my home. On the main aisle was a display of calendars, complete with a “swimsuit edition.” I picked up the calendar that offended me, covered it with two more “friendly” calendars, and walked to the front of the store. (You never know what someone might think seeing you with a bikini calendar heading towards the registers.) I visited with the assistant manager because the manager wasn’t there. I spoke of a family-friendly store, how much I wanted to be safe when I shopped, and how much it would mean to me if this particular calendar wasn’t stocked. She concurred kindly and later told me that this item had been pulled and wouldn’t appear again. It was hard to speak out against pornography, and yet it was simple. Twenty minutes of my time and a whole lot of my courage bought an aisle at the store which will be safer for all future shoppers.

In speaking out against pornography in my community I haven’t always been treated kindly. I have been laughed at and sometimes even wondered if it will really make a difference in the long run. In one clothing store I couldn’t easily shop because of the distracting, over-sized, and inappropriate banners. The manager rudely declared she wasn’t in charge of the advertising in her store and that nothing I did could make a difference. It felt like defeat, and maybe for a moment it was, but even if I stood alone, I had stood for making society a visually safe.

This I know: I have tried; I have stood up; I have declared my values and held up a standard. I continue to believe that any kind of pornography does not belong in our lives. We must nurture the good, the clean, and the moral. We must clear our lives of evil and stand up against it when others seem to embrace this vice. We must do this one day, one experience, and one brave moment at a time. Together we can keep the world safe for our families, our neighbors, and anyone else who wants to grow up in a world of moral purity by speaking out against pornography.

In this way, social institutions will have a firmer foundation of morality. This, in my opinion, is a good first step towards a healthier and safer society.

~Marie Calder Ricks

Landlord Defends "White Only" sign

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/12/us/us-whites-only-pool/index.html?hpt=us_c2

When does learning about history cross the boundaries into inappropriate? In one way or another, most people (if not all) are haunted by their past. This is no exception to countries and cultures. Perhaps one of the most arguably darkest stain upon the cultural robes of America arise from African American intolerance, or racism. While politicians and legislative bodies across the country have attempted to wash out the malignant memory with amendments and laws, many people unfortunately continue to secretly harbor their intolerance--even to this day. Learning about history includes learning about both the roses and the thorns, the good days and the bad. But--coming back to my original question--to what extent do we allow historical details and facts play apart in our life? Many schools and educational institutions provide censorship requirements when teaching children about the holocaust, slavery, riots and rebellions, crimes, etc. Occasionally, we may be required to censor how people display historical artifacts regarding some of these historical incidents.

In Ohio, a landlord recently posted a sign that read "Public Swimming Pool: White Only" outside of her swimming pool. She claimed that this sign was a historical artifact and that her intention for posting it was not racial by any means. Earlier, she and one of her tenants had an argument concerning his biracial daughter. The landlord would not allow the tenant's daughter to enter the pool because she would "cloud the pool because of chemicals she used in her hair."After this argument the tenant claimed the sign was posted outside of the pool.

After reading this article and watching the video I am not convinced of her "historical artifact" rebuttal to the state's insistence for the sign's removal. How could anyone who has seen that sign assume that it was posted because of a historical significance? I imagine anyone who saw that sign would assume it was out of pure racial intolerance. However, on the other hand, asking the landlord to remove that sign might be considered unconstitutional based on free speech, if the landlord actually allowed African Americans into her pool and she did not enforce the sign's message (although it might not be the best advertising for prospective tenants).

--Collin Cannavo