TuckandStuiesMom
<font color=darkorchid>Age. Fac ut gaudeam<br><fon
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2005
- Messages
- 2,579
Quote: Aside from Mitt Romney, you seem to be the most popular Mormon right now in the U.S. Do you feel that you are a good representative of your religion? —Mary-Jean Corriss CENTRAL, ISLIP, N.Y.
"Being Mormon is a big part of who I am, and I try very hard to live the right way, but I don't know that I'm an example. I hate to say, "Yes, look at me. I'm a good example of being Mormon." I want to be the best person I can be, so in that aspect, maybe I'm a good example."
I don't know this woman from Adam and have never read any of her books (chick-lit is usually not my thing; my daughter is way too old and my grand-daughters are way too young). I read this quote a little differently. She says being Mormon is a big part of her life. She is right on that part -- being a Mormon is not like being a member of some other faiths: you can't slip it on or off like a sweater. It's always with you, for better or worse, warts and all. Then she says that she wants to be the "best person" she can be. GOOD FOR HER -- I say. Realizing that means different things to different people, we should all get up in the morning and give that a try every day IMHO.
You don't have to roll over and take it. You don't have to be mad at all Mormons (OK -- even if it IS only the dumb wingnut ones; we all feel kinda tarred by the same brush). There is a third way -- constructive engagement.
I think I wrote on another one of these threads not all that long ago: to a large degree, gay people are invisible to a large segment of Middle America. There's Jack from Will and Grace and maybe... remotely... possibly... Robin Williams and Nathan Lane from La Cage. Those people are SO not you guys -- not accountants, not teachers, not lawyers (OK -- Will was a lawyer but how often didja ever see him doing lawyer stuff?) You folks are AWESOME. I wish you knew how often I quote something I read here on this board to others because it's wise, or it's insightful, or it's a window into something I previously knew very little about. If they knew you better, they would far less likely to say and do dumb stuff (like vote for those frickin' *** not allowed to post profanity *** propositions)
The opposite is also true -- 99 and 44/00% of the members of the LDS church are also pretty darn awesome -- kind, salt-of-the earth, optimistic people who just wanna be the "best people" they can. They know something about discrimination too; stories of hideous deprivation and persecution that their great-great-grandparents faced are still very much living family history for many members. You would be surprised at all the commonalities that exist.
I am sure that the church leadership -- no matter what official spokespeople might or might not say -- is feeling a lot of pressure right now. That is GOOD. IT IS HIGH TIME. At an individual level, we all should be talking more TO each other and less ABOUT each other.
Every moment of interaction is potentially a teachable moment.
Hugs in particular for Zspa<3ariel cuz yall have ganged up on him & I think he might be feeling misunderstood and generally peed on at this point. Not to mention -- he's cute.
"Being Mormon is a big part of who I am, and I try very hard to live the right way, but I don't know that I'm an example. I hate to say, "Yes, look at me. I'm a good example of being Mormon." I want to be the best person I can be, so in that aspect, maybe I'm a good example."
I don't know this woman from Adam and have never read any of her books (chick-lit is usually not my thing; my daughter is way too old and my grand-daughters are way too young). I read this quote a little differently. She says being Mormon is a big part of her life. She is right on that part -- being a Mormon is not like being a member of some other faiths: you can't slip it on or off like a sweater. It's always with you, for better or worse, warts and all. Then she says that she wants to be the "best person" she can be. GOOD FOR HER -- I say. Realizing that means different things to different people, we should all get up in the morning and give that a try every day IMHO.
You don't have to roll over and take it. You don't have to be mad at all Mormons (OK -- even if it IS only the dumb wingnut ones; we all feel kinda tarred by the same brush). There is a third way -- constructive engagement.
I think I wrote on another one of these threads not all that long ago: to a large degree, gay people are invisible to a large segment of Middle America. There's Jack from Will and Grace and maybe... remotely... possibly... Robin Williams and Nathan Lane from La Cage. Those people are SO not you guys -- not accountants, not teachers, not lawyers (OK -- Will was a lawyer but how often didja ever see him doing lawyer stuff?) You folks are AWESOME. I wish you knew how often I quote something I read here on this board to others because it's wise, or it's insightful, or it's a window into something I previously knew very little about. If they knew you better, they would far less likely to say and do dumb stuff (like vote for those frickin' *** not allowed to post profanity *** propositions)
The opposite is also true -- 99 and 44/00% of the members of the LDS church are also pretty darn awesome -- kind, salt-of-the earth, optimistic people who just wanna be the "best people" they can. They know something about discrimination too; stories of hideous deprivation and persecution that their great-great-grandparents faced are still very much living family history for many members. You would be surprised at all the commonalities that exist.
I am sure that the church leadership -- no matter what official spokespeople might or might not say -- is feeling a lot of pressure right now. That is GOOD. IT IS HIGH TIME. At an individual level, we all should be talking more TO each other and less ABOUT each other.
Every moment of interaction is potentially a teachable moment. Hugs in particular for
Zspa<3ariel cuz yall have ganged up on him & I think he might be feeling misunderstood and generally peed on at this point. Not to mention -- he's cute.
