Well, as long as *we* think so

I went to Church yesterday. Let's just say my tongue really hurts.

To review: to many of my fellow church members, by voting no (or even considering voting no), I am defying the Prophet and, by extension, God Himself. This is me being prideful and thinking I know more than God.

I've felt the barbs and guilt of those insinuations if not downright accusations.

There was much talk yesterday about the moral majority and hoping it comes out to vote (Heaven help us if they do! We'll have a President McCain - which I still don't understand the connection between moral and conservative, but I do intend to blog on that). They talk about how we'll be blessed for our obedience (even if the Prop fails), how sometimes we're asked to do hard things and endure persecution for Christ.

One woman brought up the online database of contributors (which points out who is LDS among them) to the Yes on 8 campaign and went on to describe how she felt this issue would be our Missouri. She seemed to believe we were on the threshold of modern day mobbings and tarring and feathering. She believed the people are again fearing a political Mormon uprising and are thus readying to drive us all from the state. Mitt certainly isn't on the ballot this year, after all.

I think we flatter ourselves.

Yes, there are protesters standing in front of temples - Oakland, CA specifically, but from what I can tell, it hasn't been violent. We act like this is new, but members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints should be used to this by now. If you've been to General Conference in Salt Lake City you'll know the signs well. If you've been to a new temple during open house or in its first weeks of operation, you'll know these signs well.

Yes, some of the signs are unnecessary and offensive, but let's suck it up and try to understand where the Prop 8 protesters are coming from. I'd be really, really, really hurt and angry, too. You would. You'd feel like next to nothing, like you didn't matter. You'd feel like no one cared about your feelings, just about keeping you and those like you from screwing up society.

But lest we forget, too many heterosexual marriages are hardly sacred. Let's strengthen those marriages and families and leave good people alone.

Let's promote good things. Marriage is good. Marriage, even heretical gay marriage, strengthens families.

But...isn't a domestic partnership enough? They're not, by present definition, getting "married," after all. And really, we have no problem with homosexual couples having rights. Isn't that a good enough compromise?

I used to say that, too - until I realized how condescending it is. Is it really up to us to say "yeah, you can have rights"?

How nice of us to think so!

If you think you wouldn't be irritated and hurt by all of this too, you're kidding yourself.