Friday, June 26, 2015

Sorry, Mormons. It's Not About You.

For most of my gentle readers today is a day to celebrate the nationwide legalization of same sex marriage. It is also a day to mourn the loss of the Reverend Clementa Pickney and the other innocent victims who died in the mass shooting in Charleston. - A chilling combination that reminds us that progressive Supreme Court decisions are only a small step in the march toward equality and acceptance.

But for many believing Mormons, today's events will provide yet another opportunity to cry persecution. Take, for example, a recent op-ed in the Mormon-owned Deseret News that called the recent shootings in Charleston an assault on the "right to worship freely."

Can't say I'm surprised. I'm well acquainted with the Mormon penchant for making everything about them. The train of logic goes something like this:
The white supremacist, Dylann Roof, was really out to persecute religious people. In fact, he could just as likely have charged into an LDS chapel and blown away a bunch of white people. - In fact, Roof mistakenly believed that the members of the bible study at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church were Mormons! - In fact, a group of LDS missionaries were set to attend...no, CONDUCT that bible study when they were prompted to stay away!! OR an angel (a really really white one) blocked their path and warned them away!!! OR one of the 3 Nephites called the Elders aside to help him change some Mormon guy's tire!!!! 
Suffice to say I wouldn't want to be at a Mormon potluck tonight, listening to the inevitable cries of persecution. (The death of their traditional marriages, perhaps?)

Instead, on this historic day, I invite my gentle readers to check out Elder: A Mormon Love Story.

And tonight Mark and I will raise our Friday night cocktails to the proud display of the rainbow flag at the San Francisco city hall and the removal of the Confederate flag at the South Carolina state capitol.

Sorry, Mormons. It's not about you.

17 comments:

  1. Yes, I can hear all the persecution talk now. Very typically Mormon. And yes, Donna, you're right... it's not all about them. But they always think it is. This SC decision is going to destroy the institution of marriage even more than it had already been destroyed!! Why not actually be Christ-like and LIVE AND LET LIVE. A concept totally lost on Mormons and a lot of Christians overall.

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    1. Thanks for weighing in Diane!

      It's a tall order for a relatively insignificant intermountain cult to present itself as the center of the universe. It's surprising how often they manage to pull it off - at least within their ranks!

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    2. I read "SC" as "South Carolina," and tried to figure out how the Confederate flag thing was going to destroy the institution of marriage.

      Those damn Yankees, running off with our wimmens!

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  2. You're so mean to narcissists!

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  3. So the Mormons are using the Charleston shooting as an opportunity to cry persecution as well? These people are twisted.

    Today was a good day for LGBTQ rights. It's about time.

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    1. Yes, they tried to anyway. But it drew the attention of critics pretty quickly. Here, for example: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/benjamin-knoll/no-the-charleston-shooting-was-not-an-attack-on-religious-freedom_b_7628700.html

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    2. It was more of a good day for LGB rights. >_>;

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  4. I feel persecuted because of the events in Charleston! Oh, wait. No I don't.
    It has been a good week for justice and I hope there are more to come.

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  5. I am so happy with the supreme court ruling even bigots aren't going to shit on my parade!

    I am also deeply saddened by the tragedy in Charleston and how bigotry is the cause of so much sorrow and loss.

    So I will dance in celebration of love and stand up against the bigotry that is so wrong in all its forms.

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  6. and...
    I would also like to say thanks to you Donna, and your like minded readers, for all the love and humor you bring to my life. Cheers!

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  7. Jono and JJ, thanks as always for your comments. It has indeed been a good week for justice. And, in turn, a bad week for bigotry. I praise President Obama for being able to find the right balance between celebration over the legalization of gay marriage and sorrow over the losses in Charleston.

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    1. His words and actions are often much classier than for which he gets credit. He may not have been able to accomplish as much as he would have liked due to a hostile congress, but I really like him. I know this isn't about politics, though, so I'll shut up about it.

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  8. That bits about either the killer confusing "African Methodist Episcopal Church" with "Church of jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" (what part other than the word "church" is similar in those two names?) or about elders supposedly going to that church to conduct Bible study 9since when do elders study the bible, whether at their own church, anyone else's church, or anywhere?) and were miraculously diverted are both faith-promoting rumors for the ages.

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  9. @Heather, it was indeed a good day. @Alexis, that, of course, was speculation on my part. But the DN article did dilute the attack to a religious rather than racist statement. And I have heard plenty of faith promoting rumors over the years. Including one about the missionaries having a zone/regional meeting scheduled in the twin towers on 9/11 that was cancelled at the last minute.

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    1. Yep. Donald Trump probably wanted to meet with them. He probably wanted to hear the discussions, but shanged his mind to protect the elders.

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