tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220589272024-03-12T18:03:02.056-07:00Jacobenz - Jacobi - JacobAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.comBlogger136125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-21983090074087022022013-06-07T01:40:00.000-07:002013-06-07T01:41:53.223-07:00Trouble<br />
<br />
I'm in so much trouble<br />
Without you, my heart crumbles<br />
Just one look and I tumble<br />
My mouth utters mumbles<br />
<br />
All words, I do fumble<br />
One smile, my fear crumbles<br />
Ready for a rumble<br />
But my body trundles<br />
<br />
Others, they make grumbles<br />
Hoping we will stumble<br />
But my love only doubles<br />
Every time we cuddleAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-77791557428912044652013-05-30T21:36:00.000-07:002013-06-07T01:42:55.322-07:00Dedicated to my lovely Lucia...The light breaks through and warms my skin<br />
The water calls me to tread within<br />
Beneath my feet the sand shifts free<br />
Moving slowly closer, closer to thee<br />
<br />
The soft crash and mist I breath deep<br />
The wave envelopes and hugs my feet<br />
I close my eyes and venture further<br />
The heat and chill fuel my fervor<br />
<br />
The ebb and pull brings me down<br />
Now off my feet, knees hit the groun'<br />
The waves recess, brook no resistance<br />
So I dive with no thought, no penance.<br />
<br />
My breath sits light as the stillest feather<br />
The surface recedes to grant me succor<br />
The current wanes and pushes about me<br />
And I give no struggle and bask in thee.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-21471775736399112062012-03-18T18:06:00.000-07:002013-06-07T02:17:17.734-07:00Repost: Songs for them<i>I've made additional changes to these lists since I reposted them in July '08 and August '09 (which was an update of the original post in August '07.) I'm now going to add the most applicable lyrics that apply to each person as appropriate.</i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Lucia</h2>
<div>
<div>
<b>Stereo Hearts</b> (feat. Adam Levine) - Gym Class Heroes</div>
</div>
<div>
<b>We Found Love</b> - Rihanna</div>
<div>
<b>Just the Way You Are</b> - Bruno Mars</div>
<div>
<b>Vanilla Twilight</b> - Owl City</div>
<div>
<b>I Know Why</b> - Sheryl Crow</div>
<div>
<b>Why Don't You and I</b> - Santana & Santana Featuring Chad Kroeger<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Tu Compania</b> - Keith Urban<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
R.T.</h2>
<div>
<b>One and Only</b> - Adele: "I dare you to let me be your, your one and only. Promise I'm worthy to hold in your arms, so come on and give me a chance to prove that I'm the one who can walk that mile until the end starts."<br />
<b>I Want To Hold Your Hand</b> - Beatles: "Oh please, say to me: 'You'll let me be your man,' and please say to me, 'You'll let me hold your hand.' I'll let me hold your hand. I wanna hold your hand"<br />
<div>
<div align="center">
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Derek</h2>
</div>
<b>Spotlight</b> - Jennifer Hudson: "I don't like living under your spotlight, just because you think I might find somebody worthy. Oh, I don't like living under your spotlight. Maybe if you treat me right you won't have to worry. Is this relationship fulfilling your needs as well as mine? Or is this just my sentence? Am I doing time?<br />
"If this is love, real, real love, then I'm staying, no doubt, but if I'm just love's prisoner then I'm busting out."<br />
<div>
<b>So Close </b>- Jon McLaughlin<br />
<b>Choo Choo </b>- Diane Birch: "Oh, my baby's got a talk so sweet.Every time the light gets weak; oh, the promises don't keep. Thought I was riding on the train to heaven, but I'm on the choo choo straight to hell. The devil's got my baby. Somebody help me please!"<br />
<b>Fading </b>- Rihanna<br />
<b>Princess of China </b>- Cold Play feat. Rihanna: "I could've been a princess, you'd be a king. Could've had a castle, and worn a ring, but no, you let me go."<br />
<b>I Don't Wanna Be In Love</b> - Good Charlottle<br />
<b>Part of Me</b> - Katy Perry: "You ripped me off, your love was cheap; was always tearing at the seams. I fell deep and you let me drown, but that was then and this is now. Now look at me!"<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
David G.</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Bitch</b> - Meredith Brooks: "</span><span style="background-color: white;">I'm a sinner, I'm a saint. I do not feel ashamed. </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">I'm your hell, I'm your dream, </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">I'm nothing in between. </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">You know you wouldn't want it any other way."</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Already Gone</b> - Kelly Clarkson </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Jockey Joe</h2>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><b>All I Really Want</b> - Alanis Morissette: "And all I really want is some patience, a way to calm the angry voice. </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">And all I really want is deliverance. </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Do I wear you out? You must wonder why I'm relentless and all strung out. I'm consumed by the chill of solitary. I'm like Estella, I like to reel it in and then spit it out. I'm frustrated by your apathy!"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Love Song</b> - Sara Bareilles</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Hot N Cold</b> - Katy Perry</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Knowing Me, Knowing You</b> - ABBA</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Bulletproof</b> - La Roux</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Why Did I Ever Like You</b> - P!nk </span></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Dustin</span></h2>
</div>
<b>Can't Behave</b> - Courtney Jaye: "I got eyes in the back of my head. Your halo's turnin' red, foolin' around knockin' me off my cloud. They're talking about your mischievous ways. Boy it's painted all over your face. Stealin' a kiss mysterious whispers, a thorn in my pride; I'm still by your side but one day I'm walking away. The tide is gonna turn I'm gonna find my place. Give me a reason to stay. I want to be your lover baby, but you can't behave."<br />
<b>Torn</b> - Natalie Imbruglia<br />
<b>Not the Doctor</b> - Alanis Morrissette: "I don't want to be the filler if the void is solely yours. I don't want to be your glass of single malt whiskey hidden in the bottom drawer. I don't want to be a bandage if the wound is not mine, lend me some fresh air. I don't want to be adored for what I merely represent to you. I don't want to be your babysitter, you're a very big boy now. I don't want to be your mother, I didn't carry you in my womb for nine months. Show me the back door!"<br />
<b>Tainted Love</b> - Soft Cell<br />
<b>Through With Love</b> - Destiny's Child<br />
<b>Good Girl Gone Bad</b> - Rihanna<br />
<b>Side Effects</b> - Mariah Carey<br />
<b>Could've Had Everything</b> - P!nk<br />
<b>Hush Hush; Hush Hush</b> - Pussycat Dolls<br />
<b>Since You've Been Gone</b> - Kelly Clarkson<br />
<b>Fighter</b> - Christina Aguilera<br />
<b>Too Little, Too Late</b> - JoJo<br />
<b>Makes Me Wonder</b> - Maroon 5<br />
<b>So What</b> - P!nk<br />
<b>Give it to Me</b> - Timbaland feat. Justin Timberlake: "Could you speak up and stop mu-mumbling, I don't think you came in clear. When you're sittin' on the top, it's hard to hear you from way up here. I saw you tryin' to act cute on TV, 'Just let me clear the air...' We missed you on the charts last week, damn, that's right you wasn't there. If se-sexy never left, then why's everybody on my shi-it-it. Don't hate on me just because you didn't come up with it. So if you see us in the club, go on and walk the other way. Cause our run will never be over, not at least until we say."<br />
<b>Gives You Hell</b> - The All American Rejects<br />
<div align="center" style="line-height: normal;">
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Anelalea</h2>
</div>
<b>Always On Your Side</b> - Sheryl Crow<br />
<b>Where'd You Go</b> - Fort Minor<br />
<b>Say Goodbye</b> - Ashlee Simpson<br />
<b>Perfect Lie</b> - Sheryl Crow<br />
<b>She Hates Me</b> - Puddle of Mudd<br />
<b>Thnks Fr Th Mmrs</b> - Fall Out Boy<br />
<b>You Lied</b> - Allister<br />
<b>How's It Going to Be</b> - Third Eye Blind<br />
<b>Are You Happy Now?</b> - Michelle Branch<br />
<b>What Goes Around...Comes Around</b> - Justin Timberlake: "I'm just so sick about it. Can't believe it's ending this way. Just so confused about it, feeling the blues about it. Tell me is this fair? That's okay baby 'cause in time you will find: What goes around, goes around, goes around, comes all the way back around."<br />
<b>I'm Gonna Find Another You</b> - John Mayer<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Arnold</h2>
</div>
<div>
<b>Sorry</b> - Madonna<br />
<b>Tatoo</b> - Jordin Sparks<br />
<b>S.O.S.</b> - Jonas Brothers<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
*****</h2>
<b>Impossible</b> - Christina Aguilera<br />
<b>Mannequin</b> - Katy Perry<br />
<b>Barely Breathing</b> - Duncan Sheik<br />
<b>My Favorite Mistake</b> - Sheryl Crow<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
RH</h2>
<b>Extraordinary</b> - Liz Phair<br />
<b>Painter's Song</b> - Norah Jones<br />
<b>Ooh Ooh Baby</b> - Britney Spears</div>
</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-31589039202669818452011-10-03T11:11:00.000-07:002011-10-03T11:13:48.276-07:00Meaning<p>There is a deep sort of torment<br />Bread into my mind<br />A form that was shaped by<br />The trial of time.</p><br /><p>Each swish of a tail<br />And predator's fail<br />Lead me down to where I tread<br />An endless desire to survive instead.</p><br /><p>The beat of a wing; the pound of a storm<br />The sound in my silence weaving thoughts <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">forlorn</span>.<br />The weight of peace, the emptiness of hate<br />Molded the consciousness before and late.</p><br /><p>The search for meaning for meaning's sake<br />It's one thing that no one can really fake<br />Germinated thoughts, hopes and dreams<br />For me to decide what it really means<br /></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-29493953336701797582011-07-07T15:37:00.000-07:002011-07-07T15:40:21.040-07:00KarmaMy defenses grow weak<br />Amid the continued attack<br />The peace I seek<br />Is obscured 'cause I lack<br />The will to resist<br />The urge to get back<br />All the justice witheld<br />And the Karma setback.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-58241628966008069932011-02-17T12:39:00.000-08:002011-02-17T13:22:11.079-08:00SilenceYour heart is the only stone<br />I've ever known to bleed<br />You don't want to be alone;<br />Control is what you need.<br /><br />In your event horizon<br />All my hopes and dreams were caught<br />And the more I gave to you<br />The more you demanded, sought<br /><br />No words brought resolution<br />No good deed enough proof<br />Until at last my lips were closed<br />And my soul became aloof.<br /><br />Bristle at my resistance -<br />Shoot your poison dart!<br />While the percussion of my silence<br />Shakes your hollow heart.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-6971389650213276382010-06-29T16:04:00.000-07:002011-02-14T10:09:26.871-08:00Self-AppraisalI was listening to NPR today, as I do at times, and I was struck by what most NPR listeners might consider just another piece from that <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">excellent</span> station.<br />The story outlined the efforts of a very young mother/blogger, Cassie Boorn, to solicit her mature female friends for advise in the form of "<a href="http://cassieboorn.com/20-something-self-letters/">Letters to my 20-something self</a>."<br />I looked Cassie's blog up and read some of the letters.<br />Although I failed to read all of them, I particularly liked <a title="Stephanie Smirnov: A letter to my 20 something self" href="http://cassieboorn.com/2010/06/stephanie-smirnov-a-letter-to-my-20-something-self/">Stephanie Smirnov</a>'s letter. She reitterated some life lessons that I, unfortunately, have had to learn over and over again: trust yourself, stop worring, don't obsess about pleasing others, etc.<br />Right now I have people in my life who think I need big changes. They think I need to be less independent, less insistant on separating groups of people in my life (family, friends, romantic relationships...), less strict with my affection...less strict in general.<br />I can't honestly say that I needed the re-affirmation that these letters provided, but it was comforting.<br /><br />In contrast to the letters I'd like to send something to my future self so that I never forget the lessons I've learned<br /><ol><li>Embrace your independence, it has always been a significant source of happiness for you. People who don't like this fact about you aren't interested in your happiness.</li><li>Separating your friends, family and partners will likely continue to be necessary, but you've accepted this. This is your decision to make and others must respect it or they don't respect you.</li><li>Allow yourself to love, but no one is allowed to demand or expect it from you.</li><li>You are a strict person, that is who you are. If someone doesn't like that then they don't like you.</li><li>You don't need everyone to like you; most people will never like you anyway.</li><li>People don't change, not really. Don't allow anyone to change you to suit them better.</li></ol>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-10024159099845527792009-10-22T15:33:00.000-07:002009-11-04T09:58:40.018-08:00Mormon Corporate AdvertisingI was checking my email and deleting spam when I saw the following <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">advertisement</span>:<br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFIwkzqyQhLtGpZzrQTKGVxjts_ubUckGtGTwryY_FLvznMYQfxzQWKpJ7-U35W4zkeBoDKDSualWBhO3bN3XKLfVt2lqsLmb17JR-orltYcQrI0eDVmc7W48jYffRRm3sT6A/s1600-h/LDS+Add.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395556684587225650" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 229px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFIwkzqyQhLtGpZzrQTKGVxjts_ubUckGtGTwryY_FLvznMYQfxzQWKpJ7-U35W4zkeBoDKDSualWBhO3bN3XKLfVt2lqsLmb17JR-orltYcQrI0eDVmc7W48jYffRRm3sT6A/s400/LDS+Add.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br />That's right, the Mormon Church is advertising on Yahoo!<br /><br />The ad is animated, fading in and out with these questions "What happens to my loved ones when they die?", "Should I fear death?", "Where do I go when I die?" superimposed over pictures of people with diverse ethnic backgrounds.<br /><br />I have a few questions of my own...<br /><ol><li><strong>Why the focus on death?</strong> My opinion: It appeals to the mysterious and unknown to invoke fear. One of the best ways to manipulate someone long term is to make them fearful. The second step is to convince that person that the church's ideas about death are the only way of escaping/defeating it.</li><li><strong>Why is the Mormon Church advertising through this medium?</strong> My opinion: Churches are corporations; they maximize profits by reaching potential customers anyway they can. Here is a list of other corporations advertising with Yahoo! at the same time: LowerMyBills.com, Wealth Daily (Investment Company), Express (Clothing Company), Classmates (Social Networking Company), Chase (National Bank), NFIB (Small Business Lobbying Firm). If you compared the sales model of each of these corporations with the Mormon Church’s proselytizing program you'd find more parallels than differences. Probably the most glaring difference is that churches aren't subject to taxation.</li><li><strong>Why the display of diversity?</strong> My opinion: In the US, the Mormon Church is overwhelmingly comprised of middle and upper middle class Caucasians. They want to appear more accepting to minority groups. However, this is going to be a hard sell to any non-Mormon who knows anything about the church's history: (1) Mormon's didn't allow Black men to hold positions of authority until 1978; (2) Women are still not permitted to hold authority; (3) the Mormon church does not support equal rights for women and (4) most recently, Mormon's political campaigns to take away and prevent equal rights for gays and lesbians.</li></ol>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-43655139073252739752009-09-02T10:56:00.000-07:002009-10-22T13:04:07.377-07:00Mission Call: 10 years sinceToday marks the 10-year <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">anniversary</span> since I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">received</span> my mission call to Hokkaido, Japan. My mission call was the first link in the chain of events over the next 2+ years that lead me down the road less traveled by...and that has made all the difference.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-76560910891228085352009-06-03T16:19:00.000-07:002009-11-04T10:00:51.099-08:00WoW UpdateOn August 27 of 2007, I started playing the MMORPG World of Warcraft. I'm still playing and have progress considerably since my last update<br /><br />I now have 9 characters on the relm I created my first character, Kukuparuma.<br /><br /><br />Kukuparuma - Warrior - Level 40<br />Salyndria - Hunter - Level 61<br />Dabide - Mage - Level 46<br />Augustyne - Paladin - Level 13<br />Jacobenz - Priest - Level 80<br />Yokizuna - Shaman - Level 26<br />Vektrah - Death Knight - Level 60Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-30215665850701278902009-05-15T13:01:00.000-07:002009-05-15T13:02:56.809-07:00The Gay TaxThis is <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104185289">an interesting article</a> about the economic burdens of inequality.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-87316681034810583342009-03-30T13:43:00.000-07:002009-03-30T14:10:19.478-07:00In Response to Ignorance: Part X<p>PUBLIC AFFAIRS: Both of you have mentioned the issue of compassion and this feeling about needing to be compassionate. Let’s fast-forward the scenario that we used earlier, and assume it’s a couple of years later. My conversations with my son, all our efforts to love our son and keep him in the Church have failed to address what he sees as the central issue — that he can’t help his feelings. He’s now told us that he’s moving out of the home. He plans to live with a gay friend. He’s adamant about it. What should be the proper response of a Latter-day Saint parent in that situation?<br />ELDER OAKS: It seems to me that a Latter-day Saint parent has a responsibility in love and gentleness to affirm the teaching of the Lord through His prophets that the course of action he is about to embark upon is sinful. While affirming our continued love for him, and affirming that the family continues to have its arms open to him, I think it would be well to review with him something like the following, which is a statement of the First Presidency in 1991: “The Lord’s law of moral conduct is abstinence outside of lawful marriage and fidelity within marriage. Sexual relations are proper only between husband and wife, appropriately expressed within the bonds of marriage. Any other sexual conduct, including fornication, adultery, and homosexual and lesbian behavior is sinful. Those who persist in such practices or influence others to do so are subject to Church discipline.” <span style="color:#000099;">[Jacob: You should expound on what you mean by "church discipline," it sounds harsh, like a threat. Since this rhetoric is so easily misinterpreted and because there is a growing number of people who share the opinion that Mormons hate homosexuals, it would be prudent to incorporate descriptions of loving actions rather than just the word "love."]<br /></span>My first responsibility as a father is to make sure that he understands that, and then to say to him, “My son, if you choose to deliberately engage in this kind of behavior, you’re still my son. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is powerful enough to reach out and cleanse you if you are repentant and give up your sinful behavior, but I urge you not to embark on that path because repentance is not easy. You’re embarking on a course of action that will weaken you in your ability to repent. It will cloud your perceptions of what is important in life. Finally, it may drag you down so far that you can’t come back. Don’t go that way. But if you choose to go that way, we will always try to help you and get you back on the path of growth. <span style="color:#000099;">[Jacob: You make the assumption that gay relationships are incapable of growth. This assumption is based on personal beliefs and religious dogma, not fact.]<br /></span>ELDER WICKMAN: One way to read the Book of Mormon is as a book of encounters between fathers and sons. Some of those encounters were very positive and reinforcing on the part of the father of a son. Some were occasions where a father had to tell his son or his sons that the path that they were following was incorrect before the Lord. With all, it needs to be done in the spirit of love and welcoming that, as Elder Oaks mentioned, ‘You’re always my son.’ There’s an old maxim which is really true for every parent and that is, ‘You haven’t failed until you quit trying.’ I think that means both in terms of taking appropriate opportunities to teach one’s children the right way, but at all times making sure they know that over all things you’ll love them. <span style="color:#000099;">[Jacob: This concept is simple enough to state, but do we care about how this will be received? The love your implying requires a parent to continually remind a child that they are on the wrong path, that their life is sinful...even if you believe this to be true, do you honestly think that is an environment to sustain an atmosphere of love? Your method does not work well in practice.]</span></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-72162678431858126972009-02-03T11:35:00.000-08:002009-02-11T11:50:30.041-08:00In the Name of LoveIt's common to think<br />As we go through the year<br />About the meaning of love<br />And those we hold dear<br /><br />Each person is unique<br />In their expression of love<br />Convinced that they're clear<br />In conveying thereof.<br /><br />Some are content<br />To use verbal fluff<br />But quickly find<br />Words are not enough.<br /><br />Some try to show<br />With actions alone<br />Yet without words<br />Intentions, unknown<br /><br />Some are foolish,<br />Verbalize no hate<br />Actions however,<br />Often berate<br /><br />In the name of love<br />many do toil<br />But their actions are hate<br />Deceive and embroil<br /><br />How does it look<br />At the end of the day,<br />When words mean this<br />But your actions that say?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-72523413760184440802009-01-30T11:00:00.000-08:002009-01-30T11:04:35.804-08:00Proponents of Prop 8 on Google MapsThis is a <a href="http://www.eightmaps.com/">geographical list</a> of Prop 8 Support donors. Prop. 8 is an amendment to the California State Constitution which bans same-sex marriage.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-14578729532429948512009-01-05T13:28:00.000-08:002009-01-05T13:51:28.817-08:00Fair? Petty?There are a lot of emotions surrounding the idea of marriage. Honestly, I've never planned to enter into any type of union, but that's not the point. Being a typical libra I'm uncomfortable with inequality.<br /><br />I brought my boyfriend to my parents house once after I came out (2004) and was politely asked to no do it again...and I've respected their wishes. I actually don't ever expect any partner I have (no matter how long we've been together) to be accepted in my parent's home.<br /><br />My sister eloped with a non-Mormon in Hawaii and although emotions were strained with my family for a time they all attended their commitment ceremony in Hawaii. Also, her husband would not be excluded from family events based on their relationship.<br /><br />Is it just me, or does that sound like a double standard?<br /><br />Me, playing the part of myself, I think about the future and potential scenarios...<br /><br />I have 4 unmarried siblings, how should I respond (or not respond) to invitations to their legally, socially and religiously endorced unions?<br /><br />Should I set asside my ideals and principles about the issue, or should I try to level out the playing field in my own little world?<br /><br />Should I only attend weddings when both parties support gay marriage 100% and the officiating entity does as well?<br /><br /><br />Is this fair? or is it just petty?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-86616238065024476202009-01-05T13:08:00.000-08:002009-01-05T13:23:11.059-08:00PUBLIC AFFAIRS: What would you say to those members in society, members of the Church, who may look at same-gender attraction as different than other temptations, than any other struggle that people face? First of all, do you think it’s a fair assessment that some people have that feeling? What would you say to them?<br />ELDER OAKS: I think it is an accurate statement to say that some people consider feelings of same-gender attraction to be the defining fact of their existence. There are also people who consider the defining fact of their existence that they are from Texas or that they were in the United States Marines. Or they are red-headed, or they are the best basketball player that ever played for such-and-such a high school. People can adopt a characteristic as the defining example of their existence and often those characteristics are physical. <strong><span style="color:#000066;">[Jacob: It's ironic that you compare being from Texas and being a Marine to being gay, for at least 2 reasons. First, both are generally considered to be homophobic and second, you would never legally deny someone the right to marry based on them being Texan and/or a Marine.]</span></strong><br />We have the agency to choose which characteristics will define us; those choices are not thrust upon us. <span style="color:#000066;"><strong>[Jacob: Ok, so my choices are being alone, unequal, and socially rejected; or in a loving relationship with the person I love. Hmmm, I'd say that's a no brainer!]</strong><br /></span>The ultimate defining fact for all of us is that we are children of Heavenly Parents, born on this earth for a purpose, and born with a divine destiny. Whenever any of those other notions, whatever they may be, gets in the way of that ultimate defining fact, then it is destructive and it leads us down the wrong path. <strong><span style="color:#000066;">[Jacob: Beliefs.]</span></strong>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-29873395590467544142009-01-05T12:57:00.000-08:002009-02-24T11:20:30.880-08:00In Response to Ignorance: Part IXPUBLIC AFFAIRS: A little earlier, Elder Oaks, you talked about the same standard of morality for heterosexuals and homosexuals. How would you address someone who said to you, ‘I understand it’s the same standard, but <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">aren</span>’t we asking a little more of someone who has same-gender attraction?’ Obviously there are heterosexual people who won’t get married, but would you accept that they at least have hope that ‘tomorrow I could meet the person of my dreams.’ There’s always the hope that that could happen at any point in their life. Someone with same-gender attraction <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">wouldn</span>’t necessarily have that same hope.<br />ELDER OAKS: There are differences, of course, but the contrast is not unique. There are people with physical disabilities that prevent them from having any hope <strong><span style="color:#000066;">[Jacob: Once again, homosexuality is not a disability.]</span></strong> — in some cases any actual hope and in other cases any practical hope — of marriage. The circumstance of being currently unable to marry, while tragic, is not unique.<br />It is sometimes said that God could not discriminate against individuals in this circumstance. But life is full of physical infirmities that some might see as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">discriminations</span> — total paralysis or serious mental impairment being two that are relevant to marriage <strong><span style="color:#000066;">[Jacob: Your comparisons are ignorant at best, but in reality they're impertinent. Homosexuality is not a disability]</span></strong>. If we believe in God and believe in His mercy and His justice, it won’t do to say that these are <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">discriminations</span> because God <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">wouldn</span>’t discriminate. We are in no condition to judge what discrimination is. We rest on our faith in God and our utmost assurance of His mercy and His love for all of His children. <strong><span style="color:#000066;">[Jacob: Hiding discrimination behind religion is not new; it must feel safe to discriminate when you believe in a god who justifies it.]</span></strong><br />ELDER <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">WICKMAN</span>: There’s really no question that there is an anguish associated with the inability to marry in this life. We feel for someone that has that anguish. I feel for somebody that has that anguish. But it’s not limited to someone who has same-gender attraction.<br />We live in a very self-absorbed age. I guess it’s naturally human to think about my own problems as somehow greater than someone else’s. I think when any one of us begins to think that way, it might be well be to look beyond ourselves. Who am I to say that I am more handicapped, or suffering more, than someone else <strong><span style="color:#000066;">[Jacob: I'm beginning to think I should start getting disability compensation and maybe a handicapped license plate.]</span></strong>?<br />I happen to have a handicapped daughter. She’s a beautiful girl. She’ll be 27 next week. Her name is Courtney. Courtney will never marry in this life, yet she looks wistfully upon those who do. She will stand at the window of my office which overlooks the Salt Lake Temple and look at the brides and their new husbands as they’re having their pictures taken. She’s at once captivated by it and saddened because Courtney understands that will not be her experience here. Courtney <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">didn</span>’t ask for the circumstances into which she was born in this life, any more than somebody with same-gender attraction did. So there are lots of kinds of anguish people can have, even associated with just this matter of marriage. What we look forward to, and the great promise of the gospel, is that whatever our inclinations are here, whatever our shortcomings are here, whatever the hindrances to our enjoying a fullness of joy here, we have the Lord’s assurance for every one of us that those in due course will be removed. We just need to remain faithful. <strong><span style="color:#000066;">[Jacob: Homosexuality is neither a physical or mental handicap.]</span></strong>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-40185861351220473902009-01-05T12:47:00.000-08:002009-01-05T12:56:30.639-08:00In Response to Ignorance: Part VIIIPUBLIC AFFAIRS: Is heterosexual marriage ever an option for those with homosexual feelings?<br />ELDER OAKS: We are sometimes asked about whether marriage is a remedy for these feelings that we have been talking about. President Hinckley, faced with the fact that apparently some had believed it to be a remedy, and perhaps that some Church leaders had even counseled marriage as the remedy for these feelings, made this statement: “Marriage should not be viewed as a therapeutic step to solve problems such as homosexual inclinations or practices.” To me that means that we are not going to stand still to put at risk daughters of God who would enter into such marriages under false pretenses or under a cloud unknown to them. Persons who have this kind of challenge that they cannot control could not enter marriage in good faith.<br />On the other hand, persons who have cleansed themselves of any transgression and who have shown their ability to deal with these feelings or inclinations and put them in the background, and feel a great attraction for a daughter of God and therefore desire to enter marriage and have children and enjoy the blessings of eternity — that’s a situation when marriage would be appropriate <strong><span style="color:#000066;">[Jacob: Since gay people are not attracted to the opposite sex your approach is not applicable. You are referring to questioning persons or bisexuals. Also, you seem to imply that men are the only ones who experience homosexual feelings; this is of course false.]</span></strong><br />President Hinckley said that marriage is not a therapeutic step to solve problems. <strong><span style="color:#000066;">[Jacob: True, he did say that. Cynically speaking, Marriage causes more problems than it solves.]</span></strong><br />ELDER WICKMAN: One question that might be asked by somebody who is struggling with same-gender attraction is, “Is this something I’m stuck with forever? What bearing does this have on eternal life? If I can somehow make it through this life, when I appear on the other side, what will I be like?”<br />Gratefully, the answer is that same-gender attraction did not exist in the pre-earth life and neither will it exist in the next life. It is a circumstance that for whatever reason or reasons seems to apply right now in mortality, in this nano-second of our eternal existence.<br />The good news for somebody who is struggling with same-gender attraction is this: 1) It is that ‘I’m not stuck with it forever.’ It’s just now. Admittedly, for each one of us, it’s hard to look beyond the ‘now’ sometimes. But nonetheless, if you see mortality as now, it’s only during this season. 2) If I can keep myself worthy here, if I can be true to gospel commandments, if I can keep covenants that I have made, the blessings of exaltation and eternal life that Heavenly Father holds out to all of His children apply to me. Every blessing — including eternal marriage — is and will be mine in due course. <strong><span style="color:#000066;">[Jacob: It seems to me that this interview is being used as a means to inform the public about Mormon beliefs rather than explaining the church's political activity.]</span></strong><br />ELDER OAKS: Let me just add a thought to that. There is no fullness of joy in the next life without a family unit, including a husband, a wife, and posterity. Further, men are that they might have joy. In the eternal perspective, same-gender activity will only bring sorrow and grief and the loss of eternal opportunities. <strong><span style="color:#000066;">[Jacob: These are beliefs, not facts.]</span></strong>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-53891394183134673522009-01-01T11:17:00.000-08:002009-02-11T11:51:49.943-08:00New Year's Resolutions<ol><li>Upgrade my living conditions<br /></li><li>Accumulate $7,000 in savings<br /></li><li>Throw 5 swim team parties at new place<br /></li></ol>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-474391096213254982008-12-18T11:36:00.000-08:002010-05-28T11:42:57.883-07:00BlacklistThe following people have been blacklisted for their bigotted stance on issues of equality:<br /><ol><li>Thomas S. Monson (Leader of the Mormon Church)</li><li>Rick Warren (Evangelical Minister)</li><li>George Niederauer (San Francisco Catholic Archbishop)</li><li>Celestino Migliore (Catholic Archbishop)</li><li>William Donahue (President of the Catholic League)</li><li>James Dobson (Founder of Focus on the Family)</li><li>Fred Phelps (Westboro Baptist Paster)</li><li>Pat Robertson (Televangelist)</li><li>Dallin H. Oaks (Mormon Leader)</li><li>Lance B. Wickman (Mormon Leader)</li><li>Rush Limbaugh (American Radio Host)</li><li>George W. Bush (Former President of the US)</li><li>Dick Cheney (Former Vice President of the US)</li><li>Rick Santorum (Former US Senator)</li><li>Patrick Walker (Pastor of the Macedonia Baptist Church in Southeast Washington)</li><li>Elaine Donnelly (Crusader against gays in the military)</li><li>Army Sgt. Maj. Brian Jones (Army leader against gays in the military)</li><li>Steven Anderson (Fundamental Baptist Church Pastor in Tempe, Arizona)</li><li>Richard J. Malone (Bishop of Portland, OR)</li><li>Scott Lively (President of Abiding Truth Ministries)</li><li>John Hagee (Senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas)</li><li>Ted Haggard (American Evangelical Preacher)</li></ol>Let me know about others that need to be added...I know there are lots more. I'd like to include those who are against civil rights in general...not just anti-gay persons/organizations.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-87192584223726471652008-12-18T11:03:00.000-08:002008-12-18T11:34:37.339-08:00In Reponse to Ignorance: Part VIIPUBLIC AFFAIRS: Is therapy of any kind a legitimate course of action if we’re talking about controlling behavior? If a young man says, “Look, I really want these feelings to go away… I would do anything for these feelings to go away,” is it legitimate to look at clinical therapy of some sort that would address those issues?<br />ELDER <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">WICKMAN</span>: Well, it may be appropriate for that person to seek therapy. Certainly the Church <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">doesn</span>’t counsel against that kind of therapy. But from the standpoint of a parent counseling a person, or a Church leader counseling a person, or a person looking at his or her same-gender attraction from the standpoint of ‘What can I do about it here that’s in keeping with gospel teachings?’ the clinical side of it is not what matters most. What matters most is recognition that ‘I have my own will. I have my own agency. I have the power within myself to control what I do.’ <span style="color:#000099;">[Jacob: This is off topic. Yes, yes...we all ability to control what we do. What you describe is inequality. You can marry the opposite sex and don't have to repress your sexuality, but if someone else wishes to marry the same sex they have to repress theirs? Not everyone is Mormon. This is America, we're entitled to our beliefs and equal treatment under the law.]</span><br />Now, that’s not to say it’s not appropriate for somebody with that affliction to seek appropriate clinical help to examine whether in his or her case there’s something that can be done about it. This is an issue that those in psychiatry, in the psychology professions have debated. Case studies I believe have shown that in some cases there has been progress made in helping someone to change that orientation; in other cases not <span style="color:#000099;">[Jacob: That's because some people think being bisexual is the same as being homosexual. This is untrue. People who are truly gay will not be able to be convinced that they're attracted to the opposite sex; people who only prefer the same sex might be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">deluded</span> into thinking they can make a heterosexual relationship work, but this state is often not sustainable.].</span> From the Church’s standpoint, from our standpoint of concern for people, that’s not where we place our principal focus. It’s on these other matters.<br />ELDER OAKS: Amen to that. Let me just add one more thought. The Church rarely takes a position on which treatment techniques are appropriate, for medical doctors or for psychiatrists or psychologists and so on.<br />The second point is that there are abusive practices that have been used in connection with various mental attitudes or feelings. Over-medication in respect to depression is an example that comes to mind. The aversive therapies that have been used in connection with same-sex attraction have contained some serious abuses that have been recognized over time within the professions. While we have no position about what the medical doctors do (except in very, very rare cases — abortion would be such an example), we are conscious that there are abuses and we don’t accept responsibility for those abuses. Even though they are addressed at helping people we would like to see helped, we can’t endorse every kind of technique that’s been used <span style="color:#000099;">[Jacob: This may be the official stance of the church, but there are local leaders who encourage therapy and even recommend specific psychologists and psychiatrists. Also, since Mormons preach so consistently that homosexuality is an abomination (a word often associated with hate), parents are motivated to subject their children to <a href="http://www.apa.org/topics/sorientation.html">therapies that may not be safe.</a>].</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-63204788367902830962008-12-18T10:51:00.000-08:002008-12-18T11:02:37.107-08:00In Response to Ignorance: Part VIPUBLIC AFFAIRS: You’re saying the Church doesn’t necessarily have a position on ‘nurture or nature’<br />ELDER OAKS: That’s where our doctrine comes into play. The Church does not have a position on the causes of any of these susceptibilities or inclinations, including those related to same-gender attraction. Those are scientific questions — whether nature or nurture — those are things the Church doesn’t have a position on <span style="color:#000099;">[Jacob: I think the church needs to do a better job of communicating this to their members. Most Mormons I speak with believe the church has a stance on this, and that the stance is that people are not born gay (in other words, not nature)]</span>.<br />ELDER WICKMAN: Whether it is nature or nurture really begs the important question, and a preoccupation with nature or nurture can, it seems to me, lead someone astray from the principles that Elder Oaks has been describing here. Why somebody has a same-gender attraction… who can say? But what matters is the fact that we know we can control how we behave, and it is behavior which is important <span style="color:#000099;">[Jacob: You're right, everyone is control of their own actions...that is not the issue here. The real question why the Mormon church is supporting inititives that prevent people from being treated equally under the law. Let's try to stay on topic.]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-86646342266359918122008-12-01T22:49:00.000-08:002008-12-01T22:56:04.664-08:00In Response To Ignorance: PART V<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-right: 0em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0em; ">PUBLIC AFFAIRS: If we were to look back at someone who had a ‘short fuse,’ and we were to look at their parents who might have had a short fuse, some might identify a genetic influence in that.</p><p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-right: 0em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0em; ">ELDER OAKS: No, we do not accept the fact that conditions that prevent people from attaining their eternal destiny were born into them without any ability to control <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">[Jacob: Ok, that's a belief. I was hoping you'd use some facts to justify taking away people's rights.]</span></span>. That is contrary to the Plan of Salvation, and it is contrary to the justice and mercy of God <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">[Jacob: Belief.]</span></span>. It’s contrary to the whole teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold; ">[Jacob: Belief.]</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">,</span> which expresses the truth <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">[Jacob: Not truth, a belief.]</span> </span>that by or through the power and mercy of Jesus Christ we will have the strength to do all things<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold; ">[Jacob: Belief.]</span>. That includes resisting temptation <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold; ">[Jacob: Belief.]</span>. That includes dealing with things that we’re born with, including disfigurements, or mental or physical incapacities <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">[Jacob: Being gay is not a physical or mental impairment.]</span></span>. None of these stand in the way of our attaining our eternal destiny. The same may be said of a susceptibility or inclination to one behavior or another which if yielded to would prevent us from achieving our eternal destiny <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">[Jacob: I'll let god decide what my Eternal destiny is, not you or your church.]</span></span>.</p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-48124742992331222742008-12-01T22:30:00.000-08:002009-05-28T11:58:13.647-07:00In Response To Ignorance: PART IV<span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,51); LINE-HEIGHT: 18pxfont-family:Arial;font-size:12;" ><p style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0.5em 0em 1em; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5em; PADDING-TOP: 0px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">PUBLIC AFFAIRS: So you are saying that homosexual feelings are controllable?</p><p style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0.5em 0em 1em; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5em; PADDING-TOP: 0px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">ELDER OAKS: Yes, homosexual feelings are controllable <span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,102)">[Jacob: Yes feelings are controllable...why should some people have to control their feelings and some not? If it isn't infringing on someone's rights, why should I have to control them? Because your church demands it?]</span></span>. Perhaps there is an inclination or susceptibility to such feelings that is a reality for some and not a reality for others. But out of such susceptibilities come feelings, and feelings are controllable. If we cater to the feelings, they increase the power of the temptation. If we yield to the temptation, we have committed sinful behavior. That pattern is the same for a person that covets someone else’s property and has a strong temptation to steal <span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,102)">[Jacob: Stealing and being gay are totally different, robbing someone of their property infringes on someone's rights, having a consensual relationship does not.]</span></span>. It’s the same for a person that develops a taste for alcohol <span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,102)">[Jacob: Being gay is not an addiction.]</span></span>. It’s the same for a person that is born with a ‘short fuse,’ as we would say of a susceptibility to anger <span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,102)">[Jacob: Being gay is not a personality flaw.]</span></span>. If they let that susceptibility remain uncontrolled, it becomes a feeling of anger, and a feeling of anger can yield to behavior that is sinful and illegal <span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,102)">[Jacob: Anger may lead to actions that infringe on others rights, but anger is an emotion not an attribute of personal identity like being gay is.]</span></span></p><p style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0.5em 0em 1em; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5em; PADDING-TOP: 0px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">We’re not talking about a unique challenge here. We’re talking about a common condition of mortality. We don’t understand exactly the ‘why,’ or the extent to which there are inclinations or susceptibilities and so on. But what we do know is that feelings can be controlled and behavior can be controlled. The line of sin is between the feelings and the behavior. The line of prudence is between the susceptibility and the feelings. We need to lay hold on the feelings and try to control them to keep us from getting into a circumstance that leads to sinful behavior <span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,102)">[Jacob: I've already addressed all this, let's move on.]</span></span>.</p><p style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 1em; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0.5em 0em 1em; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5em; PADDING-TOP: 0px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">ELDER WICKMAN: One of the great sophistries of our age, I think, is that merely because one has an inclination to do something, that therefore acting in accordance with that inclination is inevitable. That’s contrary to our very nature as the Lord has revealed to us. We do have the power to control our behavior <span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,102)">[Jacob: We can control our behavior, but that doesn't justify taking away people's rights. Why should your beliefs coerce my behavior? You are promoting discrimination, some people are allowed to be intimate with the person they love and others are not based on your beliefs.]</span></span></p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058927.post-86072955948791811112008-12-01T22:09:00.000-08:002008-12-01T22:28:56.226-08:00In Response To Ignorance: PART III<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-right: 0em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">Here is Part III of the "In Response to Ignorance" series. This time Elder Wickman also chimes in on behalf of Mormons.</span></p><p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-right: 0em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">PUBLIC AFFAIRS: If somebody has a very powerful heterosexual drive, there is the opportunity for marriage. If a young man thinks he’s gay, what we’re really saying to him is that there is simply no other way to go but to be celibate for the rest of his life if he doesn’t feel any attraction to women?</span></p><p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-right: 0em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">ELDER OAKS: That is exactly the same thing we say to the many members who don’t have the opportunity to marry. We expect celibacy of any person that is not married <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">[Jacob: Ok, this is Mormon Doctrine, it is unethical to hold others to your standards and vice versa.]</span></span>.</span></p><p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-right: 0em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">ELDER WICKMAN: We live in a society which is so saturated with sexuality that it perhaps is more troublesome now, because of that fact, for a person to look beyond their gender orientation to other aspects of who they are <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">[Jacob: Good, you </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">acknowledge</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"> that sexual orientation is an aspect of who we are.]</span></span>. I think I would say to your son or anyone that was so afflicted to strive to expand your horizons beyond simply gender orientation. Find fulfillment in the many other facets of your character and your personality and your nature that extend beyond that. There’s no denial that one’s gender orientation is certainly a core characteristic of any person, but it’s not the only one <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold; ">[Jacob: Well that's easy, sexual orientation is only a part of each of our identity. Still, it is unethical to bar someone from pursuing happiness when it does not infringe on other's rights. The saying goes, "Nothing is impossible for the person who doesn't have to do it." You were not required to ignore your sexuality. You do not understand the sacrifice that entails.]</span>.</span></p><p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-right: 0em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">What’s more, merely having inclinations does not disqualify one for any aspect of Church participation or membership, except possibly marriage as has already been talked about. But even that, in the fullness of life as we understand it through the doctrines of the restored gospel, eventually can become possible <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">[Jacob: Once again, that's really easy for you to say. When are you going to talk about the facts you use to justify your political activity against gay marriage? You've stated beliefs, and gave some anecdotal evidence, where are your facts?]</span></span>.</span></p><p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-right: 0em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;">In this life, such things as service in the Church, including missionary service, all of this is available to anyone who is true to covenants and commandments <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">[Jacob: That's true. What about those of us who don't believe in Mormonism?]</span></span>.</span></p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04128100442550450345noreply@blogger.com0