bajat taqreei 2018-19

Babies Eat Braincells

People often wonder how I can reconcile being mormon and loving LGBTQ(etc) people.  Their lifestyle certainly goes against my religious beliefs, and I'm not perfect enough to say "Jesus loves everyone so I do too" (because there's def some people I super hate- even if I shouldn't).  So why do I love them so much?  I have such a deep respect for the LGBT crowd, and even my non-mormon family just don't get how.  I think what I love so much is their courage.  I know a lot of people got all bent when Caitlyn Jenner unveiled herself in some grandiose media explosion, claiming that calling her journey "courageous" somehow diminished the courage others had in other areas of life.  Do I find ridiculous media displays courageous?  No, I find them (and all the Kardashians, really) quite obnoxious, including in your face displays of sexuality of any sort (homo or hetero!).  The courageous bit isn't calling some paps and having them photograph the heck out of you after you've spent tens of thousands of dollars on hair, makeup and clothing, which no regular human being would ever be able to afford.  The courageous bit is knowing that you will invoke the hatred of thousands of people who don't even know you, simply by embracing your true self, and still doing it anyways.  That concept, loving yourself enough to be who you truly are in public AND private, is not unique to the LGBT crowd.  But they are the ones that have it on VERY public display when it occurs.  I, as a heterosexual white christian, don't have anything provocative to display about myself.  I'm "normal" to society.  My lifestyle is completely acceptable by the majority of my country.  When you have a person who chooses one day to be true to themselves, and therefore put the most private, personal pieces of their life out on display, knowing full well they are going to be mercilessly attacked, THAT is courage, and that is what I respect.  They are told they are lesser, they are treated like scum, they are treated like they've chosen an evil path intentionally and therefore must be shamed and punished- simply for being honest.  Life is hard enough when you have people nit picking your clothing, your body size, your hair, and all of the changeable aspects of your life, but when you have people literally attacking you for who you are as a whole, that is insanely difficult and patently unfair.  So to answer the question, I don't love the LGBT crowd despite their gayness (or whatever-ness) in some pseudo-christian condescending way, I love them because they have the courage to be themselves.  If what they're doing is built upon the foundation of love, what is there to hate?  I firmly believe in the proclamation to the family, the family's uncompromisingly necessary role in the plan of salvation and all that the prophets have had to say about marriage being between a man and a woman (my thoughts on the government not utilizing the religiously affiliated word "marriage" and having ALL unions be civil thus further separating church and state, and also not denying any person any civil rights based on one religion's beliefs are posts for another day).  I have a firm testimony on the value of the traditional family, not only to God but to society as a whole.  But I also know that Jesus is love, and anything that is grounded in mutual love - true, honest, heartfelt love- and respect can not be bad.  To put it simply, I cannot for the life of me look at a couple so madly in love such as NPH and his husband, and their obviously happy and well-loved children, and think "these people are evil destroyers of society and must be stopped at any cost".  I just can't. 

That's my 2 cents.

The Rolling River Revue: New Website!!

The Rolling River Revue: New Website!!: Link to my new website: danielvonderahe.com

Pakistan navy ships

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