When we were members of the church, we knew very acutely how many rules and laws and words of wisdom and commandments we had to follow. Why did we keep up with it then…and why do we do what we do now? What motivates us to act? For the past…
Category: Freedom
Following the rules or Seeing the Forest Through the Trees
I’m not someone who is particularly good at following the rules, at least some rules. And believe it or not, depending on who you talk to, Mormonism had a lot of rules. What type of soda/pop to drink, what kind of music to listen to, etc. What always astounded me…
Celebrating African Americans in Europe
Although Europeans suffer just as much, if not more, from racism as Americans, accomplished African Americans have traditionally received more respect on the old continent than in their home country.
Latter-Day Protest? Proposition 8 and Sports
By Dave Zirin x-posted from Edge of Sports with permission. As supporters of Gay Marriage have discovered, it’s never easy to be on the Mormon Church’s enemies list. The Church of Latter-Day Saints backed the anti-Gay Marriage Proposition 8 in California with out-of-state funds, and gave the right a heartbreaking…
Self-expression in a society
Andrew pointed out the irony of Gary Lawrence’s advice to “just be yourself” (reported here): Gary’s son being himself (gay) + Gary being himself (raging homophobe) = family catastophe. As backwards as it is to call Proposition 8 “pro-family,” Lynnette explains that it’s disingenuous to pretend that gay marriage has…
Peaceful Protest and Civil Dialog
Today is the day for (U.S.) nationwide demonstrations for equality (see Join the Impact). A number of our friends here in Outer Blogness have been covering the protests live, such as John R. at the Irvine protest, and many others I gathered up last Sunday in Outer Blogness. Chino has…
Free expression basics, and LDS newsroom meme
“If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations,” Palin told host Chris Plante, “then I don’t know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions…
Taking the Long Term View on Marriage Equality
Intellectually, one can only sustain the orthodox position against marriage equality if one assumes that gays are not fully human or somehow defective. Unfortunately, biology contradicts that notion. The Church is correct in asserting the freedom for the organization and its members. However, our liberty ends where it begins to…
Peace, Order and Religious Freedom
In the wake of the reformation Europe was torn by religious wars for almost two centuries. France had the Huguenot wars, Britain the civil war between king and parliament, and in Germany, there was the 30 year war, which killed one third of the population. My home town was the…
Recovering Our Honor
Thank you, Barbara Young. Mormons owe you: I am very passionate about this issue and Steve is completely supportive of me and my work for eqaulity,” Barbara Young said in a statement to the Mercury News after midnight. “We both love our Church and are grateful that our Church encourages…