I broke two of my rules with that headline: I used the word \u201creally\u201d and I swore. But there it is.<\/p>\n
Despite the implied message in that charged, clickbait headline, I’m not staying because I feel pressured to.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been busy over the last week or so. I\u2019ve been reading dozens of blog posts, listening to dozens of podcasts, watching dozens of videos, responding to dozens of private messages, and reviewing hundreds of Facebook comments. I’ve been ruminating on it all.<\/p>\n
For years, I’ve been exercising autonomy in my religious beliefs, believing what I wanted regardless of whether it was conventional or traditional. I’ve refused letting anyone else dictate what I could believe.<\/p>\n
A few days ago, Mary said something that reminded me of this. She determined that she’s staying because she won’t let some men decide whether she stays or goes. I’m staying because I’m exercising my autonomy.<\/p>\n
I’m not staying because I was told to, because I was told I was needed, or because I was told that I couldn’t be Mormon while not attending. I’m staying because I chose to.<\/p>\n
As someone else said this week, if I leave, my voice diminishes. If I stay, my voice remains. Although, I haven’t been in a leadership position for nearly 7 years, I’ve still had opportunities to speak my mind. I’ve been a teacher for over 4 years now, which allows me to control the rhetoric. Even though I often feel alone, I still have hope that I can change dialogue, and new dialogue leads to new values, priorities, and paradigms. And when I’m no longer teaching, I can still share my thoughts and opinions. If I leave, all I have left for a voice is online (here, social media, etc), and the only ones who’ll listen are those who already agree.<\/p>\n
I’m not just any Mormon. Despite not being born in the church, I consider myself Mormon culturally, not just spiritually. The Mormon sacraments are an important part of my life. The ability I have to participate in them as not just a recipient but a bestower allows me to participate in the sacraments of my children not as a bystander, but as a conduit. Something my Catholic ancestors couldn’t do.<\/p>\n
If I left, I miss out on baptizing half of my children. I miss out on remaining my son’s hometeaching companion. I miss out on escorting my sons through the temple and seeing my daughters go through. I miss out on serving a mission with Mary. These are all milestones I find value in as a cultural Mormon.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m also staying because what became apparent to me this week is that there exists in the church many people who understand and fulfill their baptismal covenants to mourn with and comfort those who grieve, free of judgement and bias. I want to be one with them. While it\u2019s a challenge to be unified in building true Zion in a church that\u2019s so pharisaical, knowing that there are loving, compassionate people in the church makes me want to be part of it. Certainly, I can do that outside of the church, but I believe opportunities exist within the church for me. And the church certainly needs more communists.<\/p>\n
Another reason I\u2019m staying is because the esoteric aspects of Mormonism appeal to my heart. Deeply. And while I lament that much of the esoteric that\u00a0was common in the early church of nearly 200 years ago has disappeared or been minimized, I recognize that the temple still contains it. While some might find it odd, I find it satisfying, and it serves as my connection to a time when angels visited the earth, people saw visions with stones, and spiritual fire engulfed entire buildings. By staying, I still have access to the temple.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an odd circumstance. The Mormon church is one of the few Christian churches that puts restrictions on who can enter religious facilities, which forces me to follow their rules if I want to use those facilities. I stay, completely aware of this.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m upset because the new policy is abhorrent.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s just set aside the fact that the policy was written by the church\u2019s law firm and not the prophets, seers, and revelators. (That\u2019s a blog topic on its own.) It\u2019s ridiculous that the church now says that anyone in a same-sex marriage is apostate. It makes no sense. Gay Mormons can be supportive of the church in every other way (paying tithing, keeping the commandments, serving in a calling, home teaching, living the Word of Wisdom, and so forth), yet if they marry someone of the same sex, somehow that\u2019s considered a turning away. If you\u2019re going to list marriage as a sign of apostasy, why not list living common law as a sign of apostasy?<\/p>\n
In addition, it\u2019s hypocritical to mandate church discipline for marriage when there are far worse things (rape and child abuse for example) for which church discipline is optional.<\/p>\n
Finally, limiting the children of gay parents from fully participating in the church\u2019s sacraments is wholly unfair. The church is not actually concerned with protecting children; it\u2019s using that as an excuse to punish its gay members who are parents. If the welfare of children was truly important, then things that actually damage children would be addressed. For example, making church discipline mandatory for those who abuse children or labelling child abuse as a sign of apostasy would be a start. By not taking action on things that actually harm children, the church shows us that its stance on protecting children is\u00a0empty and meaningless.<\/p>\n
The so-called clarification letter issued by the church certainly improves the lives of children in straight families with gay parents or children in gay families who have already received ordinances. But let\u2019s not lose sight of the fact that this policy still targets a group of children in the church: those of gay parents.<\/p>\n
And the policy clarification changes nothing for our situation. Our bisexual daughter, should she choose to marry a woman and have children raised in the church, would still be a target of the policy. I would still never be able to to bless or baptize those grandchildren.<\/p>\n
And that hurts. My church has hurt me.<\/p>\n
Last Thursday, it felt like my church sucker punched me in the gut. Today, those bruises are not gone. I don\u2019t feel less angry. My decision to stay is not an admission that the policy was right. No, I categorically reject the policy. It is entirely wrong. I\u2019m staying despite the policy.<\/p>\n
Speaking of my daughter, some have suggested that I need to take steps to protect my daughter. That just stinks of patriarchal sexism. My 17-year-old daughter is an independent, strong young adult getting ready to go out into the world on her own. She needs no protection from her father. She can take care of herself, and she has done so.<\/p>\n
Well, I\u2019m staying in the church with some conditions. I will not be silent. I\u2019ve been a supporter of LGBT rights in the church for at least 12 years, but it has mostly been silent support. This summer, when our daughter publicly came out, I used it as an opportunity to publicly declare my support for marriage equality, that people should have the right to be in a monogamous, loving relationship raising children in a stable, nurturing home regardless of the sex of their spouse.<\/p>\n
I will remain a strong supporter of LGBT rights in the church. LGBT Mormons need safe places to practise their religion. LGBT youth need support and encouragement, not rejection and being told by their leaders and parents that they disgust them and there\u2019s no place for them in heaven. It\u2019s bad enough that our society rejects LGBT people. Followers of Jesus shouldn\u2019t reject them, too.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not sure how sticking up for LGBT members will work in practice\u00a0with my social anxiety, but I\u2019ll try my best.<\/p>\n
For the last six months, since my grandmother died, I have not been sharing anything on Facebook other than status updates. That\u2019s changing as of today. I will return to sharing articles on my feed, especially ones that are critical of the church, that challenge conventional Mormon views. People need to regularly take inventory of how they view the world around them; they need to check the tint of their glasses. I no longer care how that affects the way people view me. I\u2019ve made Mormonism work for me and I\u2019m at peace with my relationship with God. What others think of me changes neither of those two things.<\/p>\n
I worship God according to the dictates of my own conscience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"