I am a Mormon.
I am a Feminist.
I do not see these things as mutual exclusive or (usually) in opposition to one another. I define feminism as the desire for equal respect, dignity, and rights to be given to all people, regardless of gender, along with the recognition that this hasn't been achieved yet. The church teaches that we are all brothers and sisters; we are all God's children. That has two implications. First, we all have something divine in us. (I know, I know, it sounds corny...) Second, He loves us all equally. All you parents out there, do you love your sons more than your daughters?...that's what I thought. I don't want to dominate men. I don't want to degrade them or take anything away from them. What I do want is to be an equal partner. I do want to be treated with respect. I do want to be able to have opinions and input, and have that be respected. The proclamation on the family says
"Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."
Sounds good to me.
What worries me is men (and women) who hide behind church doctrine and use it as an excuse to allow chauvinism and domination, or to let men off the hook.
I am not a conservative.
I would describe myself as a titch Left of Center on most issues (which, compared to most of my LDS friends and family is pretty darn liberal). To be totally honest I find that some conservative stances lack the compassion that was so central to Christ's teachings.
I also do not see those as mutually exclusive either. If you take the time to really read the church's official positions on a lot of things, they are really politically neutral. I think this article does a good job of illustrating this point. (I did a little fact checking, because I was surprised at some of this stuff...It's all true!) God gave us all the power of discernment and free agency. We need to use those to think critically and form our own opinions. I fear that too many LDS young adults just decide on their political beliefs because that's what most Mormons are, or because that's what their parents believe. If you have done your research and really thought things through, and you form a different opinion than mine, that is awesome. Good for you. I totally respect that.
My faith is not contingent upon my political beliefs. Just because I disagree with the political opinions of many church members doesn't mean I don't love them, or that we can't work together to further the good work of the church, or that I don't have strong faith.
My point here...well I guess I have two points. Don't stereotype. Also, THINK.
3 comments:
Loved this! :) I remember when I first became a Christian (and I really was clueless in regards to politics), I thought, "Well, all Christians seem to be republican and say feminism is bad. So I guess I'm a republican and no longer a feminist?" Then a few years into it, when I actually looked at politics, my world shifted! I realized how many conservative beliefs actually contradicted my values and beliefs that were impacted by my belief in Christ. As Jesus says, "Seek and you shall find" and that "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." We need to continuously seek the truth and be willing to accept it. As you said, don't stereotype AND think! ;)
Also, you should see this Stephen Colbert episode (basically defines my political/spiritual beliefs): http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/368914/december-16-2010/jesus-is-a-liberal-democrat
Jessie, I just want to tell you how much I enjoy your blog! I love reading it. You are one smart lady,
"Also, think". Such a simple concept, if only more people would do it.
Kiana, Thanks! I was really surprised when I realized that some of my political beliefs were seen by others as going against my religious philosophy. And people were deeply offended by it!
Karinne!! I'm so glad that we have found each other again out here in blog land! Thanks for your kind words. I have also really been enjoying your blog :) How is life??
Post a Comment