Converstations on Culture and Morality

It was just a month after our move to California that our bishop invited us to participate in the calling sessions to get people aware of Proposition 8. It was a simple grass roots effort where we met at a member's house and called people in our district (the West Los Angeles / Venice areas) to let them know about the Proposition and to vote for it.

I hadn't previously heard anything about it, but sensing the importance I willingly participated 2 or 3 times. I got sworn at, hung up on, talked to dozens of people who didn't speak English, and also had some stimulating conversations that I've thought about several times since then.

One was a man who proceeded posing a series of questions to me after my introduction. He asked, "Now am I supposed to vote for it or against it?" Then he asked, "Are you going Obama or McCain?" He also asked, "How do they feel about this marriage thing?" I didn't know then, but I later learned that both of them were once for traditional marriage.

Since then, I need not say how much muck and publicity this topic has gotten. However, it's still not dead. The topic is still very fresh on people's minds and people are very passionate one way or the other. This is the reason for this post today.

Today at lunch I had a conversation with some co-workers that turned to that homosexuality topic... again. It started out by talking about different cultures and nationalities marrying.

Apparently there are still cultures, religions and people who disown (and even murder) their children if they marry outside of their community, their religion, or their parental approval. Examples of Irish Catholic families, Muslim families and Italians were given. This isn't surprising, right?

But the tone of the conversation is one that I wanted to note. Everyone was talking about this were aghast. "Can you believe that there are some people who are so behind the times?" and "You know, people who are so stuck in whatever's said in the book (referring to the Qur'an) that the progression of society has completely passed them by..."

I'd like to note that I do not necessarily agree with parents disowning their children because they choose a different path. I know of people who have left their long family line of steeped religion to pursue the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and whose parents disowned them. I've also known the reverse! So I'm not giving a blanket statement here pro or con with that.

What I would like to mention is the judgement from this group of people that those people's actions of "disowning" and "not keeping up with the times." Because in the very next breath it turned to the homosexuality issue.

One woman said, and many others agreed, how stupid it was that a friend pulled her children out of the Torrance public school system because homosexual marriage and homosexuality is openly taught as normal and acceptable. "My friend and her Church teaches her kids that homosexuals are evil people and that it's a choice to live that way," she said with disdain. "It doesn't say anywhere in the Bible that homosexuals are evil people and it's a choice! I have gay friends and there's no way a person would choose a lifestyle to be ridiculed and excluded from normal society."

I wanted to scream, but calmly said, "Can't there be some people who don't agree with the act and lifestyle of homosexuality but still love the person?" She responded, "Sure, but that's not what they teach."

What I realized today is: our culture says that it's not okay for anyone to say something is "immoral." It's somehow wrong to say that something is wrong. From this conversation, which is, I'm sure, one of many similar conversations across the westernized world, it's okay to judge people who judge the way they don't want to them to judge. Or in other words, judging is okay, but only if I do it and only if it agrees with the way I do it.

Yes, there are passages in the Bible that talk about "unnatural affections" and immorality being the cause of the downfall of many societies. I believe the prophets of the ages and today who say that immorality will be the cause of the downfall of our society. I support the role of a husband and wife, a man and a woman, as parents rearing their children the best way they know how.

People who believe this way aren't "behind the times." In fact, many of us have read and studied the times and cycles of humanity from many parts of this world from many generations. That doesn't mean I love people any less who choose immoral behavior, whether it be infidelity, fornication, smoking, drinking, etc. etc. etc.

The truth is, some behavior is immoral. Regardless of how we sugarcoat it, twist it, judge it, or otherwise accept it, some behavior is not right -- whether it's 2,000 years ago, 200 years ago, today or 2,000 years from now. And you know, this whole call to stand up for our beliefs in our government wasn't new when we were asked to make calls about Proposition 8 in 2008? You know it was given with Captain Moroni? And even more recently -- 15 years ago?

"We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity...will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

"We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society."

This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.