Be Heard

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Occupy WallStreet

Some interesting things that were said to me this week

that I am "...suddenly determined to bring down the evil with my apparent newly accquired self-righteousness..."


I understand where the author of this comment is coming from. To them I sound loud and angry and, well self-righteous. But am I really? I'd like to think that what has been newly acquired is a VOICE! and the realisation that my opinion does count and that I am free to think and read and speak and write. I am free to converse with people and disagree with them. I am free to speak out if I think that there are injustices afoot. And everyone is free to do all of these same things too. Disagree with me. I want you to. I want to be forever open to new ideas and ways of looking at the world. Self-righteous? I don't see it. 


and later this (same author) "If one wants to hate on the LDS church for having views peculiar to some instead of concentrating on being a good Atheist, go for it! If not, and contention is a high priority in one’s life, go all the way and do it to ALL the religions and Atheists that view similarly!! If I want to put the gloves on, why go after the little kid in the yard when you can take down the big bully!! And there are 4+ billion ‘bullies’ out there, have a field day!! One can enjoy several lifetimes of pugilism with this...an old school Battle Royale!!"


I like to think that I 'hate' on the LDS church at the same time as being a 'good' atheist rather than "instead of" :P 


...and I'd just like to add the now tedious reminder that I am against the LDS church, not it's people.


Is contention a high priority in my life? God I hope not. I think that I like to "kick against the pricks", and when I say 'like' I mean that I consider it to be worth doing. It hurts like hell at times (damned prickly pricks)  but what am I doing here in this priviledged white educated girls skin if I don't use my voice in some hope-full/less attempt to give voice to others. For a while that dialogue has screamed about Mormon stinkshit but I am moving on. There are (as my friend* and quasi-conscience points out) many religions and bullies to tackle. I'll get to them. The one that I am currently trying to cut out of my brain is Mormonism so, just give me a minute. 


As for the LDS church being "the little kid in the yard"??... 1.) pointing to a bigger bully does not absolve the smaller bully. 2.) I think that there are many dead gay Mormons who would disagree with you, if they were alive to do so. 


I appreciate my friend*'s "passion" as another friend* called it. And I am gratefully aware that the pain I felt as I read the words was much less than what it has been in the past. My hide is toughening up. That doesn't mean I'll shut up (as you can see) but my blood pressure is a lot better these days. 


*Please note dear friends that I continue to mean friend when I say friend. I hope the anonymity of this post is sufficient. May the dialogue continue. 

Feminist Mormons: An Oxymoron or the Best of Both Worlds?

When I started to look deeper into the history of the LDS Church one of the first places this search took me was a blog called Feminist Mormon Housewives (fMh). It was here that I began to feel that it was ok to look at the ‘facts’ no matter how confronting they might be. The other source of comfort during this time of questioning was an article written by Hugh Nibley called Beyond Politics (BYU Studies 1974) where he wrote “God did not hold it against these men that they questioned him, but loved them for it…the Lord was not above discussing matters with the brother of Jared…” (p3). Ah, sweet words to a newly questioning soul.

I soon began to visit this online world for more than just information and ‘permission’ but also for friendship, discussion and above all a new and much needed feeling of belonging. The issues discussed there are varied and bold. Accompanying every thread is an almost tangible feeling of sisterhood. Wait! There is more than that. The feminist men who comment on the blog are such an integral part of the place that really the feeling is one of humanity? It is a forum where respect for each sex is the ideal.

Recently some feminist Mormons have put together a new blog called HOPE.  It is linked to the WAVE website (Women Advocating for voice and equality). At HOPE women (and men), LDS or not, can write about their experiences in relation to equality for women in the Church.

Why do I, as an ex-Mormon and known by other labels such as anti-Mormon and apostate, choose to support such movements?

As much as I dislike organised religion I also dislike the idea that I would turn my back on my friends at fMh simply because we have different beliefs. There are plenty of ex-mo’, atheist, agnostic etc supporters of fMh. There was a short time when I did not visit fMh as my feelings of betrayal and anger towards the LDS Church were quite high and I did not want to blow off steam in a place that still felt like home.

Considering the pain that I experienced leaving the LDS church I feel strongly that LDS members should be allowed to look into the truth about their church’s history and I think that fMh and HOPE are good places for active members to do that. If a person then chooses to remain a Mormon then at least it will have been their choice, a conscious informed choice. The other option of course is that they choose to leave. Either way LDS members will then have been given the chance to choose what is right for them.

IMO many of the people at fMh actually comprise what I consider to be a breakaway branch of Mormonism. I am all for it. They believe in God, Jesus, love, service… they just also happen to believe that God always intended for women to have a more significant role to play in the Priesthood, an equal role even. They look to the past to inform this dream for the future. They also believe that there is room in heaven for the LGBT community. Again, not a secondary role but an equal role. They look at each person on this planet as truly equal. That is something that I can admire.

If the girls and guys at fMh can enlighten the minds of the LDS youth and provide options in an otherwise strict and unbending institution (unbending towards its members vs very flexible in its changes to ‘doctrine’ over the years!!) then I am all for it. Consider for a moment the youth suicide rate in Utah. I think that fMh and HOPE along with other such blogs are very well positioned to alleviate a lot of suffering.

The Mormon conundrum is a complicated one. I hope to lend a hand in transitioning people out of it or at least into a safer part of it.