What is the real evil? Gays, or the abuse of Power?
There has been a lot of talk lately about the Mormon Church supporting an amendment that would ban gay marriage. Why are they doing this when there are so many other pressing matters that have such a larger impact on our lives? I think the answer is complex, but there are a few ideas that I'd like to write about.
Gays are an easy target; Homosexuals are not a very large minority within the church (or within society), and because they are not a vocal minority within the church, they become an easy target, much like the youth of the church. So, when the leaders want to close the ranks, they need to find an enemy in order to rally support for their side, and they see the gays as an easy enemy. Can you imagine if the church focused its political power on corrupt political leaders? Or corrupt business men? These two parts of society are very powerful, and they affect our lives much, much more than any gay marriage ever would, and yet they are largely silent about both of them.
What is real evil?
I've asked some members in the church what evil is, and they usually can't come up with anything off the top of their heads (I'll go more into this later) but they mostly say that evil is to not do what God says (which really is just tribal obedience to the chief).
What is evil? I think there are two main types of evil; first, evil is to use others for your own ends; second, evil is to stop people from their own moral growth. Why would the church define morality as simply a matter of sexual relations? If you've ever been to many church meetings, they'll talk all about the immorality of today, and by that, they usually mean sexual promiscuity. I don't think I've ever heard a talk or discourse from the pulpit about abusing your power over people, or correct business ethics for our business owners, or how to find people that manipulate the good to get others to follow them. When was the last time you heard a talk about political corruption? I don't think I've ever heard one.
Abusing your power over others is evil. It is taking your role as a leader and making others follow and obey you instead of trusting in themselves. The church leaders don't say to follow your own understanding. They don't tell you to make decisions for yourself and to see those consequences as the first step towards moral development. In fact, they tell you the opposite; they say that you should consult your bishop over your decisions, you should listen to the leaders to understand how to act, and you should not rely on your own understanding to make decisions. But this robs you of your decisions, and then you are not in control of your life, they are. This is an abuse of power; this is evil.
They don't want you to understand real evil
They take away your decisions for a little bit of safety. And they don't want you to know this, or to even understand that this is evil, so they focus on something that is very powerful emotionally, sex. And then they focus on an obscure act of sex, homosexuality, because the homosexuals are largely powerless.
The leaders' decision to focus on sexuality as the whole context of morality is a big goose chase. And when you're chasing the goose, you won't notice that they are the ones making all of your decisions and robbing you of your ability to act on your own understanding in life, whether it is right or not right. They don't want you to be an adult making your own decisions, they want you to remain as a child, meek, humble and always obedient.
Is it all about Public relations?
It could be a reason. The church wants to be a larger part of mainstream christendom, and so moving with them would seem appropriate to show others that they really aren't that different. But why do other christian churches use their political powers against homosexuals instead of focusing on the real threats of society?
It seems to me that someone down the line used the good as a means to get others to follow them and to get people to give away their decisions, property, and even lives to those in power. And now, the current Mormon church and other Christian sects don't mind perpetuating the morality they have created because it keeps them in control.
Gays are an easy target; Homosexuals are not a very large minority within the church (or within society), and because they are not a vocal minority within the church, they become an easy target, much like the youth of the church. So, when the leaders want to close the ranks, they need to find an enemy in order to rally support for their side, and they see the gays as an easy enemy. Can you imagine if the church focused its political power on corrupt political leaders? Or corrupt business men? These two parts of society are very powerful, and they affect our lives much, much more than any gay marriage ever would, and yet they are largely silent about both of them.
What is real evil?
I've asked some members in the church what evil is, and they usually can't come up with anything off the top of their heads (I'll go more into this later) but they mostly say that evil is to not do what God says (which really is just tribal obedience to the chief).
What is evil? I think there are two main types of evil; first, evil is to use others for your own ends; second, evil is to stop people from their own moral growth. Why would the church define morality as simply a matter of sexual relations? If you've ever been to many church meetings, they'll talk all about the immorality of today, and by that, they usually mean sexual promiscuity. I don't think I've ever heard a talk or discourse from the pulpit about abusing your power over people, or correct business ethics for our business owners, or how to find people that manipulate the good to get others to follow them. When was the last time you heard a talk about political corruption? I don't think I've ever heard one.
Abusing your power over others is evil. It is taking your role as a leader and making others follow and obey you instead of trusting in themselves. The church leaders don't say to follow your own understanding. They don't tell you to make decisions for yourself and to see those consequences as the first step towards moral development. In fact, they tell you the opposite; they say that you should consult your bishop over your decisions, you should listen to the leaders to understand how to act, and you should not rely on your own understanding to make decisions. But this robs you of your decisions, and then you are not in control of your life, they are. This is an abuse of power; this is evil.
They don't want you to understand real evil
They take away your decisions for a little bit of safety. And they don't want you to know this, or to even understand that this is evil, so they focus on something that is very powerful emotionally, sex. And then they focus on an obscure act of sex, homosexuality, because the homosexuals are largely powerless.
The leaders' decision to focus on sexuality as the whole context of morality is a big goose chase. And when you're chasing the goose, you won't notice that they are the ones making all of your decisions and robbing you of your ability to act on your own understanding in life, whether it is right or not right. They don't want you to be an adult making your own decisions, they want you to remain as a child, meek, humble and always obedient.
Is it all about Public relations?
It could be a reason. The church wants to be a larger part of mainstream christendom, and so moving with them would seem appropriate to show others that they really aren't that different. But why do other christian churches use their political powers against homosexuals instead of focusing on the real threats of society?
It seems to me that someone down the line used the good as a means to get others to follow them and to get people to give away their decisions, property, and even lives to those in power. And now, the current Mormon church and other Christian sects don't mind perpetuating the morality they have created because it keeps them in control.
posted by Jason King at 9:35 PM
3 Comments:
Very interesting post. What, in your opinion, would be a list of the greatest social threats.
Thanks.
I appreciate your thoughts on this. As a gay ex mormon with a background similar to yours, I find it exceptionally hypocritical that a church with such a shady past in regards to marriage thinks it's in any sort of position to help define what marriage is. They are fearful, self righteous, judgemental bigots. Plain and simple.
Anony #1: what a question. I'd really like to think about that, and then I'll write a post about it.
Anony #2: That sucks. I'd like to apologize as a former member of said church that believed the leaders about the gay issue.
If anything, the church should be taking the exact opposite stance that it is doing. It should embrace those that are on the outside of society, it should go and seek the lost lamb.
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