If you're gay and Mormon, you're highly motivated to figure out what you really believe about the "truthfullness" of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There are a few obvious choices:
1. Conclude that the CoJCoL-dS is true overall, but wrong when it comes to homosexuality, and hope the leaders will one day revoke your group's cursed status, as they did for the blacks.
2. Conclude that the CoJCoL-dS is wrong, period.
3. Conclude that the CoJCoL-dS is true, and that the leaders are right about homosexuality.
Door #3 is not only a painful choice, but also an incredibly thankless one, considering that the leaders just won't stop making pronouncements that are not only hurtful but are obviously false. And don't expect much sympathy from your gay-friendly friends, either. They're about as likely to support your decision to stay in the LDS church are they are to encourage you to stay in any other abusive relationship.
I recently read a novel about what life is like behind door #3. I normally put book reviews here on my personal blog, but since I think this book will inspire some serious discussion of the issues involved, I've posted my review on Main Street Plaza instead. You can read it here: What the church really offers to gay male Mormons: Jonathan Langford’s No Going Back.
2 comments:
I can't believe you used the church=abusive relationship analogy. My husband and I have been talking about Christianity being an abusive relationshp. The Mormon who chooses Door #3 reminds me of the (few and far between) Calvinists who believe they are predestined for hell, yet still try to live good lives. What's the point of that shiz?
Hey SortMeOut!!!
The analogy was particularly obvious in this novel, considering the treatment the main character gets from the church. But it may well be relevant to other religions as well, including the Calvinists, as you mention.
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