A friend of mine is the moderator for the Denver Post reader comments, and he asked me to submit my opinion about Boyd Packer's talk & the subsequent outrage it caused. Here it is:

As a gay EXmor(m)on, I would like to chime in here.

Weasel keeper's comments have some validity. Gift cannot expect that an 80+ year old grizzly bear like Boyd Packer would reverse his beliefs. He's preached against homosexuals during his whole career (i.e., for decades) as a Mor(m)on apostle. I've chosen to ignore him most of that time, even when I was an active member of the Mor(m)on church.

It's LAUGHABLE that the Mor(m)on church would call him an apostle and a prophet of God, have him speak to the membership and the rest of the world who choose to listen...... and say when he speaks, he speaks for God......and then...... actually CHANGE his words before they go to print. They belatedly explain: "Elder Packer is merely clarifying the words he spoke." The truth is, they are actually embarrassed by his words, and now they know that his words are bad PR, evidenced by the general OUTRAGE they caused among those in this world who make a habit of using their brains and THINKING......

Now, as to whether we choose to be gay, straight or bi, I know what is true for me. I never chose to be gay. I've had gay feelings for as long as I can remember. Later in my life, chose to stop pretending to be straight, and to behave as a gay person generally behaves. But I never chose to BE gay. And ALL of the gay people I know say the same thing. ALL of them.

The Mor(m)on church (along with some other churches) preach that it's "ok to BE gay, but not ok to ACT gay." Another laughable position. They expect me (and all gay people) to remain celibate? What young Mor(m)on woman would want to knowingly or unknowingly marry a gay man? According to Mor(m)onism, we gay folks are to remain celibate, and never love anyone romantically or physically, for our whole lives.

Boyd Packer has preached against homosexuals SO MUCH that some believe he, himself, might actually have homosexual tendencies, but that he has chosen to act straight. No one knows for sure, except him, and God. But since I've left Mor(m)onism, I don't really care anymore.

If you do the research, you'll find that Mor(m)onism is a fraud. So what the Mor(m)on leaders say is a continuation of that fraud.

The only thing is, many of my friends and loved ones still believe it, and Boyd Packer's words are potentially hurtful to them. They are especially hurtful to young Mor(m)on boys and girls who are gay. So the outrage against Packer and Mor(m)onism is justified.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2010 11:00AM by PapaKen.

My favorite sentence:

"It's LAUGHABLE that the Mor(m)on church would call him an apostle and a prophet of God, have him speak to the membership and the rest of the world who choose to listen...... and say when he speaks, he speaks for God......and then...... actually CHANGE his words before they go to print."

He-LLO, Mormons! The emperor has no clothes...

No one chooses to be gay and very, very many of us have tried - some of us desparately - to choose to be straight. But in the end, we are still gay even we act as straight as we possibly can. Acting as if only leads to guilt, estrangement, loneliness, and depression.

You could also have mentioned that even living a celibate life has consequences within Mormon theology. The person who never marries (especially one who never marries in a Mormon temple) forfeits his ability to become a God in the afterlife. Instead, the best he or she can hope for is a role as a servant to those who are allowed to become Gods. Gays are penalized at every turn within Mormonism.

I cannot find it on their website?

Here's the link.

http://neighbors.denverpost.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=16317091&p=1645467#p1645467