Many years ago when I lived in San Francisco I volunteered Saturday mornings for several months at a soup kitchen run by a small church near Golden Gate Park. We'd serve between 150 and 250 folks a good hot lunch. Once everyone was served we'd load ourselves up and go out and sit with our guests, and talk with them.

Almost all of them were homeless--probably 90% lived in the park. And a majority of them were youngsters--teenagers through early 20s. And a good percentage of them were gay.

Why were they there? Because they'd been kicked out of their homes throughout the U.S. by their parents, because they were gay. Or they left of their own volition because they were tired of their fathers beating the crap out of them because they were gay. They had heard that San Francisco was more accepting, so they made their way to our town.

You and I both know which institutions disseminate and reinforce the irrational hateful ideology that broke the lives of these kids. You and I both know the institution that we have in common.

When I joined the church I was vulnerable, and was not aware of the church's long-standing, systematic oppression toward gay people. I learned. I'm not gay, but having lived in San Francisco almost four decades I have countless gay friends, business associates, neighbors--plus those kids who showed up on Saturday for a hot meal. I have a moral responsibility to live a moral, just existence on their behalf.

Somebody please track me down and smack me upside the head if I ever entertain the thought of returning to this evil, evil organization--the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

It sounds like there's not much chance of your going back to the LDS religion. Nope.

Even if they did a 180 and allowed full rights and honors to gay people, I STILL wouldn't think of going back because to me, it simply shows their lack of having a prophet of God, if they are the last holdouts on gay rights.

It's just like when they allowed full rights to blacks in the church. It was YEARS after equal rights came along. Why wasn't the LDS church the LEADER of that movement? I like how they just decided NOT to explain why the change their mind about equal rights to blacks.

getbusylivin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Somebody please track me down and smack me upside
> the head if I ever entertain the thought of
> returning to this evil, evil organization--the
> Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Deal. Though I doubt I'll have to make good on it :)

One of my best childhood friends, who I'd grown up with in TSCC with, took his own life at 25 because he was gay, and could never get over the crap the church laid on him about it (and his family, and nearly all his 'friends' who were TBMs and who ditched him when they found out). The church and the people in it taught him that he was evil, disgusting, worthless, and good for nothing but to be a bad example to church members. It was more than he could take.

I don't care what other "good" things TSCC has going for it. When it comes to gays and other matters of plain old humanity, it is pure evil.

I agree with one of the other posters, it won't matter what changes the lds church makes, their policies on gays have been too damaging to ever go back (besides the fact I don't believe any of it anymore).

I did take note that in Utah Fox 13 is doing a story on married (to women) gays on Thursday night at 9 p.m.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/2016 10:41AM by cl2.