The following is an excerpt of an article by Jeff Bennion, a member of the Church of Latter-day Saints:
Some time ago, I had lunch with a member of a stake presidency from the northwest. Once he learned that I experienced same-sex attraction, in an attempt to demonstrate his bona fides as an “ally,” he got out his phone and showed me pictures of himself draped in a rainbow flag and attending a Pride march. In his attempt to build a bridge and show that he understood me and advocated for me, he inadvertently demonstrated the opposite, since I don’t identify with the Pride flag and see some deep conflicts in Pride festivities in relation to my own faith and convictions.
That good-hearted member’s attempt to show solidarity with me seems a perfect illustration in miniature of what the good-hearted writers at Church-owned media are doing with many of their LGBT-affirming stories. In the last three months, a flurry of different articles in Deseret Digital Media outlets (owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) have focused on LGBT+ topics and political concerns. The overarching message is clear: hate is still prevalent in the state, what parents (and leaders) keep sharing with their kids is making things harder, and it would be really helpful—the loving, Christlike thing to do, in fact—for Latter-day Saint families to attend Pride festivities and join the cause of LGBT+ celebration.
It certainly doesn’t help that people like me are completely invisible in mainstream news, movies, and TV shows—and hardly ever featured in popular discourse, except by way of critique and ridicule. In the absence of more attention to the real possibility of a vibrant reconciliation between committed discipleship and LGBT+ questions, many believers have embraced the idea that these popular societal currents represent a distillation of God’s higher will. That translates into accepting without question the thesis that the LGBT+ movement is a logical extension of the 1960s’ civil rights efforts, and that the achievement of an (ever-expanding) list of political objectives will lead to improved mental health and personal fulfillment of all LGBT-identifying individuals.
The unique burdens of Pride Month. Many of these people, no doubt, assume Pride Month is a boon to our spirits—and a time we feel especially encouraged. For those seeking to live the gospel, it’s often quite the opposite. It definitely is for me. I never feel more estranged and more unwelcome, in the products I purchase, in the news media I consume, in the streets I walk and drive down than I do during Pride Month. I think this is how many of those who are remaining faithful to the Church feel. And this goes double for those of us who have publicly defended prophetic teachings because we are regularly in the crosshairs of activists who see us as obstacles to their objectives.
It sometimes feels like we are trying so hard at wanting to be seen as loving—and to acquire the social advantages of the same—that we are pushing away some contradictions and inadvertently compromising in some important areas.
Full story at Public Square Magazine.
All of these activities are wrong– and unnecessary. An LGBT person is an individual with a medical abnormality, or disability. Just like someone with a “hidden” illness, like epilepsy, or a birth abnormality that you cannot see. He or she is just a person, like anyone else, in our society. They all need to be taught, helped and encouraged to be good people, and lead morally-good lives, like everyone else. Their LGBT “abnormality,” or “disability” should be kept private– none of anyone’s busines. And all kids should be taught to love and accept others, when growing up– no matter who they are. Yet, to also stay away from those committing sin– too dangerous. There should also be stern laws against persecution, bullying and harassment of anyone, for any reason.
How dare you imply that blind people have something wrong with them. Or deaf people. They just have a different visual or auditory orientation. They should be celebrated. Diversity, after all.
I don’t think that deaf and blind people want to be celebrated for politicized diversity. Why draw attention to yourself for being perceived as different? Deaf people, blind people, epileptics, etc. are all just normal people, leading ordinary lives. Just be kind to them, as you would to anyone. You might have a boss or co-worker who has epilepsy, or is gay, or is older, with some hearing or vision loss. Just help them, and celebrate all of your achievements, together, at workplace events.
We all have abnormalities of some kind. Some have an extra bone in their bodies that they did not know they had until they got older, and it bothers them, some of us have or did have various cancers, arthritis and on and on. We should not make fun of people, but neither should we be dishonest by calling an abnormality normal. It is not.
LGBTIQ are all abnormal
The cross is the true rainbow for our age, the sign of Jonah ,life through dying to self. The pride rainbow hides a leering bleached skull.
The Cross is our Salvation, our keys to the Kingdom of Heaven! If God gives us a “cross-to- bear,” while on earth, and if we accept it as a great grace– not as a “curse”– and if we bravely carry it each day and “offer it up” as a penance, with love, though the cross is bitter– we will be using our time on earth in the best possible way, as a spiritual tool to help us get to Heaven, and eliminate what stands between our soul and God.
Please do not post items about Mormons on CCD. Mormonism is a very wacky version of Christianity and should not be mentioned in the same article as Catholicism.
Agree.
I disagree Jonah. The difficulties Jeff Bennion is experiencing is identical to that of a faithful Catholic who desires to honor God by a chaste life. The issue is the little support people like Jeff get from the institutional church. The particular church is not important, just the dynamic of being invisible and unsupported. Ask yourself: who gets more press: Fr. James Martin S. J., the LBGT+ advocate, or the head of Courage (and I don’t know who that is), the group that supports gays seeking to live according to the teachings of our Lord? And I might add, and this comes from personal experience, single people like myself who desire to live chastely get, along with SSA people, very little support from the institutional church. Like Jeff, I too feel largely invisible, and like Jeff, I too feel dismayed by Pride Month and its celebration of sin. I think Jeff and I are two peas in a pod, even though I am not SSA. We need to hear voices like Jeff.
Mormon baptism is not valid. They aren’t Christians. They aren’t a church. They probably aren’t even an ecclesial community. They are a non-Christian religion.
I think what most people don’t get about the objections to this ‘Pride’ thing is that it ‘s the race gender ideology that is being aggressively promoted. It isn’t the gay co-worker that just wants to do his job and go home. The message is not ‘just leave us alone to live our lives’. It’s ‘accept this ideology that involves race, culture and government policy or you will be marginalized.’
Archbishop Gomez does nothing to stop the rainbow people infiltrating the RECongress and other diocesan programs. I get depressed realizing that we have to endure his pastoral neglect for five more years at least.
The filth and their flag….
I’m a recovering alcoholic. Although this is not the same thing I do think I understand. If I told someone that I am a recovering ally and they showed me a photo of the car they wrecked when they were drunk that wouldn’t make me feel closer to them. However, if they told me that they were a RECOVERING alcoholic we’d probably have a lot of stories and laughs to share. You and I have more in common that someone with a rainbow flag or a wrecked car and a DUI record.
Let’s get frank and real for a moment.
What “Pride” celebrates is the insertion of a penis into another male’s rectum.
“Pride” celebrates two women orally copulating each other.
“Pride” ?!?! Really?
And let’s get frank about transgenderism, which celebrates cutting off your man parts to pretend you’re a woman.
Such crude, indecent, filthy descriptions of sinful gay pervert sex acts, should not be printed on a Catholic website. No decency, no class, no gentlemanly good manners. Rude, crude, ignorant, and filthy.
But all true.
And you know it.
It’s very important to be a good Catholic gentleman with good manners.
I agree with you up to a certain point. On the other hand, if a San Franciscan lady nurse and other decent women in the Harvey Milk days had not told me in a somewhat graphic way what was going on in the San Francisco bathhouses and the Pride Parades, I might have unwittingly been exposed to it as they were. People are best warned in privacy, though, and in the least graphic manner, so they know better than to attend or go through that route.
By saying “that route” in the last line of my last post, I meant I avoid driving down or going to areas where I know there will be such parades. Some of my friends got stuck in traffic when the Pride Parades first started in San Francisco and saw deviant behavior right out in the open that they had no desire to see.
The Mormons do have some good attributes. They are strict about the way they live, and everyone in their churches is expected to uphold their teachings and way of life.They believe in large, close- knit, wholesome families, all practicing their religious beliefs together. They shun the “worldly ways” of those outside their church. The young are taught and expected to be pure, and there are good, sensible rules for dating, to help the young uphold chastity. They do many charitable works, and always help one another. They have sessions with dissidents, and discuss matters with them. If the dissident cannot obey their church’s teachings, then the Mormons excommunicate them– but invite them to call to discuss a return to their church, if they ever change their mind. Mormon universities are said to be excellent, and are reputed to uphold Christian morality. They have many high achievers, in all fields.
Mormon spelled backwards is Nomrom. That about says it.
Mormons are expected to strictly tithe. To the point where they must show W-2’s yearly.
If you are not tithing, you are kicked out.
The Mormon “Prophet” has absolute power. You are not allowed to question his decisions.
Mormons decry and forbid gambling, yet own casinos in Las Vegas.
I have met some nice Mormons.
Their church…not so much.
That’s hilarious. I’m a Latter-day Saint (we no longer use the term “Mormon”), and I can assure you we don’t have to show our W-2s nor any other proof of income. Nobody forces us to pay tithing, although it is certainly expected and encouraged. Nor are we forbidden from questioning the prophet’s decisions. “Absolute power”? I don’t know what that would even mean in this context.
I agree that the Latter-day Saint individuals who own casinos are being hypocritical.
One time, many, many years ago, I had a friend in college, a fellow musician, also a devout Catholic. This was before the “gay movement” got going. I had wondered if this friend might decide to enter the seminary someday. Well, one day he asked me to have lunch with him, because he had something important to tell me. So, after we sat down and ordered lunch, I asked him what was on his mind. He was quiet, so I then said, “by any chance, were you going to tell me that you are homosexual? ” He said, “Yes!” I replied, “You love Jesus and Nary, so you’ll just…” [rest of comment unintelligible]
Not sure what happenned eith my comment of 6/10 at 9:36pm. Anyway, long ago, I actually had two friends, both talented music majors, and devout Catholics, active in the Church, who were gay. And both had deep devotions to Mary. In those days, long ago, before the 1960s evils got going, and aggressive LGBT agenda, etc.– people grew up right, and were taught to lead good lives, uphold Christian morality, obey the rules, work hard, sacrifice as needed for God, family, and country, and serve the Church and society, and not focus on oneself. Anyway, both of these talented friends who were gay, came from deeply religious, large Catholic immigrant families, very loving and supportive of them, and of everyone. After graduation, both got great jobs, and were busy, successful, and happy, serving the Church and society, with many friends. Both had lifelong devotions to Our Lady, and were chaste. No time to fret about “being gay,” and no doubt, they are at peace, now, with God, in their final days
At lunch that day, I reassured my friend that as he loved Jesus and Mary, and always encouraged others to pray the Rosary, and if he stayed close to Our Lady and her Son, they would help and guide him, always, and all would be well– don’t worry.
The Moderator should never have printed this mangled comment. No doubt, this comment was deliberately mangled to be printed as “unintelligible,” as a prank to bully and humiliate a disliked Catholic commenter, and promote the Gay Rights Agenda.
I don’t know who you are referring to. It’s so hard to follow conversations here.