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Stay The Heck Out Of My Self-Determination

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7 Things To STOP Doing To Be Healthier And Happier - Ali McWilliamsAfter watching, and then reading the text of the “Special” press conference from the LDS Church today, I came away a bit confused. What are you saying Brethren… and one Sister?

Are you saying… I should be allowed to refuse to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple based on my religious beliefs but I shouldn’t be able to run my own business and hire the people I want to hire… gay or not? Are you saying, I don’t have to rent my wedding facility to a couple who is gay because of my religious conviction, but I should support a law that forces me to rent an apartment or home to them… and perhaps have them living in my basement? Does it mean I have to have a certain percentage of gays working in my business so not to appear intolerant or mean?

Sorry… you can’t have it both ways.

You can’t endorse legislation that protects LGBT employment, and housing and stand firm on the religious principles that you profess without opening Pandora’s box. States like California, Oregon and New Mexico got caught up in similar anti-discrimination legislation and got more than they bargained for. Simple legislation put a small crack in their systems that has now turned into huge chasms. Little by little LGBT has gained in their agenda through other small legislative laws. Posters in school supporting tolerance of gay relationships (diversity/tolerance) Books on Gay relationships are now in school libraries. (diversity/tolerance) Sharing common bathrooms have passed legislation in California. (diversity/tolerance). The Nondiscrimination laws opened the door to forcing folks to provide services which went against their religious beliefs, and common sense.

Ya just can’t have it both ways…. because, in today’s climate, religious freedom will lose every time… no matter the pleading of Church leaders. Why is the Church asking everyone to support religious rights, then take away my rights to hire whom I want or give housing to whom I want? The Sutherland Institute is claiming that the Church is not endorsing the LGBT legislation. “The Church did not endorse any specific piece of legislation.

Excuse me!  What does this mean then: “It’s for this reason that the Church has publicly favored laws and ordinances that protect LGBT people from discrimination in housing and employment.” (Church Transcript) or “protecting the rights of our LGBT citizens in such areas as housing, employment and public accommodation in hotels, restaurants and transportation—protections which are not available in many parts of the country.” (Church Transcript)

Oh, I see now…“specific” piece of legislation” That word certainly gets them off the hook.

If these are not endorsement statements then what is? And, why was this unprecedented press conference held just a few days after Utah legislators went into session… just to make a “Rights Of Religion” plea? If Religious Freedom was the concern… why did they bring up the LGBT thing at all?

Get Out Of My Life

Government… get out of my life and stop trying to legislate the heck out of us. Laws, Laws, Laws. My right to have my own “Self-Determination” is being eroded away every day by some darn law. My own “Self-Determination” is subjugated by someone else’s “Determination.” My life’s choices are becoming “Other-Determined” by every nit picky law that legislators think it’s their duty to come come up with. We are becoming so dependent on following what others think we should be doing that we will soon have no free-will of our own. A little here and a little there….(Hmmmm… who’s plan is that?)  And, the Church Hierarchy just bought into a little piece of it, AGAIN. They just fell into the clutches of the long term LGBT plan, AGAIN! (First: Boy Scout endorsement for gays.) A little here and a little there and the LGBT will have everything they want, and it may not always be as innocent as housing and employment.

This law may look like a simple thing but I believe it is just the beginning of enacting laws that will encroach in areas that are really morally wrong. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. I hope I’m wrong!

I just want to have the opportunity to hire anyone I want… which allows for MY desire to include gays. I want to have the opportunity to give services to anyone I want…and that includes MY “will” to hire gays. In other words…. I want the right to be a JERK…and I want to have the freedom of choice to be a SAINT…. and reap the consequences of either decision. Come what may.

Be Nice To Each Other

Continually enacting laws that trample on my right of “Free Choice” erodes my “Self-Determination. The “Be Nice To Each Other” laws forced by man, will never work. They never have. Sister Marriott referred to Human Rights. In 1948 the UN established 30 Human Rights. Have they been followed? No! In fact they have been trampled on in all countries, including our own. Actually, most people have no idea what they are. The Human Rights Document covers the very thing the proposed Utah law will be reviewing in the coming weeks, now with Church endorsement. (I guess it wasn’t said well enough the first time.)

Setting up a law or establishing a document does not change the hearts of men. It’s the individual… and his own “Self-Determination” that has the power to honor the Human Rights of all mankind…. long term. We are seeing the crumbling of the (Law) Constitution because of the hearts of men are failing. All law comes with a risk of failure.

I believe that perhaps one of the reasons is that many folks are tired of being told what to do and are rebelling against “Other-Determination”…not only with the issue of the Constitution, but many other laws, both secular and spiritual.

Personally, I believe the Church needs to concentrate on reaching the hearts of men and teaching members of the Church and the peoples of world to recognized their inherent goodness and encourage their self-determination. When the hearts of men are touched… then the Lord’s words:  “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” also called “the ethic of reciprocity,” will make a lasting difference.

In the meantime…if the LDS Church truly believes that same sex activities are against God’s moral code, then they need to stay away from commenting on or endorsing any Babylon “Be Nice To Each Other” laws made by man. It will never work!


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