I am not one to criticize others for their beliefs. I respect what others believe and encourage people to practice what they believe in. I do not understand why those who do not believe what I do can not respect my beliefs. Why should I be criticized for my convictions that the family is sacred, and it should be between one man and one woman? Why should I be criticized for my Pro-Life stance on abortion? Why should I be criticized for my belief in God? In a world where being "open-minded" is considered a virtue, then why can't others open their minds to what I believe? Why must I be "small-minded"?
We live in a society that does not want to accept responsibility. People want to have it all without putting in the time, hence the mortgage and credit crisis. People want to have sex but not children, hence the "choice" issue. Heck, a lot of people want money but not to work, hence welfare. Understand that I understand, people buy homes with a steady income but have to foreclose due to bad luck, or a lost job. Some women must abort a child (in rare occasions) to save their own lives. Some people really can't work, and they need some help getting back on their feet. I understand these things, but fact of the matter is the people that fall under this category are few in comparison with those who try to corrupt the system.
We live in a society that does not want to accept responsibility. People want to have it all without putting in the time, hence the mortgage and credit crisis. People want to have sex but not children, hence the "choice" issue. Heck, a lot of people want money but not to work, hence welfare. Understand that I understand, people buy homes with a steady income but have to foreclose due to bad luck, or a lost job. Some women must abort a child (in rare occasions) to save their own lives. Some people really can't work, and they need some help getting back on their feet. I understand these things, but fact of the matter is the people that fall under this category are few in comparison with those who try to corrupt the system.
This brings me to my next point. Since we are a nation that has adopted this mind-set, we are also a nation that has increasingly turned against God. Is it any wonder that while the Adult population of the United States grew by 18.5%(175,440,000 to 207,980,000) between 1990-2001 Christianity only grew 5.3% (151,496,000 to 159,506,000) and those who wish not to affiliate themselves with any church (i.e. atheist, humanist, non-religious etc.) went from 14,331,000 to 29,481,000 (105% increase). (Census.gov) I wish they had a more recent poll on Religion, being that it feels like more and more people are turning against God. But there is a definite trend.
Point made about religion, why am I "small-minded" for opposing same-sex marriage. I have read articles of the intolerance against the churches, Mormons being the main target. It is, of course, not just the Mormons being attacked, but Catholics and all other Christians who dare take a stand for the definition of marriage. What has the Christian community done to be accused of such hate? How am I intolerant? Have I spray painted on the sacred structures of the gays? Have I stood outside their buildings in an attempt to intimidate them? Have I ever black-listed a gay-owned business? I have not. I am not intolerant of gays. Queen and Elton John are amongst my favorite music (Elton John BTW has some interesting things to say about prop 8). I am not opposed to a civil-union. But marriage is a sacred thing to me. Family is a sacred thing to me. As a Mormon, I believe that I can live with my family forever. This is part of God's plan for us. I strive to hold true to my values in order to remain worthy of my wife, Rebekah. The reason I oppose same-sex marriage is because it is counter-productive to the family unit, it is against the will of God, and it is a perversion of what marriage is suppose to be. Why am I "small-minded" for wanting to maintain marriage the way it was meant to be from the beginning?
Why am I "small-minded" for being pro-life? The way "pro-life" rolls off the tongue is nice. It just sounds right. It says, "I like life". I don't even know what "pro-choice" is really suppose to mean. What are you choosing? Why not just say, "I am pro-abortion". I know why you wouldn't. Noone will ever really admit why they wouldn't, all I'd ever hear is, "I don't like abortion, but I think women should get to choose for themselves." But I know why. It is because every time you said, "I am pro-abortion", you couldn't help but cringe a little by your own words. So "choice" sounds a little better. Anyway, back to original question. Why am I "small-minded" for protecting the child in the womb? Maybe I feel like young women could do better than many want to believe. I know that liberals would have you believe that young girls who got pregnant simply can not handle the responsibility of a child, that the child would be better off aborted! How much sense does that make? "Well, you should just get an abortion because you can not care for your unborn child". Not if I'm gonna kill it I can't! SHEESH!!! Let us show some faith in these young women. Yeah, they've made a mistake, but why do we make excuses for them? They can do it! And if they can't somebody else can. There are people who want to have children but can't. They can take in these children. Lets say a child never gets adopted, lets say they remained an orphan their whole childhood. This is better than the alternative of no childhood. I would invite you to go to thirdworldorphans.org to see what some orphans have done. So fine, if believing that a young woman is capable of raising a child, or at least finding a home for the child is "small-minded" then so be it.
Why am I "small-minded" for believing in God? I understand that the majority of the U.S. believes in God, but it is becoming a popular belief that God is illogical, that if you really opened your mind you would see that. Many atheists, humanists, and agnostics would have you think that Christians need to question more, that Christians follow blindly. And why do they think this? It is because they live lives of fear. It is not a difficult thing to conclude the existence of God. One needs only to look around them and witness the miracles brought by some superior being. But fear can cloud that. They can not understand Christ's teachings that fear is not of him but of the devil, because they are blinded by the very fear that clouds their view. Satan would have us doubt, he would have us not believe that even he exists. Many can not believe in Christ because Christ's teaching were spiritual things, and not earthly things. The worldly man can not understand the things of a spiritual man. Its like trying to open up a Word document in Excel. So yes, if I am "small-minded" for not listening to my fears and doubts more than my reason and very soul, then I am "small-minded".
Perhaps it is good for us to be "small-minded". In a world where "open-mindedness" results in a deterioration of morality, where one lives off his neighbor, where a man can marry a man and a woman can marry a woman, where an unborn child's life is left to others, and where good has become bad a bad has become good, then perhaps we should close our minds to those things. While I may be "small-minded" to those things I know to be innately wrong, I will never close my mind to those things I know to be right.
Perhaps it is good for us to be "small-minded". In a world where "open-mindedness" results in a deterioration of morality, where one lives off his neighbor, where a man can marry a man and a woman can marry a woman, where an unborn child's life is left to others, and where good has become bad a bad has become good, then perhaps we should close our minds to those things. While I may be "small-minded" to those things I know to be innately wrong, I will never close my mind to those things I know to be right.
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