Rebecca's Blog

I feel like I don’t have any rights to worship! I feel singled out — and I’m worried because I’m “the Mormon girl” at work.

Are they going to close the temple now?

And the proposition passed!

Natalie

Signs of the Times!!!!

it is kinda scary!!!!

I agree with Miss Pickle! We are in the last days!

Absolutely nothing here that says that the one prop 8 supporting girl didn’t start the fight. Sure, graffiti is too much and crosses the line(signs you can just take down when the protest is over anyway so that’s not really a big deal).

*Sigh* This is why I am not a fan of church involvement in this; because it restricts freedom of religion (some christian churches do allow gay marriage). This is why we are facing a backlash, because Proposition 8 is discrmination.

But it also doesn’t say that the Prop 8 Supporter – Girl did start the fight. We simply don’t know EVERYTHING that happened, but what we do know is that it’s all getting out of hand.

I feel it’s very hypocritical of this No on 8 crowd to fight what they feel is “h8te” with hate.

Troubling times Rebecca. We are so praying for you all. This is just around the corner for us all.

Common etiquette rule of protests. Counter-protesters should stay a distance away from the protesters so that that sort of thing doesn’t happen.

Andy:

Is it wrong to protect property of the Church? Are you saying that if someone were protesting your house of worship and they spray painted your Church and placed hate signs (i.e. I recall back to the Nazi sign being placed on Jewish Homes…), that we should just sit back and let it happen?

Natalie, fear not. The voice of the gay community is so loud that it can seem stronger than it really is. There is no strength in wickedness. Also, remember that — depending on the size of the company you work for (and it’s location) — approximately 52.5% of your co-workers stood with you and with Christ in this matter.

In His words, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world [and accepted sin under the guise of tolerance as the world does], the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world [standing for moral purity and defending marriage]…therefore the world hateth you.
“…The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
“But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me [God the Father].
“If I had not come and spoken unto them [or if you had not preached against their wickedness], they had not had sin [i.e. they could carry on with life never having to face up to their conscience]: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
“He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
“If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, [stand up to protect marriage when no one else would] they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father [and you].”

And finally — and how’s this for equality — we are all sinners and we are all equally invited to repent and come unto Christ. Just because I might be a serial killer, does not make it my right, in the name of equality, to murder.

So why are 47.5% of Californians confusing the issue of protecting marriage with that of gay rights [both causes I will stand up to protect]?

“Then said [the Pharisees] to [Jesus], We be not born of fornication [our lifestyle is no sin!]; we have one Father, even God [We are good Christians!].
“Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God…He sent me.
“Why do ye not understand my speech? …[because] Ye are of YOUR father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. [You are used to hearing lies]
“And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.”

The people of the Lord’s day could not see that Jehova himself was sitting before them; teaching them. They could not see it because they were blinded by the wicked tradition of their fathers.

The night before the election, I stood at a “YES on 8″ rally next to a “NO on 8″ supporter. I told him, “If the gay community were truly fighting for their rights we would both be holding the same sign. I would fight to defend your rights.”

But rather than negotiating — coming to a win/win where the definition of marriage and religious freedom remains in tact while civil unions could be granted rights they do not now enjoy.

Further, the “NO” crowd has a good point: How is it that marriage can be treated so lightly by many (thinking of the 50% or so divorce statistic) and still maintain it’s governmental rights and protections. I agree! Marriages that have suffered infidelity should lose tax rights, visitation, etc for a period of time (at least a year, maybe five). If marriage is so sacred and deserving of rights, one must earn them. Of course, the same must hold for civil unions if they wish to obtain the same rights.

So, the only question left, is when will the gay community stop fighting the wrong fight — to crush the religious freedoms and force “gay marriage or lawsuit” on religions that don’t perform them — and start fighting for their rights. Had they put a proposition of their own on the ballot and tried for a win/win negotiation, I believe that this election would have seen gays receiving the very rights they claim to be fighting for. And that would have saved both sides ~$60 million (of course, I estimate that with all of the free press gay protesters have given the Church in recent days, members of the Church have long since recouped their investment in the campaign).

Thanks for paying your tithing, Adam and Steve!

I’m so sorry this has turned ugly for the church. No one deserves to feel afraid to worship or be who they want to be.

I understand the anger from the gay community as well, but defacing property and dealing with things the way they have in such an agry way only creates more problems for their fight. What ever happened to peaceful protests?

Mormons are strong people and have been persecuted before. You guys will get through this time too.

The important thing is to not let allow any hatred or resentment into your hearts either and be the better people. I know its hard but I think if Jesus were here it would be what he would do don’t you think?

My thoughts and prayers are with you. Rebecca and Clark stay safe!!

Christine:

Thank you so much Christine. I really appreciate your peaceful response.

Wow! I can’t believe this! Just wow!
It’s just going to get worse. Do you think the end is near?

White male Mormon here who saw the whole fight between the Tongans and the protesters. I was also trying to pull down signs, too, outside the Mormon Temple in Westwood. The protesters would not get out of my face. To be honest, I should have not gone down there with all of those No on 8 people there. That was stupid of me. Sadly, those Tongans did start the fight. They were pushing their faces into a group of women who were holding their signs. These women did not do anything to deserve what happened to them. I am Mormon, but I am appalled by what these Tongans did. A fight didn’t break out. The Tongans started throwing punches. That white woman disappeared into the circle of Tongans who were attacking her. The Tongans made our temple look bad. Please don’t defend what they did. We are not those kind of people. I am all for prop 8, and marriage should be between one man and one woman as our temple teaches, but we Mormons are not abut violence. Many people have been angry with our people since the attacks. Let us distance ourselves from the violent Togans.

Anonymous:

Thank you for your comment. Good to know from someone who was there.

I’m sure you didn’t intend your phrase to come across as declaring all Tongans to be violent. Let us be a little more careful in how me create our phrases (I am including myself). I know several Tongans who are not violent. They are beautiful, loyal and amazing People.

These select few from the Tongan group of People who were there – who engaged in physical action – who knows what words were exchanged between these two groups. Not to defend what they did (throwing punches was a bad choice to make).

Again, thank you for sharing your point of view from what happened down there.

The ‘Mormon’ Church does not approve of violence or creating contention.

I apologize, John here again. Yes, I was referring to this particular group of Mormons. I did not mean Tongans as a whole. I completely agree with you since I personally am best friends with a Mormon Tongan. They are beautiful people with big hearts.

I was at a three arm’ss lengths away when the argument broke out. If it would really make a difference, I can recall most of what was said. From what I have gathered, the protesters were telling the Tongans to get out of their faces. This Morman Tongan girl with sun glasses and an older Tongan woman were yelling profanity and slurs because the two women protesters asked what right they have to tell them who they can marry. That is when the already angry group of Tongans picked on the smaller group of protesters. The white woman was telling them to stop and get out of their faces. This particular Tongan group kept on by accosting them. I am trying to tell as many people as possible because I think the truth is important.

I love our Mormon Temple and I am proud of our community. Even though we are being ridiculed, we should take the higher road. This is the way of God. In the end, we can look back and say we stood by God’s word peacefully yet firmly.

Thank you Rebecca for listening.

I viewed the video of the talk from 1978, about the things that we would face in this country.
I’m only 18 but I’m well-aware of what’s going on, I don’t even have to watch the news or view every news link, I know about plenty of this controversies over this issue.

It saddens me that the Tongan women were cursing, or if it was just the one, it does make our church look bad, seeing that we have been asked to not be violent or hateful.

This is one of the issues that has been brought up that I am very passionate about. I am friends with people who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual, and they are great people whom I love but I do not support or agree with their lifestyle choice. I don’t think it’s bigotry to point out how I feel, or what I agree with, whether it be due to my religious upbringing or personal idea(s).

I voted Yes on Prop 8 and many of my friends voted against prop 8 or didn’t vote on the issue at all; this proposition was on the definition of marriage. If it had not passed, there would have been other issues brought to the courts, the state.

Many of my friends also voted for Obama, and I never told them they were stupid. I never said anything hateful to them at all; when they asked me why I didn’t vote for a man who wanted “change,” I said that many of the changes he was planning to make were against my morals, so why would I elect a man I know will allow certain issues to be okay? (abortion, mainly) I looked into the issues, unlike many of my friends, and did the research. McCain simply supported things I believed in, and I didn’t like him very much either.

I’m getting off-subject, but my point that I wanted to make is that we (Christians) knew that these days would come, our prophets (or leaders..) have been telling us about them for many years, so it is not to be a surprise. We are using our religious freedoms to vote on issues, and support certain sides of the argument.

This whole LA Temple thing has really saddened me, and only made me think of one of the last things Jesus said: “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.”
I know I probably worded that wrong, but that’s the basics of his statement. He was never judgmental, never criticizing, and I only hope I can become more like Him. I pray for all of those Christians who are being attacked because of their beliefs.
I could write for forever on this, but if you wish to contact me, I guess you could reply to this comment, and I’ll keep checking on the site.

Thanks for listening