Last time I checked, everyone was entitled to believe in and state their own opinion. Nowhere has it ever been said that everyone needs to agree with and be completely happy with all of the choices that millions of different people, of all different types, who live all over the world, make. Frankly, that would be impossible. There is nothing that every person does exactly the same. That is why this world is so beautiful...there are so many differences between people, and places, and it makes everyone and everything unique and special.
In the song "Every Kinda People" by Micky Green she says, "It takes every kind of people to make what life's about. It takes every kind of people to make the world go round." (didn't know this song until very recently, it's a good one!)
LISTEN TO IT HERE
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UIUWQFS6P0w
Can you imagine just how boring the world would be if we were all exactly the same? People are different, and they always will be. We LOOK different, SOUND different, have different opinions and different ways of doing things... But WHY does that somehow mean that we can't get along?
Recently, with same-sex marriage being legalized in all 50 states, I have seen so many ridiculous arguments on Facebook that completely cross the line between sharing your opinion and just being a downright snob. On BOTH sides.
This breaks my heart. People are actually ending and ruining friendships over this. Personally, I don't think ANY kind of difference of opinion should be worth losing a friend over. OBVIOUSLY if you find a friend whose opinion is "murdering is okay as long as they deserve it" ... Maayyyybbbeeee you should end that friendship. But..... let's not be ridiculous.
Being a Mormon, and having been very involved in musical theatre most of my life, I have a lot of different friends with lots of different opinions and ways of living. I have several friends who mean the WORLD to me who are gay.
Ever since Proposition 8 took place in California in 2008, I have heard people say that "Mormons hate gays", well, honestly, that hurts, because it is just simply not true.
In The Family: A Proclamation to the World, a statement issued in September 1995 by a modern day prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley...
...it reads, "The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan."
So yes, this is what I believe to be true. But, nowhere in this proclamation does it say "hate anyone who believes otherwise", if you don't believe me, read it for yourself.
HERE
https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation?lang=eng
But I am not here to argue my opinion on that topic. The point of this post is very different. I just wish more people knew that you can remain friends with someone who believes or lives differently than you.
I actually had a really great talk about this with my friend the other day ...
SHOUTOUT TO ERIC! COOLEST GUY AROUND
He came out about 2 years ago, and ya know what? I love him to pieces. He is one of my favorite people on this entire planet. We've been friends for about 7 years, and when he came out, nothing about our friendship changed because he is my FRIEND, and I love him. That did not, and should not change based on anything I, or he, believes. Even with this whole controversy, we've remained as close as ever and I don't think that will ever change.
Now I'm not just here to talk about the same-sex controversy. This also has to do with religion, race, sexism, or any kind of politics. Honestly, I could not possibly care less about your political views, religion, race, or the gender you are attracted to. If you're a good person, I'll love you for who you are.
It should be this way for everyone. So let's just stop with the hate.
There is a difference between standing up for what you believe in and making snarky comments on a Facebook post. There is a difference between sharing your opinion and bashing someone else's. Saying "I AM RIGHT THERE IS NO OTHER WAY!" is just not an appropriate response to someone's opinion. There is a difference between a conversation and an argument. There is a difference between LOVE, and hate.
We, every single one of us, are children of a loving Heavenly Father...
WATCH THIS CUTE VIDEO THAT SAYS SO
https://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#i-am-a-child-of-god
So let's act that way.
Let's all do what we were taught and love one another, no matter what opinions they have. Treat others how you want to be treated. That's what we have been asked to do.
-A Fed-Up Mormon Girl
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