An Historically Sad Day.

photo credit: worldcongress.org

Today the Supreme Court of the United States of America handed down its decision striking down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and declaring a lack of standing for the Proposition 8 case in the state of California, which affirmed that marriage is legally recognized as the union of one man and one woman, and I put up a post about left-overs.

I am saddened deeply by the news.  I am sad that the voice of the people of California, given through the legislative process, three times, has been vetoed by the highest judges in our land.  Sad.  I am saddened by the fact that the other side of this argument will not stop their push for their agenda here.  Now that they are legally recognized and sanctioned, they will push to have that position pushed and ratified in the schools and taught to our children.  They will push to have individuals and organizations that do not morally agree with their positions declared as discriminating entities.  It is already happening here in our country.  People are losing their businesses because of their moral beliefs.  Last I checked, we were free in this country to believe. Those who have been shouting for tolerance are becoming the least tolerant of anyone or anything opposing their beliefs and ideals.

A few years ago, when I was looking for a web-site on the World Congress of the Family, I accidentally stumbled upon a LGBT website.  I do not know what the name of it was. I have not tried to find it since.  I cannot tell you where it is.  I do not remember.  But as I was trying to figure out if it was the site I was looking for, I found a list of all of the countries in the world and all of the states in the United States.  In the list, was an accounting of which countries recognized their ideals and to what level, and what agenda they were working on next:  Domestic Partnerships recognized, pushing for recognition of Same-Sex Marriage; Same-sex Marriage recognized, pushing for recognition in the school system; Marriage recognized, working toward adoption rights, etc....  You get the idea.  I was appalled.  I realized this was not a state fight, or a national fight, this was a world fight.  The adversary was attacking this doctrine the world over and he was extremely organized and well-funded.  I realized then that I could not idly sit by and hope that the good people of the world would recognize his lies and the problems it would pose to our society.

I do not exactly have a lot of time to run around shouting 'the sky is falling' to my neighbors and trying to sway the political process.  I am one woman, one busy woman, fighting the fight, down in the trenches, here in my home.  So what can I do??  How can I stand up for my moral beliefs and do my part??  What is my responsibility??  Here are a few ideas:

Teach my children/grandchildren:  I can help my children to understand what is going on in our state and nation.  I can make them aware of the political process.  We discuss both sides of the issue and why we believe the way that we do.  We can give the children things to say in response to pressure from others about their beliefs.  In our home, it is simply, "I believe their choice to marry and act on those desires of their heart are harmful to them and to our society."  That's it.  Surely they will be pressed further, but further discussion will likely result in many disagreements in detail.  Talk to them at their level and understanding.  Our elementary school students have a different level of understanding and development and ability to converse than our middle-school children or those in high school and college.

Vote.  I make sure I vote in every election.  Teach your children to vote.  It is my place to voice my opinion and desire.  (Even when judges in the land feel they can change those votes.)  I still believe in upholding and sustaining the law.  I may not agree and I will do what I can to peacefully help others to know my beliefs and why.

Talk to people in your circles.  Discuss your political beliefs with others, but do so in a peaceful and kind way.  Remember they are just as free to have their own opinions as you want to be to have yours.  So though you may disagree with them, be as courteous to them and respectful of their beliefs as you want them to be of yours.

Blog/Facebook/Tweet:  Use your social media to share your opinion and why.  When addressing others, be kind and considerate.  We can disagree without being disagreeable.  Choose the higher ground and remember that when you teach the truth in love, the Spirit will be your witness.  But when we behave in ways that the Spirit cannot condone, he cannot be there to testify of the truth.

Don't post about left-overs when there are more important things to talk about.

Pray:  Pray for your country.  Pray for your leaders.  Pray for your neighbors.  Pray for yourself, your family, your children.  Pray for strength and courage to stand for truth and righteousness.  Pray always, then listen for the answer, and follow those promptings and feelings.  If we are all working together, we will be stronger.

Tomorrow, is the anniversary of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum.  There is a great article here.

And here is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint's response to today's ruling.