religion ridiculous.

If you haven't heard about the recent debate about President Boyd K. Packer's talk that he gave during the semiannual LDS General Conference I suggest you look it up. The copy that will come out in the ensign has been edited. I guess the church just can't take the blame for all the damage that they've caused. Just in case you haven't heard or read the talk, here are some key quotes that I found interesting:

1. "There are those today who not only tolerate but advocate voting to change laws that would legalize immorality, as if a vote would somehow alter the designs of God’s laws and nature."

2. "A law against nature would be impossible to enforce. Do you think a vote to repeal the law of gravity would do any good?”

3. "They were pre-set and cannot overcome what they feel are inborn tendencies toward the impure and unnatural,” he said. “Not so! Why would our Heavenly Father do that to anyone? Remember he is our father.”

These quotes were among several in Packer's talk that objected homosexuality as being the "right" or the "pure" thing to do.

What I understand from reading quote #1 is that the leaders of the church not only want the exclusion of homosexuals from their church, they also are saying that it is wrong to advocate the legalization of marriage if you are a member of the church. In other words, if you are a member of the church and you believe that your gay son, friend, brother, sister, cousin, etc. should have the same rights as everyone else, you better be quite about it, because it's contradictory to what you're being taught and to what is right.

Quote number two is relative to the first one. "A law against nature." What exactly does that mean? So what they are saying is that the way homosexuals, or same sex partners, feel towards one another is unnatural? If you ask any gay person, or any straight person who knows anything about same sex attraction, they will tell you that homosexuality is biological; that we are born this way.

If there has ever been anything said so damaging or disheartening from the pulpit as quote #3 I'd be interested to hear it. It is this fact that is, in my opinion, the most misunderstood thing among religious individuals and people who only support "traditional" marriage. Homosexuality is inborn. There is no doubt in my mind that I was born this way. When a straight person grows and develops through childhood, into adolescence, and eventually into adulthood they look at the opposite gender and form attractions to them, and over time they form relationships with others, eventually leading to companionship, marriage, and family. Then when you compare this cycle to the life and feelings of a gay person, you will get the same thing. I grew up a little differently than most, but I never doubted how I felt towards the same sex. It is all anyone wants, gay or straight, to be able to openly show affection for the person you love, and to have the same rights as everyone else.

In addition to everything else, I think the timing for the church to come out and state their opinion on the subject was not thought out well. Right now there are an estimated 132,200 gay members of the church, and most are thinking that what they are feeling is wrong. This is why there has been an increase in suicide among gay members of the church. For the church to know this and still come out saying so many negative things regarding homosexuality is just down right ignorant.

It's fine if the church doesn't allow gays to get married in their temples, but stay out of politics. I thought there was supposed to be a separation between church and state. That has not been the case regarding Proposition 8 and the LDS church. During the Proposition 8 campaign the LDS church helped raise nearly $20 million in favor of traditional marriage. It was the single most expensive, non-presidential campaign ever recorded. Church members were encouraged to donate to the campaign. This just proves that with enough money and power you can make evil happen. Ten percent of every Mormon's income (this does include my parents) goes to doing a lot of good. In addition, it helps to make sure my rights to marry and the rights of every other gay, straight, bisexual, or transgendered person gets stripped away from them.

Watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax96cghOnY4

If gay marriage were to be legalized would the bullying stop? If it were legalized would the hatred and misunderstanding towards the LGBT community stop? If marriage were to be legal between same gender partners I believe a huge amount of bullying would stop among gay teens across the United States. It is the fact that same sex partners can't get married that makes gay people different, isn't it? We need to look at gay, lesbian, bisexual, and Transgendered people as normal if we ever want equality among everyone.