Why?

Dear George,

Sorry I haven't written in a few days, I don't really have a reason why not. So...sorry about that.

I have a couple of things I wanted to talk to you about and they're strangely related. Why is it that anything or anyone who is different either has to be an outcast or must be completely wrong? And if it's completely wrong then why do some people feel the need to force other people to agree it's wrong?

You know I am having a little trouble fitting in with my training class at work. I am different. I say what I think, I ask questions, I'm careful not to talk bad about people and it makes me unhappy when other people talk about people negatively, I think people should pay attention when your boss is giving you instructions, I don't curse, I don't drink, and probably many other things I can't think of right now, not all of which are good. I know I can be annoying, I admit it. But I try not to be. And everyone annoys someone else at one time or another.

Thing is, being different shouldn't be a bad thing. If everyone is being themselves, and trying to be a good person then differences make life interesting. So why do I feel more and more ostracized each day? Oh, some days are better than others, but it's a very strange feeling.

And frankly I'm not sure I really WANT to fit in anymore. Do I really want to be "part of a group" that excludes people? I'm not sure. I mean, yes they all have redeeming qualities, and yes they are worth trying to get to know. But if they clearly aren't interested in being friends then why on earth should I spend my time and energy on trying to get to know them?

I need to talk to God about it. I haven't been. I have this terrible habit of talking to everyone else about a problem but not talking to God. That's totally backwards...

And that brings me to the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. I was surfing YouTube today...by the way, there's some REALLY weird stuff on YouTube. Search for "ear wax" and see what comes up. Just...it's kindof gross so don't do it while you're eating.

Anyways, I'm surfing YouTube and I come across this video about Mormons. Now you know I'm Mormon, so I read the description and it's an anti-Mormon video. I didn't watch that one because frankly it was really really hateful. But a related video was Bill Moyer (I'll check the spelling later) so I watched that one. Apparently he's an atheist, which is fine. But he felt the need to go on national TV not just once but a few times and talk about how "crazy" the Mormon Church is.

My point tonight isn't that the Mormon Church isn't crazy (but it really isn't, but that's for another time), my point is this. Just because he doesn't agree with LDS beliefs he felt he needed to go on TV and ridicule them, to get a laugh out of the audience or whatever it is he wanted.

I'm not saying he was lying about his opinions about the Church, but they're just that. Opinions. He's entitled to his own opinions, and I would defend his right to have his own views against anyone. But I don't think it is morally or socially acceptable to ridicule a belief that is different than your own.

Listen George, I believe that atheists have it wrong, I believe that God does exist and a LOT of other things about Him that I won't get into right now. I believe that people who do not have a relationship with Heavenly Father are missing out on one of the greatest joys this life has to offer. I believe that they may be facing some really sad consequences after this life is over and I really wish they would make different choices.

BUT I also believe with every fiber of my being that those choices are THEIRS to make. That my responsibility is to make sure they know what options are out there, i.e. The facts as I know them, but that once I have done what I can to explain my position then my responsibility ends. I believe that they have a fundamental right to reject those facts if they choose to do so. And I DO NOT have the right to try and "force" them to "see reason" or ridicule their beliefs, whatever they are. I don't have the right to go and protest outside their holy places, to yell at them, to cast judgement upon them and where I think they'll end up. I don't have the right to look down on them, to think they're stupid or foolish for not believing exactly what I believe. And I certainly don't have the right to tell them they're stupid or foolish.

Furthermore, I don't really WANT to do any of that. The only thing worth spending time on in that regard is trying to lovingly help them IF and ONLY IF they are seeking help. If they're not, if they're clearly not interested, they WHY on EARTH would I want to spend my time and energy making fun of them????

I mean seriously, don't people have better things to do with their time? Why do they get so angry and vitriolic? Why are they so interested in tearing down something that doesn't mean anything to them? It would be like me spending hours and hours making fun of baseball. Baseball doesn't factor into my life, I know it's out there, but I don't care for it so I don't think about it very much.

In fact, if I WERE to spend hours and hours making fun of baseball it would ONLY serve to make baseball a bigger part of my life, thereby defeating my purpose of hating baseball...cause I just bring more baseball into my life...

For the record, I don't hate baseball. But I don't like it either. So it's a non factor.

So what's the gratification? What do people get out of it? My only guess is that it makes people feel superior to other people.

Which in itself is the saddest part. Sadder than anything else, even the most hateful things said about the Church. That people do it to feel superior to other people.

When in my belief, and according to the Church, we're ALL sons and daughters of God.

When you know you're a child of God, it kindof takes away the need to feel superior. If people only knew it, they could move on with their lives and spend their time doing something that brings them joy.

So now I'm not upset with that Bill guy anymore. Now I'm just sad, and not in the making fun of him way of being sad. But in the I kindof want to cry way of being sad.

S