Sunday, November 13, 2011

I'm a Mormon and I'm not voting for Mitt Romney

I'm a Mormon and I'm not voting for Mitt Romney.

I want to focus on secular problems, the problems of this world and help to bring about social justice. I want to put my energies into solving problems like poverty, inequality, and illiteracy. I want equality and justice for all: male and female, black and white, gay and straight. I want transparency from the organizations I buy from, including the organization I tithe to. I want to live in an egalitarian society, not a patriarchy where women are "separate but equal." I want a society where racial and sexual minorities are protected. I want to live in a society where mental health problems are seen as valid as any other physical ailment. I want to live in a democratic society, not one where the wealthiest make decisions that are somehow supposed to reflect the best interests of a fractured society. I want to live in a society where Muslim people are allowed the privilege of worshipping "how, where or what they may" without recluse or hatred.

I believe that the founder of my religion, Joseph Smith, envisioned a Zion and a society that would be egalitarian for both sexes and all races. There are evidences in history to suggest that Joseph Smith had a different view of homosexual sin than we do in our modern church. I take pride in those ideas of Joseph Smith, and hope that with those ideas we can live in a more peaceful society. I believe the founders of our American constitution had a very nuanced belief system of their own Christianity, and wanted others to enjoy the freedom of a personal relationship with God that was free from institutionalized shame.

I'm a liberal, and I'm a Mormon.

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