So You Don't Agree, Be Kind Anyway

There is a lot of hubbub about Kate Kelly and her ordain women group that has now led her to be excommunicated from the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints. While I absolutely do not agree with her or the very public actions she has taken, I feel sorrow for what she must be feeling right now. I love the church and I can not imagine what she is going through.  This post is less about how I feel about the ordain women issue and more about the attitudes surrounding it. I feel like in the online world at the very least these issues have raised up a lot of opinions, many of which have been expressed in a very unkind, and even cruel,  way.

On the one side are those who are against Ms. Kelly. I have seen people post things like "serves her right" or "kick her out" and other worse things I will not list here. These things are so un-Christ-like. If you are a member of the church, and you believe her actions to be wrong then simply live your life in accordance with your beliefs. It is fine to disagree with the actions someone takes, but it is certainly not your responsibility nor your right to judge. If you have faith in the teachings of the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day-saints I would ask you to remember that every soul on this earth is a child of God, and treat them as such.

On the other hand many people are using this as a chance to take pot shots at the church and it's members. On one site alone I saw members of the church describes as "sheep" and "cultists". The church itself I have seen described as "power hungry" , "greedy" and "bigoted". All of these things are extremely hurtful. I would cite the golden rule on this one "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." If you have sincere questions about the gospel phrase them in a respectful way and try not to hurt feelings. Most members of the church are more than willing to share their understanding of the gospel. If your aim is to hurt feelings please take note of the golden rule as stated above, turn off your computer, walk away and find something to uplift you right now; Go for a walk or read a good book.

One thing I have seen in my life is that you are never going to persuade someone about religious matters by attacking them. You who are not members of the church are not going to persuade us that it is not true by telling us that what we believe and hold dear to our hearts is a complete lie. Members of the church, you will never be able to convince anyone of your convictions by being hurtful and self-righteous. I guess it boils down to this, so you don't agree, be kind anyway. Kindness is not a trait that belongs solely to one party or another. Be the best human being YOU can be and you may find that you improve the lives of those around you and maybe even your own.