Obama Stuff

For the past few weeks I've been reading and hearing a lot from the anti-LDS Obama Supporters. People who are offended that an actual member of the LDS church could be an Obama Supporter. I've heard it from family members, during testimony meeting, blogs etc. I felt like it was time I stood up and defended myself and my decision to vote for Obama during this election. I asked Jack to guest post on my blog for this sole purpose.

First of all, the Church has deliberately never endorsed a party and it never will. It is a blatant mistake to think that the church sides with the republicans based on only two issues that Presidents have little to no influence over.

Abortion. President Bush has been "pro-life" as it's called, but because the US constitution is about protecting people's freedoms, he hasn't reduced abortion rates at all. In fact, abortion rates are the highest they've ever been, since the Republicans in power are against sexual education for high school students, which is the number one deterrent of unplanned pregnancies.

As for Senator Obama's thoughts on abortion, here's what he said in the last presidential debate:"The last point I want to make on the issue of abortion. This is an issue that -- look, it divides us. And in some ways, it may be difficult to reconcile the two views. But there surely is some common ground when both those who believe in choice and those who are opposed to abortion can come together and say, we should try to prevent unintended pregnancies by providing appropriate education to our youth, communicating that sexuality is sacred and that they should not be engaged in cavalier activity, and providing options for adoption, and helping single mothers if they want to choose to keep the baby.Those are all things that we put in the Democratic platform for the first time this year, and I think that's where we can find some common ground, because nobody's pro-abortion. I think it's always a tragic situation."

The other reason why many LDS members struggle with the idea of electing a Democratic president is the party's view on gay marriage. They voted for Bush 8 and 4 years ago under his promise to define marriage in the constitution as between a man and a woman. He didn't. In fact, there are more gay marriages taking place in the US than ever before. Here's the problem. The real reason that we think gay marriage is wrong is because our loving, perfect, and all knowing Father in heaven told us so. If you've come up with another reason, it's not God's reason, it's yours, and it's probably crap. That's why the US Supreme court will never outlaw gay marriage.

The premise that many citizens have this faith and so they want their religious beliefs to become the law will never pass in a nation that has separation of church and state. It would be unconstitutional as well as in opposition to the 12th article of faith, in which we are subject to the law. In essence, we can fight against it, but I promise that gay marriage will become more and more prevalent. The responsibility lies with parents to teach their children the values that they believe in.

As Senator Obama said, "But there's one last ingredient that I just want to mention, and that's parents. We can't do it just in the schools. Parents are going to have to show more responsibility. They've got to turn off the TV set, put away the video games, and, finally, start instilling that thirst for knowledge that our children need."

I'm sure it's a surprise to many of you that Barack Obama, a Christian man, has opposed gay marriage. I think you would be hard pressed to convince someone from another country that the Republican party, who favors free markets and large corporations, and ignores the poor, needy and the sick, that they have anything to do with any Christian group.

The reason Jesus made an impact on the whole world during his time on earth is not only because of the atonement. It was because He said things that no one had ever said before. He said that we are our brothers keeper, that we should love our enemies. He said the new commandment was to LOVE ONE ANOTHER! How have we become pro-war and still think of ourselves as Christians? The Republican base has racists and hateful tendencies towards Muslims, yet Jesus Himself was from the middle east.

I'm not saying that the Democrats are innocent by any means. In fact, I think that political parties serve only to divide America. I am saying that to vote Republican based solely on the premise that your are LDS is an opinion formed without thinking. On a side note, I am very disappointed in the LDS people I know who actually endorsed Mitt Romney. This guy was a slime ball. He had the most dishonest campaign of anyone in either party during the primaries. He has no convictions that he'll stick to. For all the complaining that I heard from people about how some Americans wouldn't vote for Romney because he was a Mormon, there is equal hypocrisy in voting for someone merely because he is a Mormon.

I know lot's of LDS people who are dishonest, immoral jerks, and you probably do too. Romney is not excused from that list because of his religion, and I hope that none of you would make that hypocritical mistake.

I'm not telling you that you need to vote for Barack Obama. I'm telling you that God sent us to earth to make choices, and if you vote without thinking and choosing, you're wasting that chance. - Jack Ady October 2008

And there you have it. I am extremely grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who gave me the right to choose. I plan on using that right on November 4th. I hope you will too.