Tolerance

It seems as though there has recently been a great deal more publicity given to the church because of the election regarding same-sex marriage policies. And in this time there has been some very negative feelings toward the church from those who are supporting same-sex marriage. I've been trying to follow some of this argument and a few things have stood out to me that I feel are necessary to comment on. First, I do no know all of the motivation behind all of the church's large financial contributions to oppose same-sex marriage. There is some good reading on this topic that can be found through www.lds.org and I recommend reading that. The basis of the church's position is of course the doctrine that God ordained marriage between one man and one woman. The Proclamation to the World on the family that the church released in 1995 is a clear resource regarding church doctrine as it relates to marriage and family. I don't wish to address my own opinion on this matter of whether the church should/should not be giving finincial support to this issue right now. "Tolerance" is an interesting concept. Many have accused the church of being intolerant of homosexual lifestyle and even of their rights. I do not understand this. True it is that the beliefs of many members of the church personally don't reflect the attitude of the church. I find it a shame that church members would be close minded or discriminatory towards those who believe other than what they believe. But it should be made known that the opinion of one member of the church is not the gold standard for the church's stance or doctrine. As a matter of fact, each member of the church has responsibility to understand the doctrines of the gospel for his/herself and apply them to the varying situations of life. As far as same-sex marriage is concerned, the church is clear on what marriage is and is defined as. Civil rights are an entirely different issue entirely. The church has not released statements as to how homosexuals should be taxed, or anything of the kind. That is not the church's agenda at all. The church serves as a vehicle for the gospel of Christ and as such deals with eternal truths, not present day trivialities. In this context I do not believe that any degrading remarks about a lack of "tolerance" of the church are justified. The church has long taught that it is crucial to be kind and have charity towards others who are not of our faith. Charity is at the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If there are members of the church who have not incorporated this attitude into their lives, they may wish to revise their perspective. However, having charity for others, caring about them, and treating them as people with feelings and needs, does not mean that moral transgression has to be welcomed or invited. To me, the church is one of the most tolerant entities I know of. What I do not accept is when people wish to define tolerance as an acceptance of all behavior universally and a lack of any moral or ethical code. Tolerance -- "a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry." The church welcomes individuals into it's congregations freely and teaches to them the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Actions/behavior at odds with church doctrine are tolerated and individuals are to be treated with love and kindness, not slighted, hated, or shunned. I hope that individual members of the church are able to treat others with kindness.