I have grown up in Utah my entire life. I will be the first to admit that Utahns live in a bubble. We have this protective, conservative layer surrounding us and I think we let that inhibit us from seeing what is really beyond our state lines. I truly believe that Utah is one of the greatest states to live in this nation. It is beautiful, clean and the people are relatively friendly. However, I am a minority here. My mom grew up as a member of the LDS church along with the rest of her family. When she was about my age, she left for various reasons. Years later when I was born, I was brought up in the Lutheran religion. I was baptized when I was eight or nine and attended Christ Lutheran School up until the sixth grade. Even though I was born and raised in Utah, I still felt like I didn't fit in. It took me a long time to understand why I was looked at as different and as an outcast. I didn't practice the religion as a majority of my state. It's really hard for me to write about this because I still have family and friends who practice the LDS religion and I don't want to offend or hurt anyone. However, this is my blog and these are my experiences and feelings. I don't see anything genuinely wrong with the Mormon religion, however I feel like extremes are practiced in some cases. I always thought God told us to love one another no matter what the differences. I always thought He told us to be accepting and non-judgemental. That is how I was taught anyways.
When I was younger, it was not as bad as when my sisters were younger or maybe I just didn't notice it as much. There was a prejudice. There were times that I remember when my seven year old sister would come home and say, " She can't come over to our house anymore because we have wine on the counter" or " she can't play with me because we don't go to church and that means we're bad influences". I was judged by the fact that I wore tank tops and two piece swimsuits. I recall a time where I wasn't allowed to go to someone's house unless I changed from shorts to pants and a tank top to a tee shirt. Middle school is a rough time in any child's life. I was transitioning from a private school to a public school for the first time, not to mention it was middle school. It embarrasses me to say, but I would lie and say I was a member of the LDS church just to make friends. I was always in fear that that would prevent me from living a normal life. That is heartbreaking for me to look back on now. Even to this day, when I'm meeting a new person they will ask my name and the second question out of their mouth is " What ward are you in?" or "Are you a member?". Member of what? Why is that the first thing people need to know about me. Unfortunately, its because they are making a judgement of me based upon my religious views. I know there are extreme forms of the case and not everyone apart of the Mormon religion acts this way, but its a striking number that do. I have been pushed away by how many times I have been denied friends or opportunities due to my beliefs.
It makes me sad to see such unacceptance for people's differences. Some of the best people I know don't go to "church" and I don't think different values or beliefs make me or anyone else a "bad" person or any less of a person for that matter. We should teach our children to be accepting of people's differences rather than shunning them and keeping them from having relationships with them. Let us remember that God told us to love thy neighbor and that means tolerance for diversity.
My apologies for the heavy topic, but it had to be said.
XO- Sydney Lauren
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