Spiritual Crisis

;)

This semester at school has been a very introspective experience - I challenge anyone to take a semester of courses which include topics such as: Death and Dying, Intro to Biblical Interpretations and Women's Studies and see how much your worldviews stay the same. 

I think these areas of study have created a sort of "spiritual crisis" in my life.  I am developing a greater empathy for anyone who is silenced and ashamed to speak out because they are afraid of not being accepted.  This world is not black and white and there are so many shades of gray that it seems foolish to stand in one corner and say this is the only true way to believe.

I am saddened that we live in a world where people are bullied because of so many things - including gender and sexual orientation.  I found this quote in an article about a Pastor of a church who recently announced his homosexuality after 52-years of silence where he said,  "There are two things in my life that are an absolute," he told his flock. "I did not ask for either one of them; both of them were imposed upon me, I had no control over either of them. One was the call of God on my life ... and the other thing ... was my sexual orientation." 

More of this article can be found at: http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/torn-by-bullying-suicides-mega-church-pastor-jim-swilley-says-hes-gay/19717048. 

Why should anybody feel distanced from God because they are told their sexuality is wrong and sinful?  I know that the church I attend does not embrace homosexuality and even says it is not part of God's plan.  But, yet - there are members of the Mormon church who feel the desire to be true to themselves and still have a loving relationship with their Heavenly Father.  Luckily we have people who are trying to make their voices heard through websites like: http://mormonsformarriage.com/

I pray that my children will know that I will love them no matter what and that they are loving spirit children of a loving creator...IMHO (In My Humble Opinion).