It has been about a week since the LDS church announced it's new policy on the children of same-sex couples being baptized and the whole world went crazy. Before you close this thinking it is another blog about the policy, it's not, just bear with me while I get to the point.
Here in Utah, where the LDS religion dominates the news has caused quite the stir, I've seen countless posts from both sides about the new policy, one of which generated this blog idea. A friend of mine, a girl that I grew up with and had sleepovers with when I was in elementary school, shared a post by another about being ostracized because they weren't LDS. This girl shared the same sentiment and shared some terrible things she had been told when she was a little girl because she wasn't LDS. I immediately wanted to comment on her post and tell her how sorry I was that she had to deal with that as a child, but then I thought about it and the more I thought the more I couldn't guarantee that I hadn't been one of the mean little kids who said horrible things to her. And that made me incredibly sad. As a child I was a bratty know-it-all, if I knew something you didn't I wasn't afraid to tell you you were wrong, because I had prove that I was smarter than everyone else. And looking back it wouldn't surprise me if I inadvertently said something very hurtful, I really hope I didn't, but I don't know that for sure.
Which brings me to the actual point of this post, we need to be kind and compassionate and tolerant of each other and we need to teach our children the same things and let our actions show them that we mean it.
No two people are the same and that's a good thing, our unique differences are what makes this world a beautiful place. How boring would it be if we were all exactly the same? We shouldn't be teaching our children that being different is bad or that other people aren't as good as us because of religion or race or the car they drive. We shouldn't teach our children to exclude others because they are different or come from a different background or religion or social class or family dynamic than we do, because those are sometimes the people we learn the most from. We aren't born with built-in prejudices or biases towards certain people, those things are taught.
Do you really want to teach your children that they are better than someone else just because you go to church on Sunday and they don't? You can pass on your beliefs and value-system but while doing so also pass on love and compassion. Teach your children that there are people in the world who are different from them, who have different opinions and beliefs but that that doesn't make those people bad or wrong, just different and different is okay. Teach your children to make friends with the kids who are different than them, to share with them and be kind, because how would you feel if the roles were reversed and it was your child being left out or teased or bullied because they are different?
The golden rule still applies here people, "Treat others like you would want to be treated." It's a pretty simple concept that seems to have gotten lost behind the anonymity of the internet where people can hide behind a computer screen and say horrible things without repercussions. Don't help spread hate throughout world, because whether on social media or in person respect, kindness, love, compassion and tolerance are all things we could use a little more of in the world.
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