For Those Of Us Who Voted Regarding Gay Marriage

As I sit in Priesthood Executive Committee meeting on Sunday morning, we go over the names of those who are less-active in the ward, the bishop asks about home-teaching efforts to those homes. It is interesting how a few of those who were only less-active a few months ago are now more hostile, and have asked (in noticeably increasing numbers) to have their names removed from the records of the church. I have found that the reason for many of these people is because of the Church's position on gay marriage. I personally find that to be disheartening for a couple of reasons. First, they are so distant spiritually not only from the Church as an institution, but from the Savior's plan of happiness and salvation. Gay marriage is an institution of this world, and cannot, by design or by natural law, be part of God's eternal plan for us. The bottom line always seems to come down to having the selfish, worldly perspective as opposed to the eternal perspective - the two are mutually exclusive. Secondly, and not surprisingly, there is a great correllation between those who go less active and tendencies toward political and social liberalism. Unless they have been offended by someone in the Church, their reasons for not attending are often that the Church is too restrictive, too stuffy, not up with the times, etc, all of which are signs of liberalism. It means to me that these less-active members are trusting the news media rather than the prophet, apostles, and local leaders. Interesting how the two paths of religious conviction and social/political philosophy never really parallel.