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This is one of my favorite topics so I couldn't pass it up over the weekend. This past Friday at the Sunstone Symposium they had panel called, "Mormon Motherhood: Choice or Destiny?" and it was mostly a discussion on Julie Beck's General Conference talk, "Mothers Who Know." http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700249373,00.html?pg=1 Your "homework assignment" for the weekend is to read this Des. New article about it. Here's one of the responses the article garnered, what do you think about it? On Monday I'll post my thoughts on the whole debacle, including something a little surprising.
I sustain Sister Beck 3:54 p.m. Aug. 8, 2008
Let's get one thing clear here... The LDS church is not a democracy. If you have a problem with the doctine either get over it or leave, it's that simple. The doctrine of the church comes from God, not from men, so who are men (and women) to question the authority and doctrines of God? Come on people! You can argue and 'discuss' all you want, but that will never change the facts or the church's stand on issues. Sister Beck's talk was inspired and would not have been allowed in conference if it was not directly in line with the church's teachings. I find it interesting that a mere 500 women who have taken issue with this talk are getting such media coverage when there are over 5 or 6 million women in the church and the rest of us were uplifted by this talk and grateful to hear it.
Like a waterfall in slow motion, Part One
2 years ago
2 comments:
This topic sure is getting a lot of press between DN and various blogs out there. The majority of the comments left in response to the DN article are incredibly disappointing, but not at all surprising. "Suck it up" and "deal with it" do not respond in any way to the concerns that anyone has over Sis. Beck's talk.
Some other thoughts:
- I highly doubt 5-6 million women heard the talk, and even if they did, I find it highly unlikely that only .01% of them had a problem with it.
- I went back and read the talk, and there's nothing all that offensive in it. That's my point of view. What might be offensive to some, however, is the narrow view that it takes of motherhood. For mothers that don't have a perfect home or that also value a career, what does the talk say to them? Yes, I can see how that would be offensive.
- That Mormons would have an extremely narrow, black or white view on this subject should not come as a surprise to anyone. This is their approach to everything. That said, the talk was very short on the specifics it outlined for what mothers should do or who they should be.
- I love how a number of the comments left in response to the DN article criticized the women who have a problem with the talk as "liberals", "intellectuals", "sophists", etc. This behavior reminds me of the famous words that the Nazi, Hermann Goering, spoke at the Nuremburg trials after WWII:
“Naturally the common people don’t want war. But after all, it is the
leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it’s always a simple matter to drag people along whether it is a democracy or a
fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and for exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every
country.”
The church has been denouncing "intellectuals" and "sophistry" for decades. Look at the end result. I think the same Goering quote can be applied to the church's involvement in the gay marriage issue in California.
- The talk is called "Mothers Who Know". Mothers who know WHAT? Can someone please explain this to me?
I think I've said enough for one comment. Gees...
Mormons don't have a narrow, black-and-white approach to everything. Anybody who says so has a narrow, black-and-white view of Mormons. In fact, Mormons come in a wide array of variations. I myself welcome those who doubt that everything the prophet or any other church leader says is gospel truth. Why? Because all leaders are human and make mistakes, even Julie Beck. It is each member's duty to ponder and pray over what they are told to think, believe or do, not simply to do everything they're told to think, believe or do. If there's such a thing as God and the spirit of God, then each person can be guided individually to make personal and individual decisions. And no decision is more important than what to think, believe or do.
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