Why I believe in “Yes” for Prop 8

First I want to preface this by saying that I don’t mean to offend anyone. No political vote has been won unanimously and so if I am voting contrary to what you feel I hope you do not find personal offense to it. My beliefs are my beliefs. They pertain to my religion, which means that not all my sources will be considered credible to everyone reading this. But my stands on this has not been dictated to me by my church- it is simply what I have decided to believe on and I know that although I was taught by others in my church, I have done my own studying and know for myself that I am not being manipulated by anyone in my beliefs. That doesn’t mean that you have to believe as I do, but I am going to write them as I believe in it, and hopefully people will be able to understand my view, even if they do not agree with it, and hopefully know why it is so important to me. If people want to comment you may. Write things like, I agree, or ask questions if you don’t understand something… Do NOT leave questions if you are trying to start a debate- that is not my purpose in writing it. If you disagree you may state so and if you wish to write something contradictory I suggest leaving a link, do not write it in your comment. My actual beliefs are not up for debate, they are, in a sense, fact, since you cannot tell me that it is not how I feel, but if you wish to show a different view leave a link to something that shows your opinion and your standpoint. I’m not looking for loopholes in my logic- my beliefs won’t change, but if you wish for me to clarify something ask. If you leave a link I will read it, but if it suggests a debate I probably won’t comment on it. If you fail to comply with my wishes on MY note, your comments may be deleted. So be warned to write your opinion elsewhere.

I’m also going to say that I have some quotes from the Bible. I use the King James Version- it was the first one to be translated into English and although some may find it hard to understand, hence the other simplified versions I believe it to be the most correct since it was an original translation, not a translation of a translation (some of you may be aware of what happens in the game of telephone), so I will do my best to explain what the scriptures mean to me. This once again relates to what I believe. If you believe differently that’s fine, but I am stating it as fact because it IS what I believe to be true.

First I want to start with a broad overview of something that may seem impertinent, but I promise to connect it all before I’m through. What makes a nation great? Throughout all of history there have been many great nations. How many have lasted? What has been the cause of their falls? Historians will tell you that it was due to weakness in leadership, geographical weaknesses that made it easy for invasion, economic difficulties, or any number of other things. I believe that there is a different thread that ties, at least most falls of civilizations together. (This is my theory, but it is also my belief- that there is a different reason for at least most falls of civilizations.) I believe that the two greatest sins are murdering and those revolving around chastity, fornication, adultery and yes, even homosexuality. These two things have to do with the giving and taking away of a life. I think most Christians will tell you it is wrong to kill. A lot of Christians also believe it isn’t ethical to clone because you are taking God’s power to create into your own hands. I believe that the way that children are brought into the world is very important and though I will readily admit that no family is perfect, I do believe that every child should have the right to be raised by a mother and a father. There are certain divine qualities, or natural gifts, instincts, roles that are given to both men and women and I believe it takes one of each in a family. Yes I know sometimes there are single parents, due to divorce, death, any number of reasons. I also know many gays and lesbians who are very caring individuals, who would probably do well with children, but there are certain things, no matter how qualified a person is that the child would miss out on. You don’t have to agree with me on this point. I do know that if God had created two males or two females alone we would not be here. He created Adam and Eve, a man and a woman, and that is what I believe to be the divine institution of marriage. No matter who raised you, whether it was a mother and father, a single mom or dad, or even two caring individuals of the same sex, no one would be here if, somewhere along the line there was not a man and a woman. Since this union is how I believe children ought to be brought into the world, (sometimes they are and sometimes they aren’t- this world isn’t perfect) this issue of marriage and how it is defined is also important to me.

Now, to continue on, I believe that you cannot sin in ignorance- “Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression” (Romans 4:15. Other similar scriptures include: Romans 5:13, James 4:17, and 1 John 3:4 which talk about how you need to know to sin, or you sin when you know and don’t follow through). This does not however pertain to the laws of the land, but the laws of God. His laws are not voted on, they are what He says, so don’t mix this up with laws in our land where if they were abolished they wouldn’t be wrong anymore. (If murder was allowed in this country it would still be morally wrong.) But I also believe that you cannot be saved in ignorance. Well, I believe that God doesn’t change- even if society does. So, to me, marriage was originally between a man and a woman and in God’s eyes it will always be defined. Also, God always sent prophets. I believe these prophets were supposed to warn the world- as much as they could, so that they could be saved. But once a people were no longer ignorant they can now sin. This is what happened in the Biblical account of Sodom and Gommorrah.

“And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; … And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night… and they turned in unto him, and entered his house.” (Genesis 19:1-3) So far, some holy men or angels have come to Sodom and Lot invited them to stay at his house, and they did. “But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round… And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them.” (Gen. 19:4-5) So, the men in the city came and surrounded Lot’s house and asked for the angels to come out, and it says, so that they may know them. This may sound harmless to you in our English, but since it is the King’s James version, it was written in the English of the time. In this case, both the Hebrew word it was translated from and the original English use the word ‘know’ in place of a sexual word. To know someone “Biblically” is to have sex with them. And these are men asking to have sex with other men. And Lot said, “I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; …” (Gen. 19:7-8) So Lot tried offering up his daughters, although it would still be a sin, a lesser one to try and persuade them to not commit such an act. I believe Lot thought he had raised his daughters well and that they might be able to persuade them not to commit a sin and also had been taught well enough that they would not allow any sexual sin to be committed with themselves either. Then in the next few verses the people tried to break into Lot’s house. They basically think that Lot has made himself a judge over them and plan to deal with Lot, his daughters and the two men who are staying with Lot. The two angels are able to stop the men but tell Lot and his family to leave. (In the previous chapter the Lord had said that he wouldn’t destroy a city if there were righteous people within it, and so Lot and his righteous family members are now leaving.) Then the city is destroyed, because of the sins of the city which has been manifested in this story. (The complete story continues through verse 29.)

Now you may say, well that is a Biblical account- it’s only pertaining to one belief- one people, one time. Well, here is where other times come into account. We don’t know much about the Xia dynasty in China but we have the writings of the next dynasty. In “The Mandate of Heaven” recorded in the Book of Documents, Yi Yin, an advisor to the first king of the Shang dynasty is giving advice to the new king. He relates things about the previous dynasty and keys of success that had been lacking in the Xia dynasty. “… the former kings of Xia cultivated earnestly their virtue, and then there were no calamities from Heaven…. But their descendant did not follow their example, and great Heaven sent down calamities, employing the agency of our ruler…. The attack on Xia may be traced to the orgies in Ming Tiao.” The original kings of the Xia were virtuous according to this and therefore there was no struggle with power, but then their descendant, the last king of the Xia dynasty had orgies. It is not fact that that was the cause of the fall, but that’s what Yi Yin thought. Then he continues with counsel for the next king starting with discussing three “fashions” which will shortly be explained.

“If you dare to have constant dancing in your palaces, and drunken singing in your chambers,- that is called the fashion of sorcerers; if you dare to set your hearts on wealth and women, and abandon yourselves to wandering about or to the chase,- that is called the fashion of extravagance; if you dare to despise sage words, to resist the loyal and upright, to put far from you the aged and virtuous, and to seek the company of…youths,- that is called the fashion of disorder. Now if a high noble or officer be addicted to one of these three fashions with their ten evil ways, his family will surely come to ruin; if the prince of a country be so addicted, his state will surely come to ruin…. The ways of Heaven are not invariable.”(Andrea p. 25-26)

Yes it might have been biased, but there are facts written in there such as how it said the previous king was known to have orgies and then lists the opinion that the author of this document isn’t sure if that was the cause of the fall. This document also proves that my theory is at least not brand new. That the laws of God or Heaven do not change and that when sexual sins enter into the reigning authority and is there accepted that is when a nation falls.

Then there is Troy. The fall of Troy. Why did Troy fall? Well, you could blame it on the fact that they didn’t have Achilles. You could say that their army wasn’t superior, or even that they fell for the clever ploy of the Trojan horse. But the truth is, why were the armies there in the first place? Paris stole away the wife of Menelaus, Helen. We know it was considered wrong in the eyes of the people there because of Paris’ brother’s reaction when he finds out. We also know that it was soon justified away. Well, this sin is alright because she’s happy, or whatever. Not the best thing to do. Don’t rationalize away your sins. So, in my opinion, why did Troy fall? Because they were not ignorant about adultery being wrong and yet they did it and accepted it legally as ok.

Now, this one I find interesting, although it is not a hundred percent tied to the actual Fall of the Roman Empire, but it does contribute to my theory. Towards the end of the Roman Empire there was the development of the Roman mime within Roman theater. “The Romans enjoyed sexually provocative dramatic material, and the emperor Heliogabalus, in the first part of the third century C.E., is said to have forced mimes to perform actual sexual acts.”(Wilson, p. 81) This was at the beginning of the third century and in 330 it was already clear that the Roman Empire was beginning to fall. You may think- big deal- that happens in Hollywood all the time. But if you remember, actors used to be all male. If sexual acts were being performed on stage, that means that it was homosexuality being publicly accepted and enforced. This was in a nation that had accepted Christianity as their religion, and had scriptures which condemned the practice.

This leads me to Romans 1. This chapter was written as an epistle from the apostle Paul to the Romans and pertains to homosexuality. According to the Bible, the laws have not changed. It is still a sin, just as it was when Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed. I have learned in my history classes that things are not addressed, laws are not made, letters are not written unless there is an issue with it. For example we wouldn’t make a law that said that we can kill aliens from outer space without being punished, unless there were aliens that proved to be or were thought to be dangerous. Well, in Romans chapter one, Paul is writing an epistle, or letter to the people residing in Rome. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed [or showed] it unto them.” (Romans 1:18-19) So the wrath of God comes to those who are unrighteous who have the truth or knowledge of what they’re doing is wrong. Then it goes on,

“Wherefore God also gave them [the people who are sinning and have the truth] up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness….” (Romans 1:24-29)

So to go back and rephrase this, God let these people choose to dishonor their bodies, for He will not take away our agency, even when His laws do not change. It says that they twisted and changed the truth of God into a lie to justify their ways. When it says they worshipped the creature more than the Creator this refers to humans being the creature, as we are a creation of God, and they followed after corrupt ways that man came up with instead of honoring God’s laws and wishes and therefore no longer worshipping God but the creature. It refers to the sins as vile affections, saying that even the women were involved in doing things that are against nature. And when you think about it in nature, males mate with females, not males with other males, or females with other females. It says that men left the natural use of woman- that of reproducing, and instead of mating with females, as nature would suggest they turned to each other. Thus we have men working with men that which is “unseemly” or unnatural or in plain terms- homosexuality is unnatural.

Before I go on I feel I should address something else, kind of a side note to the main topic of this essay. I am declaring in this essay quite bluntly that I believe homosexuality to be a sin and the reason for falls of nations. But I am NOT saying we should be intolerant of these people. Many people would argue that God loves everyone and He does not discriminate. I’ve been told that God is no “respecter of persons”. I agree with them. I KNOW that He loves everyone, regardless of race, upbringing, genealogical ties, or sins. But He does not love the sin. Although some people may have a hard time (we are all humans) with drawing the line between the sin and the sinner, God is perfect. True Christians can stand up for what they believe in, what is sin and what is not, without hating the sinner. I know I am not perfect, but I do not seek to change God’s laws in ways where I fall short, I simply try to do my best, knowing that as I do He will make up the difference. In the Bible there is a story where Jesus is teaching in the temple,

“And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him, But Jesus stopped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (John 8:3-11)

In this story you have a woman who was found to have sinner and was caught in the act. Yet we see that no one is perfect in this story. Jesus at the end says he does not condemn her. He says, “Go and sin no more.” In writing this article I don’t mean to throw any stones at any particular individual, for I am not without sin. But I am trying to stand up for the issue. God doesn’t say, I don’t condemn thee, let’s change the law and make it so that it’s not a sin anymore. He simply does not judge the sinner and still maintains that the sin is a sin. In voting yes for Prop 8 I am saying that I believe it is a sin to marry someone of the same sex. The civil rights have already been granted unto gays and lesbians so that the individual is not discriminated against. Some may feel that voting yes is a discrimination- that is where we would differ. I believe marriage to be ordained of God, and therefore I believe that, that definition should only be implied as God sees fit. If individuals choose to sin, as I see it, that is their choice, but I personally am not going to stand by and watch the sin become legalized.

Now as for the Book of Mormon, which I also believe in, there are scriptures in it prophesying about the promised land- this land- America. How we need to follow God and our country will be strong, until it no longer accepts the principles. In the Book of Mormon it shows us that the Lord gives commandments with promises and when we don’t keep our part the Lord has consequences. This is shown when He says, that inasmuch as they keep the commandments they shall prosper in the land. It talks about this land of America saying,

“Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.”(2 Nephi 1:7)

The Book of Mormon talks about people who lived in America anciently. And it shows people who went astray and were then destroyed. In the book of Ether, the prophet Moroni, the last prophet of the Book of Mormon writes,

“And he [God] had sworn in his wrath unto the brother of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fullness of his wrath should come upon them. And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fullness of his wrath shall some upon them. And the fullness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity. For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fullness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off. And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God- that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fullness come, that ye may not bring down the fullness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done. Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written.” (Ether 2:8-12)

Now, in my personal opinion to throw God’s opinion of marriage out the window simply because society “demands” it is to throw God out of our lives as well. Just as in Romans 1:25 says, “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” In a way implying, we don’t need you anymore- we like society’s view better. I also believe that a nation becomes ripened in iniquity, or that the fullness of iniquity comes when certain things are legalized and legally considered acceptable in a country. And so I will stand for this union of marriage as I think it should be defined.

I am in no way a prophet. But in the Bible it says that you can know a true prophet from a false one by their fruits- meaning by their results. Prophets often give us prophecies, if these are true, then they can be considered a true prophet. I have my own interpretation of certain prophecies and if they are wrong it doesn’t mean that the prophets were false, only that I didn’t understand the prophecies accurately. But I believe that if Prop 8 does not pass it will be the beginning of the end of our country as we know it. I don’t know how long that fall would take and if it does pass, we may never know. But this is the way I see it, and if you thought, from your own personal studies that your nation that you love would fall apart wouldn’t you, no matter who you thought you were offending, stand up for what you believe? Even if you do not agree with me, or think my logic isn’t sane, I hope you can at least see, at the very least, that my concern stems from not only what I feel is right, but what is actually best for all of us. When nations fall there is chaos for everyone and there are usually deaths- I would not wish that on anyone. Yes, this may seem a little extreme, but I believe in God. I believe that this is important to Him, and I believe that if this country wants His help we need to stick to His values and not our own. "Every man lives his life for what he believes. Every woman lives her life for what she believes. Some people believe in little or nothing, but they give their life to that little or nothing. One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it and then it is gone. But to surrender who you are to live without belief, is worse than dying... yes, even worse than dying young."(see Bibliography 5)

Bibliography

(In order of use in the above essay)

1. The Holy Bible: King James Version. Translated under King James’ command. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Salt Lake City; 1979.

2. Andrea, Alfred J. and James Overfield. The Human Record: Sources of Global History. Sixth Edition/Volume 1: To 1700. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston; 2009.

3. Wilson, Edwin and Alvin Goldfarb. Living Theatre: A History. Fourth Edition. McGraw Hill, Boston; 2004.

4. The Book of Mormon. Translated by Joseph Smith. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Salt Lake City; 1981.

5. My mom quoted it from memory and said it was either from Joan de Arc the play or a quote from Joan de Arc when she was about to be burned at the stake. May not be an EXACT quote, but the meaning is still there.