Is This Really the 21st Century?

WARNING: Political/Religious talk below! I have no desire to offend anyone. I'm working through my feelings on a touchy subject.


With the results of Michigan's Republican Primary Election, comes a heavy price for some. Namely, Nathan. Nathan really took some guff in his classroom yesterday from fellow students. Not that I think many of these students had these ideas on their own. It comes from the ignorance, yes, ignorance of their parents. Ignorant usually has a negative connotation and so by my using it, you may see that my patience is on the low side today. Why should my child have to sit through people telling him that his religion and beliefs are stupid and wrong? Why should he have to hear people say that Mitt Romney includes gay people in a grouping with murderers, rapists etc. because he is a Mormon? Of course, Nathan knew that wasn't true, but why this raking over the coals based on religion? I see my kid standing alone, bravely telling the boy who sits across from him, "When you make fun of Mitt Romney's religion, you make fun of my religion." I see myself.

I struggled with this very thing during the time I lived in Massachusetts. On the one hand, my American History teacher singled me out to answer hard questions about Mormonism (i.e. polygamy). It was difficult at the time, because I truly didn't have coherent answers. For instance, while I knew that polygamy had existed, I just accepted it without understanding it. I didn't actually learn and think about it for myself until I reached college. It was hard to have the spotlight put on me. (That's also an issue of my personality. I don't like people looking at me!) In retrospect, I admire what my teacher did. He asked questions instead of spewing out preformed judgments. I have often wished that I had answered or that I had gone back to him when I had a better understanding and given him my answers.

On the other hand, there was a boy who used to call me the "Stormin' Mormon." He knew nothing about me and I'm pretty sure he knew nothing about my faith. I used to pick up the attendance during the seventh hour as a favor for the office and as I walked into this Latin Class, I would be "greeted" by this, I'll use the word again, ignorant student.

On the other hand (wait, there isn't any other hand!), there is the silent type disapproval. People who don't want to associate with us because of our religion. Preconceived ideas (either uninformed or misinformed) and fear are the basis for this, I believe.

It was hard enough to deal with it myself. I have to say it's worse to watch my child going through it. I'm not the type to speak out for myself. As a parent, I've had to learn how to do this; I'm still learning. I've had to figure out how to support my children without bringing my own issues into things. This is something I'm still not very good at.

It's interesting that I've been studying tolerance and acceptance of others religions, political views, and race lately. Surprising! that I'd be presented with so brazen a test of my newly acquired knowledge. What is knowledge without experience? Why can't I have the response of say, Gandhi, as I hear Nathan describing his day to me? I guess it's because I can only go so far with knowledge before I come across something that will give me experience, a test to see if I am worthy of the new light I have received.

(That guy has been down there working on the furnace for a long time, I wonder what this is going to cost me!) Deep breath.

When I found out Romney was running for President, I decided then and there that religion wasn't going to have a bearing for me in this election. I was glad of it when I read a comment written about a news article saying, "Birds of a feather, flock together." I haven't blindly backed any candidate based on gender, race or religion. There are negative strikes in my book for the candidate who made public comments based on religion. If this goes on publicly, what must go on in private?

In preparing myself to discuss religion with my kids in the coming year, I checked out a book on the First Amendment. I'm liking what I read in "The First Amendment: Freedom of Speech, Religion, and the Press" by Leah Farish. Nathan should not have had to experience what he did in class yesterday. There are people who should be ashamed of themselves for the prejudice chewed on, regurgitated and vomited out to the American Public (sorry, that was a little graphic).

I'm going to calm down now. I know that there are others who have suffered far greater and responded far more serenely. I think of Martin Luther King and his followers who we will think of this coming Monday. I think of Jews around the world. I think of Native Americans up and down the American continents. I think of women.

Persecution. Stereotypes. Prejudice. We have such a long way to go! I guess it begins with me. Quitting church to try to avoid it, isn't going to solve anything. Bring on the next test!