Friday, October 23, 2015

Same Gender Attraction

Same gender attraction is such a sensitive and controversial  topic in today's world. Many are torn between religion, ethics, personal choice and genetics. But how do we know what is acceptable and what is not? In the LDS church we know marriage is between a man and a woman, and we need to need to preserve the traditional marriage and family. But I think this such a complex topic that we can not leave the topic that basic.

Many people argue whether being gay is genetic, or if it outside factors that causes same gender attraction. But in my opinion it doesn't really matter. Yes, we are taught that homosexual feelings should not be acted upon, but I also think God would not want any of His children to be unhappy or in so much pain from the feelings they have. I have from leaders in the church, that before some spirits came to Earth, they knew one of their trials would be having same gender attraction. So whether its personal choice, genetics, or outside factors, that cause these feelings, I think that we were born that way for a reason. And I do admire the people that can remain celibate and following the standards of the church, because their faith is so strong, but I also think it is a harder feeling than many of us do not understand, so we can not judge or blame someone for acting upon their feelings.

Saturday, October 10, 2015

The Culture Around Us

Culture influences many of our thoughts, feelings, and actions. The world in which we live in has many different cultures, some that are accepted, and some that are not. But is it our place to say our culture, in the United States, is better than other cultures around the world? Or even with our culture of being apart of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we have the tendency to think that our culture is better than other cultures. Is this the right thing to do?

In my opinion it is a 50/50 dilemma. On one hand yes, our culture in the United States is better than many others because of the freedom and privileges w have. Or even as a church, we know the Lord's plan, and we know the truth behind the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, I do not think it is right for us to say that we are better as a society, because every society has its problems, and everyone is also a children of God. So we need to focus on ourselves, and keeping the Lord commandments, and not letting the world's culture into our lives.

The world is full of so many negative things, and things that are supposed to be glamorous, or fun. But we need to be firm in out beliefs to keep the standards of our faith. So many people think marriage is unnecessary, or think families are not essential in this life, because of the things that have happened in their lives. The world wants us to believe we are better on our own, and we do not need the basic things, like a family, that our world has focused upon for so long. It is our job to maintain the culture of our church, and represent God the best we can, to show what a powerful thing families and following the Gospel of Jesus Christ can do for one another, and our societies.

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Where Do I Fit In?

Family dynamics are really weird if you think about it. How come kids who are raised by the same parents and have a similar life style, often have so many different personalities and traits? Or why do people say birth order always affects someone's life?

This week in class we talked about how everyone in a family plays a certain role. Are you the trouble maker? The 2nd mom? The peacemaker? Whatever your role is, it has an affect on the rest of the family. It was somewhat hard to see what the roles my family played because we are all adults and more or less living our own lives. We all have very different lifestyles out of my four siblings and I, but I could not really peace together who has what role. But when families are living together under one roof, it is probably easier to see what roles kids will play.

In a few of my other classes I have taken besides family relations have talked about family dynamics and roles as well. Research has shown that oldest children are more likely to be very driven, and career oriented. Middle children are supposed to be the most social and out going. And youngest children are mostly to rebel. So when I thought of this I was wondering, do these statistics change when you don't have three kids? And what are the factors that play into studies like this?

In my opinion I think it is important to recognize your role, and your family member's roles in the family unit because then you can become closer. I think a lot of times people focus on themselves and what they want to be in the family, instead of understanding how to use their talents to better the family as a whole.