As I sat in seminary yesterday waiting to get started, my seminary teacher walked to the front of the room and said "Well, have you guys noticed we've been in the news a lot lately?" Everyone just kinda chuckled and said "aren't we always in the news since Prop 8 happened?" Funny funny. Well..I've got a few things to say about Big Love myself.
1) No matter what anyone says it DOES show disrespect. This ceremony is something that not even I (or any youth of the church) are allowed to witness until we reach an age where we obtain the proper understanding of the scriptures and of what goes on during the ceremony. Furthermore, the fact the Big Love needed to hire an "x-mormon" to get the information they needed proves they don't have respect for the LDS church because they knew the church would NOT approve of publicizing this information and therefore would not disclose it. Even though they knew the church didn't want this publicized, they went ahead and found a way to air it anyway.
2) It really frustrates me that Big Love seems to mix the two ideas of being a member of the LDS church and affiliation with polygamy. Members of the church do not (and have not for hundreds of years) practice polygamy. A man who did would not be allowed to enter within the walls of our father in Heaven's house and perform the sacred ceremony that Big Love plans to expose this Sunday.
3)While I do believe all the things I've said, I do have to try and see it from others perspectives. Something that really comes up in my mind is those who may have been "victimized" by the support of Proposition 8. I know that the church didn't target anyone in supporting traditional marriage, but I also know that anyone who feels as if prop 8 is trying to tell them they can't enter in marriage because of their gender could very well feel victimized by anyone who supports it. In a way, all they're asking for is for people to respect what they hold personal to them and to have the decency to let them do as they please and get married. While we may not agree with it or understand it they want US to show them that respect. Is this not similar to what we ask? Outsiders will not understand the sacredness of the temple ceremony and obviously may not ever choose to participate in it. They may not think it's a big deal to expose the it and that the LDS church is just blowing things out of proportion. Yet, we feel--Because it is so sacred to use-- that they should show us the respect and decency to keep the temple ceremony private.
Tom Hanks (executive producer of the show) recently spoke against the LDS church because of it's support on proposition 8 and then apologized. I wonder if this episode is a producer trying to make a point. Even if it wasn't intentional, I can't help but notice the connection and similarities in situation. I have never witnessed a temple ceremony, so I do not fully understand what will be aired on Sunday and that may make it easier for me to see other people's side of the story, but either way, the similarities are there and visible to all. Some may argue that the temple ceremony is of God and sacred whereas gay marriage is just a feeling that doesn't necessarily need to be acted upon. But just as real as the temple ceremony is to us, the love one person has for another person is real to them. Can you see how someone who has no belief in the church may look at the ceremony with the same eyes that the church may see someone hoping to legalize gay marriage?
Just something to think about
Peace out chubs :D
