The letter titled “Story about Mormon Church Disappointed” was chilling. This is a free country. Everyone is entitled to her point of view, and each person has the right of free speech to express it. If we silence any minority, we all lose out on various points of view, and we become less rich for it. If people are “unapologetic” about their opinions, that is their right.

The writer of the letter has already judged the Mormons as bigoted. She lumps them together with anti-green industrialists, capitalist power mongers and plutocrats. She may have missed seeing her own prejudice.

The only way to be tolerant is to listen to each other. Ask the question, “How did you come to form your opinion?” Be open to what you might hear. Each person must be allowed his or her dignity and treated as a brother or sister. We cannot categorize and dismiss any person because they do not agree with our point of view and thus marginalize them.

In America people are free to form like-minded associations. This is the right of assembly. The Mormons may form an assembly of people who do not approve of same-sex marriage or premarital sex. The author of the letter may form or join an assembly that does and feel supported in her view. This is America. Churches do not have to agree with the state and visa versa. This is freedom of religion.

I do agree that in future pieces about faith communities on Vashon, the articles could go deeper and address the question, “How did your church come to form that teaching or belief?” Then we can be more enlightened about differing perspectives and choose for ourselves what makes the most sense for our lives and perhaps be moved to join one of these assemblies.

 

— Kathryn Myer

 

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