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Sooo...I've been reminded that I've been neglecting my bloggie. Oops!
The last few weeks have been interesting. After several requests, I started a thread on Ravelry about Mormonism. I was a tad hesitant, considering that the last several times my religion came up, it became a pulpit at which to scream for weeks about how "Mormons aren't Christian," or to compare the terror of Mormonism to a neighbor who skins cats. Yes, I'm serious. In comparison, the sermon about how "ridiculous" we are seems pretty tame.
Perhaps you can understand my trepidation. But, really, it's turned out pretty well. People have been curious, but not argumentative (much), and though some people still find our beliefs peculiar, those same people seem to respect them for what they are, and appreciate a further explanation. It's even more interesting to me to hear comments like, "I was raised to believe that Mormonism was a cult--it's so obvious to me now that you're not. And that you worship Christ." Well, thank goodness for that! I guess I'd never really realized how many people had been taught that we're a cult. It makes me a little sad, but I'm pleased that some good has come of these discussions. I'd just expected to answer questions about whether we're polygamists, or whether we have horns. (No, and yes. Um, I mean no! Hee.)
In knitting news, I finally finished Martha for Mom! It was a *lovely* finished sweater. I was really nervous to hand it over to my picky, picky mother, but it went over well! She even WEARS it! Woohoo!
Since, I've made a Clapotis, finished off my Felted Clogs, and started a Plain Vanilla Pullover and a Simple Knitted Bodice in the BMFA MilkyWay I bought at Fiber Fest. It's going to be reeeeally pretty!
Oh! And the CESOB girls had a stitch-marker swap! Oh my gosh--I'm a stitch marker makin' fool! It's so quick and fun, and I really enjoyed it. My only failing is that I'm not terribly ingenious when it comes to bead/color combinations. Some of the girls made really beautiful stuff...mine was just sort of pedestrian. But anyway, we each made six sets of markers and swapped, so I got six lovely sets (and a pair of earrings!) from all over the country. So fun! Thanks again, girls!
I've been thinking a lot, lately, about what it means to be "in the minority." I'm white, so, you know, obviously I'm in the majority on the race issue. I'm a woman, which isn't a minority in this country. But, sure, there are oppression issues there. I've been incredibly lucky not to have been the brunt of them, though. At least, not to my knowledge. Career-wise, I was actually the most highly paid writer and editor in the company for which I worked. The men didn't do so well in that area of the company--they were pretty lazy. The company before that? All women. In high school, I worked retail, in fabric stores and at Hallmark, and one time at a retail grocery store, but my Dad worked in the office, and I know I got a comparable wage.
OK, so I've personally never dealt with sexism, at least not in the workplace. (Ha! Well, not sexism related to pay...we won't go into the coworker who flashed me.) So, what other prejudices might I deal with?
Well, religion, it turns out, can be a big one. Never has been for me before. I grew up in a community that's got a large LDS population (I'd guess around 20%), and though most of my friends in high school were not Mormon, most of my friends (in town) now are. I'm surrounded by people who believe the same things I do. And my friends who don't at all share my beliefs? They don't really seem to care. We respect one another for the loving, intelligent people we all are. Why should anything else matter?
Interestingly, apparently it does. I've found that there are, indeed, some in this world who loftily claim to "accept all, regardless of their views," who just can't seem to do it.
To be clear, I've never made any such claim. I'll be honest with you and tell you that it's my goal to try. I'll tell you that I believe it's not my place to judge. And that I know I should love everyone. But some people really do make it so danged hard!
That said, I do still try. I'm not proud of my weaknesses. But I do also believe that no matter how much I love someone, there's still such a thing as right and wrong. I know that the trend continues toward "anything goes," and that my definition of right and wrong isn't the same as everyone else's. But I stand by it, and I'll continue to defend it...at least, until the conversation becomes completely ugly and unproductive. It's happened on more than one occasion, recently.
I'm alright, frankly, with the idea that some people just won't like me. I just want them to stop avoiding the fact that when it's because of my religious beliefs, it's bigotry, just the same.
