I'm really annoyed right now at (surprise!) BYU.
There was supposed to be a "discussion" on gay marriage on campus this morning. The BYU Democrats (yes, they do exist) and BYU Republicans were going to "discuss" gay marriage (because obviously there is no room for debate on the issue, because a bunch of old, cranky, white men say so). I was excited to attend because this is the first time anything like this has happened here. Two of my friends were even going to be on the panel as pro-gay marriage advocates.
But, of course, in typical BYU fashion, the whole thing has been caught up in bureaucratic red tape.
First, they announce that the event has been "postponed until further notice." This can only mean that BYU won't allow the event to take place in its current form on campus.
Then, on the Facebook event page, they have since changed the name from "Panel Discussion: Homosexuality & Gay Marriage" to the vague and broad "Panel Discussion: Contemporary Issues." This was clearly done in order to appease BYU (cause here, homosexuality and gay marriage are like naughty, four-letter words).
Finally, the group announces that, in order to attend, you MUST be a member of either BYU Democrats or BYU Republicans. I don't know why this annoyed me so much. Maybe because it excludes me from attending, as I am not a member of either group.
This is why BYU annoys me so much. They don't allow anything to happen on campus, unless it fits within their model of a "perfect" school. This happens every year during BYUSA elections. The candidates' platforms have to be approved in advance by the administration. Then, during their tenure, they only do what the administration tells them to do. Sounds a bit autocratic, huh? That's BYU for you.
Heaven forbid that people have different views on life. In my opinion, there is no good argument against gay marriage. Most arguments that I've heard are from a religious standpoint. "It's against God's word." "The Bible condemns it." "Modern revelation blah blah blah." These arguments are no good. When you use these arguments, you are forcing your own religious views on other people, who probably do not believe the way you do. The LDS faith promotes the ability of ALL people to "worship how, where, or what they may" (Articles of Faith, v.11). When you tell someone that they cannot do something based on a religious tenet, you are forcing your own religious views on them, thereby removing their own ability to choose how to live their life.
Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox now.
Why on earth would this piss you off? I mean, it's annoying, but...NEWSFLASH, you go to BUY! I mean, what about the way they run their school would lead you to think they would behave in any other way. You chose to go there, to give them more money in tuition dollars. If you hate how they run it, could you not go somewhere else?
ReplyDelete@Dennis: There is a difference between being annoyed and pissed off. I don't think I ever mentioned anything about being "pissed off." Only annoyed. I may not like how they run things, but that's the way they are. Am I not allowed to express my annoyance at such ridiculous rules?
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, transferring out of BYU is easier said than done. Because it is a private-run institution, 80% of my credits would not transfer to another school. And I apologize for not having the extra money to just start over. Anyway, seeing as I am graduating in two weeks, it probably wouldn't be very prudent on my part.
Oh, and by the way, I go to BYU, not BUY!
Touche on the typo. I never proofread. I just read about people complaining about B-Y-U all the time, but they've been suppressing progressive thought since the institution's founding - nothing new.
ReplyDeleteHa ha, BYU can be so ridiculous. I find it funny. Yeah, BYUMoho, you certainly can be annoyed or even "pissed off" if you choose to about this. Nothing official about BYU says it has to be *this* way. I mean, it is, but things are changing... slowly. Right? Go anyway. How will they know if you're not a member of the club? Get people to go with you.
ReplyDeleteMister Farenheit,
ReplyDeleteI would like to respectfully disagree with some of your comments. In doing so I don't want to come across, or in any way be, judgmental or intolerant. I love my brothers and sisters, including those who suffer from same-gender attraction and opposite-gender attraction. I have a mountain of problems of my own to deal with before I dare judge someone else.
You stated in your opinion that there is no good argument against gay marriage. I believe there are many. The best of them being that God has called a prophet in our day who has taught the importance of following God's plan for our happiness. That plan includes marrying in the temple and having children ("multiply and replenish the earth"). Beyond this there are many logical arguments against gay marriage. I will offer just one:
Religious Freedom - A recent law was passed that requires employers and insurers to pay for contraceptives for workers even if it contravenes an employers' faith. This law takes religious freedom from those who have a certain belief. Here, tolerance for one group takes freedom from another. Recently, a photographer in New Mexico was fined $6,000 by a state court for declining on religious grounds to take photos of a same-sex commitment ceremony. Similarly, in New Jersey the United Methodist Church was investigated and penalized for denying same-sex couples access to a church-owned pavilion for civil-union ceremonies. If this trend continues, I predict the government will one day tell the LDS church and others that it must allow same-sex marriages in the temple or it will lose the privilege to perform legal marriages on grounds of discrimination.