Pants Pants Pants Pants Pants

Hmm. My heart hurts over how people have acted to this "Mormon Women Wear Pants to Church Day." When I first heard about it via some innocuous comments on facebook I just thought the issue was really about PANTS.

Well, after reading NUMEROUS articles by the founders of the movement, I can tell you, this is definitely NOT about pants.

Its about women banding together. Women, who may feel uncomfortable during church when someone makes a flippant comment about "those feminist nazis" and making them feel comfortable. Its about welcoming and encouraging women, and men who feel they don't belong because they don't have the same ideas as a lot of their more comfortable, conservative sisters.

And it KILLS me, honestly, truly a little piece of me dies, when I see people violently and harshly attacking these women who feel different.

Is it because I'm one of them damn femi-nazis? Maybe. But I'm not gay, and I still cry whenever I see gay bashing.

So I'm asking for people to stop saying how "silly," and "stupid," all of this is, because to a lot of people it ISN'T silly or stupid. It really matters to them.

It can be hard to understand something when you have never experienced it. I understand that. But just because you don't understand it, doesn't make this feeling any less valid.

I also understand that people don't agree with making a statement during sacrament meeting. I can understand that. But this isn't going up to the podium, pushing the bishop aside and screaming "REVOLT! REVOLT!" It's just wearing pants. It's just saying, "hey, you're not alone. You're not crazy. Welcome to church."

One man recently expressed his being gay as a thorn in his side. And that everyone at church has a thorn in their side. So why judge each other's thorns when EVERYONE has them?

So lets tie those thorns into making a statement in Sacrament meeting. A lot of people have said, church is not the venue to bring up these issues. But I wholeheartedly disagree. When Christ came to the Nephites in the Americas, before instituting the sacrament among them, he gathered their sick and he healed them.

The sacrament is the atonement at work. So what is so wrong with bringing your thorns to church and asking Christ to heal you? Isn't that what going to church is all about?

I know a LOT of people will disagree with me. Please, spare me and yourself the time of bearing your testimony of how wrong I am. I can promise you that will get you nowhere.

Just remember that Christ loved/loves everyone. He healed/heals the sick and brokenhearted. All I ask is that you don't become a stumbling block to that healing. Love and respect each other's differences.

Kumbaya.