Dear Ms. Whoopi Goldberg,
I wanted to write and let you know I will no longer support your show or any others you have done. This action saddens me, as I have enjoyed your movies in the past and your commentary on The View. However, in light of the choices you have made regarding attending a protest rally in New York outside a Temple dedicated the Lord. I can no longer in good conscience support any venture you are involved with.
I wonder would you protest outside the Wailing Wall? Would you attend a protest in the inner gardens of the Vatican, while faithful members of that religion were going through on their knees. Would you protest at a Mosque while the members were at prayer? Would you travel to Holy land that was revered by followers of Native Religions and desecrate it? Would you scorn their faith, their belief, their attempts to do the best they can in this world. I suspect the answer is no.
And yet, you have no problem, no qualms about attending a protest outside a temple of my faith. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints attend the temple for many reasons, foremost though, I think, we attend to serve our God and our Savior. We attend to find spiritual guidance. We attend to find comfort in trial. We attend to lay aside the world and refocus our lives on what is of Eternal Value and Eternal Growth. We attend for what I suspect other members of other faiths hope to find in their most faith promoting activities, as they commune with their God.
You did not choose to protest outside the church office buildings. You did not choose to protest outside the headquarters or subsidiaries of "Yes on Prop 8". You chose to protest in front those members only seeking for peace and spirituality. You chose to attempt to take from them what spiritual peace they may have discovered and in the moment of their descent from the mountain as it were to throw them back in to a world of turmoil and anger.
You have a platform. You have a show. A show that is designed to allow you to express your beliefs and your opinions on the topics of the day. You did not need to attend such a rally to air your support. Yet you chose this course. One that can only hurt and betray me, one of your viewers. You of course are free to do so. Just as I am free to no longer support you in any way.
It may interest you to know that "the Mormons" are not the only people who voted against Proposition 8 in California. We were not the only church involved. California for that matter was not the only state to vote against Gay Marriage. Are you protesting all of them. Every race, every religion, every creed? Because we are not the only ones. I know you discussed this topic on your show, but perhaps your attention was otherwise engaged.
However, protest should you feel the need to. Far be it from me to deny anyone their rights to Free Speech or to gather peaceably. You should know that it will not change faithful members of my church. You may not know our history, so forgive if I share it with you. In Missouri the governor of the state signed an expulsion order himself, ordering that either the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would either leave the state immediately or be killed. "Mormon" hunting and harassment became a regular occurrence. It was the dead of winter, many of the Saints were poor, without provisions. They asked for 3 months, to please wait until Spring and they would leave. They were told they had 15 minutes.
They asked for redress for lost land and possessions and for those engaging in the persecution to be brought to justice. They were told to seek the circuit court judge. The same judge who took part in the attacks.
One report was thus:
"I saw one hundred and ninety women and children driven thirty miles across the prairie, with three decrepit men their only in their company, in the month of November, the ground thinly crusted with sleet; and I could easily follow their trail by the blood that flowed from their lacerated feet on the stubble of the burnt prairie." Lymon White
As a side note, you may not be aware that although there were many points of contention between the new "Mormon" settlers and the old settlers, the one that really started the blaze burning was the members of my faith's opposition to slavery. And the fact that they were now becoming a large enough group to impact the voting in the area. Fears were rampant amongst the community at large that the "Mormons" had come to free the slaves and lead them to revolt.
I tell you this not because I do not know you could tell me stories of persecution of your own people, perhaps even more recently than events that have happened to mine. But to illustrate that we will not be moved by threat or force or protest. We will remain committed to the commandments and edicts of our God. You by your actions may have distressed me, but you have not changed me.
How does change come to a church devoted to the service of God? It does not come from such measures. It comes from revelation from our Father in Heaven. It comes through the leadership of our church. And then comes my part, I have opportunity to that same revelation, that same spiritual guidance. And when it is received, I promise you it will be acted upon. Until then, though stones may be cast upon us, be they in the form of words or in actuality, we will remain steadfast and immovable in the service of our God, according to our understanding and our knowledge.
Of course there may be some who falter, or who step away, but the bulk and majority of us will be unchanged by such actions, however saddened they may make us. We have seen worse.
Somehow, I doubt that change of a law can be your ultimate goal. As you did not choose to protest in California or any of the other states where voters stood up against Gay Marriage. You chose to protest in New York. Although I can't believe you lack the resources to attend a rally in a more revelant location. As a side note: It is interesting to me, that you did not see Anti-Gay rallies upon the courts decisions in California and in other places from members of my church. Although the decision of the courts was not one many of us would support. You did not see hateful signs or shouts of violence or demonstrations outside spiritual venues attended by homosexuals or lesbians. We used our free speech and our voting rights, like so many others, and attempted to restore what we believe is the right and moral standard of marriage.
Ultimately, in spite of all this, what I take umbrage to is not your disagreement with me or my church or your public expression of it. You have your free speech just as I have mine. I would not deny it. What offends me deeply is that you would choose to do it in a place that is Holy to me - a place that is Hallowed Ground and Dedicated to the Lord. Did you consider the impact? The hurt? Would you act thusly to any other group or people? Would you take what is holy to them and attempt to trample it?
Because this is what you chose to do to mine.
And thusly, while I can respect your rights to act in such a manner, I cannot and I will not support them.
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