Jesus Erases Divisions

I saw this photo on Facebook and had to share it myself. And yes for those who may have trouble seeing it, the man in the center erasing lines is Jesus Christ wearing his crown of thorns. The text after the picture is what I wrote in my original Facebook post alongside this powerful image.

In reading the Four Gospels of the New Testament it's easy to see that Jesus disregarded all social and religious divisions and prejudices. He associated, ate dinner with and attended parties with publicans, tax collectors and other sinners. He allowed himself to be physically touched (appropriately) by prostitutes. He touched the physically unclean and ill even when the Law forbade it. He visited and taught among the Samaritans who were heretics to the Jews. He healed the Romans and claimed that the faith of some Pagans was greater than that of any Jew. Jesus chose from among the dirty and none prestigious to be his Disciples. A woman who had been possessed by many Devils was one of his closest friends (Mary Magdalene). Jesus broke down the barriers between humankind.

Also in the Book of Acts Jesus tells Peter to not call anything He has made unclean. This revelation removed the dietary restrictions (among other things) that had been a part of the Law of Moses and it also removed the limitations on Gentiles who wanted to join the Church of Christ and partake of the Gospel's blessings. Call not anything that God has made unclean; we are the ones drawing lines and creating borders between us, not God.

On Gay Mormons and Apostasy

FYI to all Mormons: There is a difference between Excommunication and Apostasy.

Apostasy is defined as: "a total desertion of or departure from one's religion, principles, party, cause, etc."
Excommunication is defined as: "to cut off from communion with a church or exclude from the sacraments of a church by ecclesiastical sentence." and "to exclude or expel from membership or participation in any group, association, etc."

Being kicked out of the Church for being gay or for being in a gay relationship is one thing. You do not have to be in Apostasy to be excommunicated. All that is needed for excommunication is stubbornness about bad behavior. Apostasy is more like Heresy in other Churches. There is a much lower chance of being allowed to return to the Church in the future if you are labeled an Apostate, and you are the one who is abandoning ALL the principles of the Church and the Gospel. In essence, Excommunication just means you sorely misbehaved, being an Apostate means that you are denying God and turning your back on Him.

There is no justification, none whatsoever, to assume that because a gay man or woman who enters in a same sex marriage is turning their back on God or on the Church. If you believe that to be the truth in any way you have some serious soul searching to do to find out why. What quantifiable evidence do you have to support that theory? Are you believing that it's true simply because someone else told you to? Or have you gone out and worked the street and pounded the concrete or gotten to know any Gay Mormons and what they go through every day? Do you personally know their fears, trials and pains? Do you know why they still are members of the Church despite everything? Do you even care? Gays are not the villains we are made out to be by other human beings on this world. We are not turning our backs on God or the Church, instead, more often than not, we are the ones picking up your slack in the Church or in the Gospel or in Christlike behavior. If you haven't seen what we do or have done lately it's probably because we've already been exhausted and beaten and abused to the point of simply be stunned we're still alive much less caring about the Church.