I guess I'll post. I was recently perusing one of my friends blogs. It is a mix of politics, religion, and humor. A far cry from my blog filled with cute pictures of my kids, which I personally love. :) It is quite entertaining. Anyway, this particular post talked about different things, but the main point was that there are a lot of Utah Mormons that make other Utah Mormons look like idiots. I read through the entire thing thinking to myself, "Amen Fish!", "Absolutely", and "Love This". I went on to read the comments and was immediately offended, or more accurately, confused. Let me try to explain. This author is referencing certain comments made by Utah Mormons that are ludicrous. These include, ""I like Barak Hussein Obama because he is hastening the return of my Savior." Another one was "I dislike Barak Obama because he is a Gadianton robber." Do me a favor and go read the post itself. It will all make a lot more sense.
Anyway, if you're in my line of thinking, these comments, whether you like Obama or not, are ridiculous and make us all look misinformed and backwoods. In a comment, someone agreed with everything the author said and then added her own examples of what makes us all look bad. One of them was, "If my son was gay, I wouldn't let his boyfriend come into my house." Okay, I totally get why that sentence was referenced. The other one was, "I love being a stay-at-home mom! Nothing in this world is worth sacrificing my time with my children." Huh? How, on this dear Earth, can that comment be compared to the above comment about Gadianton Robbers?
I'm sorry. I wasn't going to say anything or make a deal out of it, but this is bugging me. I haven't been able to get it off of my mind the last couple of days. Why does that comment make Mormons look bad? I am a Stay-At-Home Mom. I love being one. I don't work, but I have plenty of friends and acquaintances that do. It works for their families. Me staying at home is definitely a sacrifice, but I feel lucky to do it and wouldn't change it for a minute. The point is, it works for MY family. I don't look down on or think badly of anybody in a different situation that works for THEIR family. I am not looking for a Working Mom/Stay-At-Home Mom debate. So my question to anybody who is reading this is, am I being super sensitive? Have I looked too far into this? Did I miss something in this statement that would explain why it is so appalling? Does me being a Stay-At-Home-Mom and loving it make other Mormons look bad? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
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8 comments:
People are CRAZY :) No matter what religion you look at there will always be extremist that make everyone else look like weirdos too. I wouldn't worry too much about it :) *Just my little opinion
As a stay at home mom, myself. I have to agree with you. Just because it works for us does not mean it should work for everyone. I feel very blessed to be at home with my kids. I do wish every Mom could have the opportunity but I know that it does not work for everyone. I do believe some people say things and don't realize how bad it sounds till afterward. What we need to remember about our gospel is... It is a perfect Gospel, ran by imperfect people. We are all human! :) Hope this might help.
What lots of people forget is that stay at home moms aren't just LDS moms. I soon will have my first baby and plan on being a stay at home mom, but i also am trying to find some job that I can do from home. As i've been looking for a home-based job I have learned that there are many many women and men out there trying to be stay at home moms or dads. People want to raise their children and not have to worry about sending them to a daycare or hire a nanny. So I don't think people should say it makes our religion look bad for saying they are sacrificing to be a stay at home mom. We can also always fall back on what the Prophets have adviced. They encourage women to stay at home with their children. And it is a sacrifice, and some people don't have the priveledge to stay home but I think the women that do stay home are awesome!!
I have not yet read the other blog because my 2-year-old is waking up an hour earlier than usual.
Just wanted to say:
Some people are just morons and talk when they have very limited knowledge on the subject. I have friends back East who are NOT LDS, and they stay home with their kids despite their college degrees.
(Depending on how many comments are on the other blog when I get back to it. I may just leave a little piece of my mind.)
I appreciate this post and the one you referenced. I think the point of the post and that persons comment is that such comments make Mormons look extremely closed minded and judgmental which is not what our faith is about. In fact, it is the opposite.
And I don't think the "stay at home mom" comment was a diss on SAHM, but saying that a person who would make a comment such as that is assuming those that do not stay at home don't love their children as much as a SAHM. It could be construed as insensitive and closed minded just as much as the Obama comments. At least that is what I got from it.
That being said, I am so happy and feel so lucky to be able to stay at home (especially after spending last week working 10 hour days). It is an important job even if it can be mundane and thankless.
Thanks everyone. Ali - You have definitely made me see a side that I didn't think about. I think I can understand where that comment is coming from now. It's not that the comment itself, it's the idea that it could be putting down somebody else. I get that. :)
I finally got to the other blog and asked what the intent of the SAHM comment was. Hopefully, it's just what Alifinale suggested, and the original commenter just needs to improve in writing opinions that are properly framed.
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