48. Today I am grateful for religious freedom

Last month, Elder Dallin H. Oaks gave a CES broadcast address titled “Truth and Tolerance”. One of the things he spoke about was religious freedom, a right that is increasingly being threatened. Elder Oaks stated, “Some influential voices even question the extent to which our constitutions should protect the free exercise of religion, including the right to practice and preach religious principles.” He then went on to say, “We must also stand shoulder to shoulder with other believers to preserve and strengthen the freedom to advocate and practice our religious beliefs, whatever they are. “

I strive to understand the religious doctrine and principles of others. I believe that we are all children of God and as such each person deserves to be treated with love and kindness.

In the past couple of days I have seen several postings on facebook linking to a clip of CNN host Anderson Cooper interviewing Robert Jeffress who is known for bashing various religions, most recently calling Mormonism a cult. I wasn’t offended at all by his comments and actually thought the interview was a bit comical. However, I do think it’s sad to see that some people are so misinformed about my religion and also sad that some feel the need to attack other religions. There have also been several follow up articles from non-LDS people supporting the fact that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are indeed Christians.

Here are two that I enjoyed:

Who says Mormons Aren't Christians - By Dean Obeidallah

Friend of Perry is enemy of almost everyone else - By Daniel Ruth