Religion

Religion is one of those topics, like politics, that people say you should avoid discussing.

I grew up going to church every Sunday as a Lutheran. It was central to my identity. I was baptized in Libby, Montana. In the third grade, I went to the Lutheran School across from my church on the same street as my house at 1120 Montana Avenue. When we moved to Salem, Oregon, I was confirmed at Grace Lutheran. Then we moved to Keizer and I went to Luther League at Faith Lutheran on North River Road. My days of being a Lutheran stopped when I visited my church in Montana when I was in college. The minister said that only those people in that particular congregation was going to be saved. I knew that wasn't true so I went searching.

I started to go to the silent Quaker meetings at the suggestion of my history professor at Oregon College of Education, Dr. Kenneth Holmes.

When I married my husband in 1972 and he told me he was Jewish, the first words out of my mouth were, "Oh, I love Jerry Lewis!" I had learned in Sunday School that Jews were God's chosen people. They are the BEST! They are the ones that God loves best.

My husband and I couldn't find common ground and a religious home. I was told that I couldn't belong to the synagogue because I wasn't born a Jew, and he was told that he couldn't be a Lutheran because he asked too many questions.

Years later in 1995, we joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We put our whole hearts into this church. I had parties in my home to welcome new members, celebrate birthdays, new babies, and welcome missionaries. This was in our home on Burlwood Loop SE in Salem. I enjoyed being on the compassionate service committee. My husband was in the Elders Quorum Presidency. I was Primary President in Gates and Secretary in the Stake Relief Society Presidency. I loved singing in the Stake Choir in Salem. Not only did we serve with volunteer time but we tithed all our money. One year we tithed over $25,000 in Salem. I still have the copy of the tithing statement signed by the Bishop. Then we served as service missionaries to help people in an eight stake area find employment in Salem.

After we moved to Alsea, we were driving back and forth four days a week to make the 2 hour trip each way. I started to question a few things so I wrote letters to Salt Lake, which embarrassed the Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Corvallis. He told my husband to "shut her up and control her." That didn't go over well with me. I was hurt that he didn't care to help me get to the truth and talk over my feelings. When we moved to Alsea, I was asked what I needed, I asked for friendship because I knew it would be hard to live in an isolated area. We were shunned when I started to question a few things. I stopped going. I guess the shunning was supposed to silence my mouth and teach me a lesson.

I witnessed that people can go to church every Sunday, take on the name of Jesus Christ, and steal, lie, and betray their church the rest of the week. I saw the cruelty to others who don't agree. I understood for the first time how political extremes could exist in the same church when I took the political test on the Liberterian website which lumps communists and fascists together in one category--all who want to suppress dissent and who want complete obedience. I learned much more taking that test than that I am a Centrist in the Left Liberal area.

My husband continued serving his mission in Salem driving faithfully back and forth to Salem. Medicine was given to him to help him cope with the strain of it all by a doctor belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Corvallis. This doctor ignored my pleas that my husband was falling asleep in the chair and I worried about the safety of my husband driving to Salem. An attorney belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints helped to drain all our money away. We have been betrayed. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has seen fit to cause problems in our family and they have done their best to stop any kind of progress.

I've been told to shut up about my feelings and what happened to us but that only allows it to continue. On my wall is a framed poster that says, "In Germany they first came for the communists and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a protestant. Then they came for me--and by that time no one was left to speak up." Pastor Martin Niemoller

What do I have left? My truth.

I believe in Jesus Christ. I grew up with my faith. I feel comforted by my faith. I believe that God made all people that live on the earth, and that the two greatest commands are to love the Lord with all thy heart and to love thy neighbor as thyself. This means we should care about everyone. We should love everyone even those who are hard to love. This means people who are different from us, people who grew up different, people who live on the other side of the earth. I believe it is important to hold strong to your values and to not compromise them. I feel it is important to be kind to others, no matter how you are treated in return. I believe I have a right to my own opinion and I feel responsible to speak out against injustice.