Thursday, May 28, 2009

New Blog Takes on Controversial LDS Issues: He Said/She Said


My wife and I decided to combine our two opposing viewpoints on a new blog called He Said/She Said. My wife is a feminist Mormon housewife and somewhat on the liberal side who writes the Hieing to Kolob blog. She suggested to me that a Mormon audience would be interested to see an opposing viewpoint blog where an ultraconservative Ezra Taft Benson Mormon like me who writes the Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord blog takes on a feminist like her on hot Mormon issues.

Sometimes we take a consistent side but often we might have alternating viewpoints. Most of us are more complex than labels make us. Many of my wife's Sunstone friends even suggested to her that I should come to their conference this year so they could have the conservative point of view. Unfortunately I don't have the extra money or time off at work so they will have to read my opinions on our new blog He Said/She Said.

We intend to cover several controversial topics including, for example, birth control, stay at home moms, abortion rights, evolution, should LDS members sign internet protests, should temple goers wear their garments all the time, should members stay in the church versus leaving it, breaking the Sabbath Day, the inclusion or exclusion of gays, when you know a person has broken an LDS principle should you turn them in, is there a stigma to being married many times, should women give blessings, should every LDS girl serve a mission, is the lottery really gambling, what constitutes an honest tithe, can men read their minds wives, is Isaiah boring, is masturbation a sin, oral sex, do you have to live polygamy in this life, will fundamentalists or other religious people be in the Church of the First Born, is the LDS Church the only true church on this earth, etc. Our topics will draw on current issues and other controversial issues, you can consider this a mainline Mormon taking on a representative of the Seventh East Press or Sunstone or Dialogue or fundamental Mormonism or even a bleeding heart liberal. Let the smack down begin. There is no telling what we might say.

If you know Bored in Vernal (BiV) or me Dr. B. there is certainly going to be some fireworks that lead to knock down drag out written fights on our blog. We will try to be respectful and let our viewpoints speak for themselves. Many people out there already think some of my conservative and moderate ideas are whacked out already or that Bored in Vernal is really out there with her feminist liberal perspective. Others see us as having fresh perspectives and being in harmony with what they believe. We want people from all perspectives to come and comment whether LDS or not. We will use pictures, polls, and other experimental techniques to jazz up our participation.

We really hope that this will help us be closer as a couple since we will get to know each others views in a neutral environment and come to a more moderate viewpoint by considering new ways of thinking about LDS issues when we try out our thoughts in an open public forum. It will require thick skins and mature minds. I hope after a year or two we are still married and that this will be a constructive way to air our difference and expand our way of seeing our religion and faith. We both feel that even diversely opinionated people can have a healthy relationship and that this new blog He Said/She Said will help us as well as others clarify what they believe. I think the minds of many members are not so uniform as others believe.


Check out our first few posts:

He Said: Throwing Out the Hamburger
She Said: Throwing Out the Hamburger

He Said: Abortion Rights
She Said: Abortion Rights

He Said: Should Women Give Blessings
She Said: Should Women Give Blessings

He Said: Should We Always Accept Church Callings?
She Said: Should We Always Accept Church Callings?
Feel free to give your own comments conservative, moderate, liberal, whatever.

2 comments:

Helmuth said...

I cannot find a contact page or e-mail link to you, Dr. B. Would you be so kind as to e-mail me your book? helmuth@vcn.com . Thank you!

Anonymous said...

...please where can I buy a unicorn?