Wrote this to the guy working on our story minus the P.S. : )
Knowing what I know now if I had the chance (believe me this
experience has totally changed me, I had no idea the power of ignorance)
I would ask the state of Arkansas, What do you know about Mormons? Go
ahead think of it. Make a list in your mind. Now, How do you know these
things? We were told we are so incompatible that we could not even exist
on the same campus. When we asked which of our teachings. We were told
the "vast" differences between the Bible and the Book of Mormon were a
major problem. We asked for a list of the differences. Bottom line. No
one in that room had read even one line of the Book of Mormon let alone
the whole book. They were going on the word of others who had also
probably never read it. Now we don't expect others to read the Book of
Mormon, but if you want to know about a movie do you ask someone who has
seen it or someone who hasn't? They either need to read the book or
take the word of those who have over those who haven't. What do I have
to gain by miss representing my religion to them? If a Jehovah's Witness
or a orthodox Jew or a Bible churcher
tells us what their church believes and represents we just accept it
and assume that what they are telling us is accurate. When a member of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints tells someone about the
church people generally are suspicious. They think that can't be true
that isn't weird enough. We invited them to read the Book of Mormon or
visit one of the five LDS congregations in the area or visit mormon.org the churches official site to form their policies so that their policies aren't based on here say.
As
I told you I feel like we were sent to meet with a group that would let
us feel like we had been heard but not do much else. Since they also
were very closed to the idea of others attended the meeting even just to
view the proceedings we were obviously to be heard in a very controlled
way. Their anger at us involving the media was voiced and we said in as
kind a fashion as we could that their desire to keep this a private
issue was one that we could only see benefiting their position not ours.
They expressed again that if they were to have a dozen or so of their
parents come out in support of Mormonism that it would not be important.
They suggested that we should quietly find someplace else for Sam. I
pointed out (as mentioned in a previous email to you) that because of
the condition of the LRSD and the available programs and financial aid
this was the only program. Tangent: Feels kind of like separate but
equal. I know this is a private institution, but when they suggest that
while only the best is good enough for their children (believe me these
are people who would swim the Nile to avoid public schooling) and
suggest that you can find other more appropriate schooling in an area
where almost 100% of the schools are failing the NCLB initiative it is
telling. At the time if Brown vs. the Board of Education white schools
had excellent materials and trained teachers, black schools had second
hand books that were falling apart and teachers who had little training.
Do you see the parallel? Obviously I don't expect you to include it,
just saying.
Anyway...
In closing, I fully understand why we are excluded. These
churches fought to the point of massacres, excommunications, and church
sanctioned executions 1500 years ago. Its what made the Nicene council
necessary (which was not peaceful or pretty) , its what prompted the
Pilgrims, its what created the 95 theses of Martin Luther. This is just
another page in the history of Christianity. The church was established
in April 1830. Hopefully it won't take another thousand years before
people actually look at the doctrine and accept it not as true but as
just another branch of Christianity. After this experience however I
won't be holding my breath!
Jessi Duncan
P.S. After a forty five minute meeting we were told that they were hearing what we were saying and they could understand what we were saying but their job wasn't to write policy, just to enforce it. So why were we invited to this meeting instead of the one with who ever has the power to change the policy? Sigh, I think they are hoping that we will feel adequately heard and sit down somewhere and be quiet. On the flip side we were photographed by the paper today and it should be coming out soon. The photographer said possibly on Sunday's front page! Please continue praying that this story will come out correctly.
