Last night I had an epiphany: I am a bad Mormon.
The funny thing about this realization is that it doesn't upset me. In fact, I am quite proud of it. This doesn't mean that I do not care about my religion or appreciate the sacred, but it does mean that I am not going to fit into any standard mold that Mormonism has to offer.
I:
have long hair.
like tattoos.
watch R rated movies.
occasionally drink caffeine.
use profanities.
yell at people.
tell dirty jokes.
like gossip.
overeat.
laugh at inappropriate times.
challenge authority.
question the authority of those in authority.
forget to pray sometimes.
strongly believe in equal rights.
don't think humility is the same thing as self-abasement.
don't believe in Hell.
believe there is a fine line between spirituality and schizophrenia
hate wearing white shirts.
buy food on Sunday.
You won't see me on a billboard, holding a hawk in a commercial, or anywhere inside of a church magazine. But you will find me helping a friend move furniture, giving money to the homeless without any dramatic refusal of how "I give to my church," working with the youth Sunday School class as they each travel on their own spiritual paths, teaching my son respect for the Earth and all her inhabitants, smiling at a stranger, standing up for the underdog, and listening to anyone who just wants to be heard.
I may be a bad Mormon, but I am an awesome human, and that is all that matters to me!
