Sunday, December 21, 2008

Ward vs. Family

I know I already offered a post about stuff that is quirky about me or some stuff that bugs me but I have another one that I would like to add to the list.

This post is not for the squeamish so if you don't want to read a controversial topic or you don't want your mind to be swayed by my opinion, please take this moment to exit my blog because some of the stuff I will say, you might not like or you might not agree with. If that is you, please click on this link and visit a happy place.

I don't know why but every time I hear someone get up in church and say "Ward Family", I get the heebee jeebees. I know, it sounds like a very loving way of referring to your ward, as a "family". It is just a warm and fuzzy image that most people seem to love to say. Me, I don't like my ward being referred to as a family. In fact, this last year our church was very much against changing the definition of marriage. Now this, I am in favor. Let us not change the meaning of marriage. It should be a union between a man and a woman. Therefor, why are we changing the meaning of a family? Shouldn't we reserve the word "family" for a unit with a Father, Mother and Children? I know, some families only have a father and children, some only a mother and children, some only a father and a mother. In any case, a family has a definition that should not change. People that are related. Ok, there are many combinations that could also be families such as adoption, grand parents, only children and no parents, etc.

I would prefer that a family unit remain a family, and a ward remain a ward. A ward has a definition of a group of families that is lead by a Bishop. A family is not lead by a Bishop. I know that people will argue that a Bishop is like the Father of the the ward and the Relief Society President is the Mother, blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda. It doesn't quite work so please stop referring to your ward as a family. For some reason I don't hear people saying, "Our Stake Family", or our "Regional Family", or our "General Church Family". Lets leave families as families, wards as wards and stakes as stakes.

So, there you have it. I have probably disenfranchised half of my readership now with my opinion of wards and families. I hope I have not offended and I wish to hear your arguments for and against.