I often tell other members, "if we are known as 'the church that doesn't drink coffee' then we aren't doing our jobs very well." Instead we should be known for honesty, integrity, charity, kindness, helpfulness and love. While I don't consume any of those things, they don't define my faith. *For example members in good standing don't do illegal drugs, drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, or drink tea and coffee. In the same vein, you can believe me or not, but we don't sit around much and talk about gay marriage. As for "gay rights", the church leadership supports homosexual civil unions, just not calling it marriage.
But I know what really goes on, and so it just becomes an annoyance. I've heard all sorts of things about my religion that if I didn't know the truth would scare me to death. I remember walking to our General Conference at Salt Lake City when a group of people were beating drums outside the walls. There are some religious groups that actually protested someone's wedding and screamed obscenities. There is a wall around the temple in Salt Lake, and it is customary for newlyweds to have their pictures taken on the steps. Kimball) in effigy across the street at a fire station. I don't know if you are aware of some of the weird stuff that goes on but when I was a child my parents took me to the Seattle Temple open house and protesters were hanging two former LDS leaders (Joseph Smith and Spencer W. They are very vocal, and want to embarrass the church in any way possible.
Part of that is our fault*, but mostly it is because some people want others to think that we are this way. The vast majority of work in our church is done by volunteers. I know that if, (for example) you are looking for a job, then after you speak to your local Bishop then you can get a reference to a job bank. Once you are on a stable spiritual and financial footing then it is your duty to help others. We support local food banks and national and international relief organizations. Like I said, I was the Ward Clerk, so I saw the financial records at the congregational level. I have personally seen non-believers receive assistance. If enough people don't like them, they will close. What does it matter that a "corporation" does it rather than the school district? If you don't like charter schools, then don't send your children to one. Your theories fail the actual children in the schools.
So no, my presence, my ideas, my concerns were not welcome at the public school. When we asked about math, the principal of the charter school said, "Oh, so that is why none of the fifth graders who come from the school district can't do math." I could either run for school district or send my son to a charter school. The public school principal spoke with me in very thinly disguised contempt. The kindergarten teacher said he "didn't want parents in the classroom". One of the (first grade) teachers directly criticized my wife for not speaking more to my son in Spanish. That is unfortunate because you don't get to pick your fractions in algebra. They won't teach fractions except for 1/2, 1/3 and 1/4. Do you have a child in a failing school? Have you spent time time talking to clueless administrators? One of them told me "it was against state law" to teach the multiplication tables.
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