Posted on 01/28/2015 6:39:05 AM PST by SeekAndFind
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon Church, announced Tuesday it would back legal efforts to protect LGBT people from discrimination along with religious freedom protections. This middle ground approach is consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ, church leaders said.
Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, called the effort "well-intentioned but naive."
LDS leaders acknowledged that the LGBT community has faced discrimination and violence against them. LGBT people should be protected from discrimination in housing, employment and other places where discrimination exists, they said, but religious freedom must also be protected in such laws.
At the press conference, Dallin Oaks, an elder in the LDS's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, mentioned several recent examples of religious freedom not being respected, including when California universities forced Christian groups off campus, the CEO of Mozilla was forced to resign, and the mayor of Houston tried to subpoena the sermons of pastors.
"When religious people are publicly intimidated, retaliated against, forced from employment or made to suffer personal loss because they have raised their voice in the public square, donated to a cause or participated in an election, our democracy is the loser," Oaks said. "Such tactics are every bit as wrong as denying access to employment, housing or public services because of race or gender."
The LDS position is consistent with four principles that are based upon the teachings of Jesus Christ, Oaks asserted: everyone has the right to live according to the dictates of their conscience as long as they do not interfere with the health or safety of others; freedom of conscience includes the right to choose one's faith, or no faith; laws should balance protecting freedom with respecting the fact the people have different values; and, persecution and retaliation of any kind are rejected.
The position is consistent with previous statements, the LDS leaders noted, such as their support for a Salt Lake City non-discrimination ordinance in 2009 and a 2010 statement condemning bullying of gay youth.
"I think the Latter-day Saints are well-intentioned but naive on where the reality stands today," said Moore, who added that he has met with LDS leaders often to talk about those issues.
"I do not think, in most instances, sexual orientation ought to matter in housing or employment," Moore continued, "but of course the proposals to address these concerns inevitably lead to targeted assaults on religious liberty."
Moore also noted that gay rights organizations have responded with "hostility" toward the LDS effort to find a middle ground.
"Nonetheless," Moore added, "I look forward to working with Mormons and others on protecting religious liberty for everyone in the years ahead."
He also reiterated that Southern Baptists believe that all LGBT people "are created in the image of God and ought to be respected," that "any sexual expression outside of marriage between one man and one woman is morally wrong," and "that freedom of conscience for those of us who dissent from the Sexual Revolution ought to be maintained."
Allow me to translate: ‘We will kiss your butt, please destroy us last.’
I am violating Godwin’s Law but this is the Mormon Church doing its own version of the Munich Agreement. It is pretty obvious the LGBT movement has set its eyes on several restricting religious freedom. At a minumum the LGBT movement wants to make opposing the LGBT lifestyle as socially repugnant as being a segregationist.
You are sick.
How about this translation (Mormon church to the world) ‘We respect LGBT rights’ to adultery and fornication.
Famous past Mormon doctrines:
-Blacks are cursed.
-Plural marriage.
All things that changed with social pressures. Mormons are about to do another flip-flop, right before our very eyes!
When Dracula knocks at your door he can’t come in unless you invite. Invite him in and well...you know the rest. All I’m saying is bad move to become relevant again.
“LGBT people should be protected from discrimination in housing, employment and other places where discrimination exists, they said, but religious freedom must also be protected in such laws.”
Mutually exclusive.
I am tired of all this anti-”discrimination” nonsense. People should be allowed to discriminate the way they want. People run businesses, including tiny 1-shop business. They should do what they want, as surely as the customer should be free NOT to patronize them.
If customers don’t like their discrimination (whether advertized or simply understood over time), the business will die off.
It’s about freedom of association. It should apply in all cases.
The real church of Christianity needs to stand up in one voice and call this for what it is....SIN!
We need to be in prayer for all of the lost folks in the LGBT and Mormon community.
> How about this translation (Mormon church to the world) ‘We respect LGBT rights’ to adultery and fornication.
Well I guess the polygamists and the LGBTs are in the same general sexual deviancy category so they decided to join forces. Rome tried assimilating immigrant enemies to appease them near the end. It worked out well for them.../s
-Blacks are cursed.
Well, I think blacks like that ethos.
They would believe it, saying they have been put upon by everyone and anyone at any time.
> The real church of Christianity needs to stand up in one voice and call this for what it is....SIN!
It’s a sickness. They deny they’re pedophiles but we know better; it’s in the “code”...
It looks like the Mormons are getting ready to swim. Better get that shovel ready. 😄😇
“We’re here.
We’re Queer,
We’re in Yer Stake, ......”
and so on, ad nauseam.
” . Rome tried assimilating immigrant enemies to appease them near the end. It worked out well for them.../s”
Mormons: “ Yeaaaaaaaaaaah.....that’ll work!
You can’t lay down with dogs and not get fleas. Stupid stupid stupid people. Shame on them for not calling evil evil.
Ten years ago, the Mormon church was supporting Proposition 8 in California and traditional marriage.
Now they are almost in favor of it.
I think they got infiltrated quickly by the liberal-secular cabal.
The bad thing about “anti-discrimination” of LBGTA is that you end up with lawsuits saying “You have to hire a man in a dress, that’s his sexual expression” or “The man in the boa and tutu cannot be refused employment”.
Are they really so naive to think that gays will be happy with just a piece of the pie?
Translation: Other people need to knuckle under to homosexual aggression, but not us.
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