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."
Well that wasn't even 10 yrs ago...was just over six (2008)...and to show you how quickly things turned around - a knee-jerk reaction to the crit the church unfairly rec'd -- they actually were doing this...supporting the protection of "sexual orientation" in housing & employment...back in 2009 already!
Just seemed to be noticed more by regional -- vs. national media...
Here's what I mean:
* http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2383779/posts
* Mormons Back Salt Lake City Gay Rights Laws
The current Mormon campaign is simply a reemphasis and possible expansion.
Now that the state of Utah has said it's not enforcing prosecution vs. polygamists, the Mormon leaders...who have LONG provided hidden cover to polygamists well after 1890...realize that if they're going to quietly sanction one alternative "sexual orientation"...polygamy...then all is "fair" in lust & war across the board!
Mormonism is a business/cult, they shape themselves to fit what serves the organization, they are not Christian, they are their own religion with their own bible written by Joseph Smith in 1830, “The Book of Mormon.
Whatever changes they make are for solid marketing reasons, remember that high profile politician Mitt Romney, was a Mormon religious leader, as was his father, and most of his line since they first arrived about 1842 in America, to personally serve Joseph Smith, having been converted in England.
To quote Mitt Romney wayyyyy back in 1994, from a letter he wrote.
“”For some voters it might be enough for me to simply match my opponent’s [Ted Kennedy] record in this area. But I believe we can and must do better. If we are to achieve the goals we share, we must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern. My opponent cannot do this. I can and will.””
“”We have discussed a number of important issues such as the Federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which I have agreed to co-sponsor, and if possible broaden to include housing and credit, and the bill to create a federal panel to find ways to reduce gay and lesbian youth suicide, which I also support. One issue I want to clarify concerns President Clinton’s “don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t pursue” military policy. I believe that the Clinton compromise was a step in the right direction. I am also convinced that it is the first of a number of steps that will ultimately lead to gays and lesbians being able to serve openly and honestly in our nation’s military. That goal will only be reached when preventing discrimination against gays and lesbians is a mainstream concern, which is a goal we share.””
Jesus said in Luke 17 that the last days before his return would be like the days of Lot (Sodom), where homosexuality and pederasty were practiced. Like Sodom, where men broke the everlasting covenant with God by legislating homosexuality and pederasty, the prophet Isaiah predicted 2500 years ago that the entire world would be like this in the last days and would bring judgment on the world...
Isaiah 24:1 Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.
3 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.
4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
Those two are “surplus males” and history shows they are far more likely to become practicing homosexuals.
As they like to say on National Palisimian Radio (NPR),
“Let's do the math.”
1. One ‘Mormon Polyg Marrige” = 1 male, 3 females, 6 children(3 boys, 3 girls).
2. 1. above means the 3 girls will be “Mormon Polig Married” to one boy.
CONCLUSION: A ‘Mormon Polig Marrige’ is a production line for males unable to find a wife = production line for queers.
Not surprising the queers found they really might like Mormons after all.
Worst Conclusion: Mormon ruling theologians knelt before the FedGov as they had twice before when their faith was found by Americans to be unacceptable. This time, however,, FedGov(but not Americans in general) was under(pun intended) queers like Obama. The combination of avoiding “anti-homophobia threats” by FedGov and seeing a chance to bring back polygamy, the Mormon leaders suddenly decided to reverse their religions position on queers.
It is, sadly but accurately true, that Joseph Smith said he would found a faith that would out do that founded by Mohammad. Smith knew that polygamous marriages produced more believers AND more cannon fodder(and more queers).
Obama, and Queer Nation, used illegal FedGov power to coerce the Mormon Church into accepting queers, a position which Judeo-Christians believe G*d described as “an abomination”.
Sadly, the Obanation and Queer Nation have succeeded in forcing into Mormon doctrine that which G*d held to be “abominable”.
Regardless of ones position on the Mormon Church, to allow FedGov to so abuse the Mormons is un-American, as well as by allowing FedGov to violate Mormon freedom of religion, and failure to preserve and protect the Constitution.
Let me reiterate how important of a realization this is.
Just about ALL (if not all) of the Lds "general authorities" are either businessmen or retired businessmen.
How does this then impact Lds Church decisions in interacting with the broader world?
Well, they think (most often) in sheer public relations & marketing terms -- as businessmen are prone to do!
The bottom line then becomes: "How is the broader world perceiving us? What is our image, and how can we alter that?"
Their recent movie about six Mormon individuals was simply a similar marketing ploy.
Why, you might as well be the local motel owner who knowingly rents out rooms during the day to the local prostitute who uses them for anything but sleep!
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