Mormon leaders tried to stake out a middle ground in the escalating battle between gay rights and religious freedom on Tuesday, demanding that both ideas, together, be treated as a national priority.
At a rare news conference at church headquarters in Salt Lake City, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints forcefully condemned discrimination against gays and vowed to support nondiscrimination laws — like one proposed in Utah — to protect people from being denied jobs or housing because of their sexual orientation.
But they also called for these same laws, or others, to protect the rights of people who say their beliefs compel them to oppose homosexuality or to refuse service to gay couples. They cited examples of religious opponents of same-sex marriage who have been sanctioned or sued or have lost their jobs.
“Such tactics are every bit as wrong as denying access to employment, housing or public services because of race or gender,” said Elder Dallin H. Oaks, a member of a group of church leaders known as the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “It is one of today’s great ironies that some people who have fought so hard for L.G.B.T. rights now try to deny the rights of others to disagree with their public policy proposals.”
The church’s announcement, an attempt to placate all sides of a divisive issue, astonished some lawmakers in the halls of Utah’s Capitol, who called it a watershed moment that could reconfigure the debate over gay rights in their socially conservative state. With the church now backing nondiscrimination laws, a bill offering such protections to those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender now appears more likely to pass after years of being stalled in the Legislature.
The church had already supported such legislation in Salt Lake City and other local Utah jurisdictions, but had held off endorsing it statewide.
“This was a major event for the Mormon Church, a major event for Utah and the L.G.B.T. community,” said State Senator Stephen H. Urquhart, a Republican who has tried unsuccessfully to pass an anti-discrimination law. “This changes the dynamic.”
The Mormon leaders at the news conference, three of the church’s male apostles and one woman, made it clear that their church does not intend to change its doctrine, which says that marriage can be only between a man and a woman, and that gay sexual relationships are prohibited.
This doctrine “comes from sacred Scripture, and we are not at liberty to change it,” said Sister Neill Marriott, a leader in church women’s organizations.
The church is now trying to position itself as a champion of both gay rights and the conservative religious opposition to gay rights. But the approach announced on Tuesday by Mormon leaders is unlikely to do much to help calm this front in the culture wars. Gay rights advocates have long maintained that denying service to gays on the basis of religious belief is no different from the discrimination against blacks that was outlawed during the civil rights movement.
It is WRONG for people to be discriminated against for ANY reason. On the other end of the spectrum it is also WRONG when people are sanctioned, sued or have lost their jobs because they refuse service to gay couples. Again operating in error only brings more error. Gays act like they are the only ones that have any rights. Now that Obama and the Supreme Court struck down DOMA it will only keep getting worse.
Mormons act like they are doing something great, but the Truth is their fence or COMPROMISE just endorsed same-sex marriage. That goes against the Bible just like the Book of Mormon goes against it too. Instead of “backing nondiscrimination laws” they should be dealing with why the gay community has more power. The action says they are scare of gays. “Christianity” (Posted at this Website) should not be scare of the devil. They do not have to “change its doctrine.” The action speaks louder than any words on a piece of paper. The fence is the worse place to be:
“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16)
People need to STOP putting same-sex marriage in the same category as RACISM. Racism and same-sex marriage are not even on the same spectrum. Racism and same-sex marriage is not apples and oranges either. Racism is people being denied jobs, housing and service because of the color of their skin, which still takes place today. Same-sex marriage is people putting God to two people of the same sex having sex.
Same-sex marriage is homosexuals determined to put God to homosexuality. Marriage was the first Covenant God Ordained. He Ordained it for a man and a woman. Marriage was around long before homosexuals decided they had a right to get married. Homosexuals are determined to put God to homosexuality, which is what shows this is not about marriage, but about going against God because the Bible goes against them. Marriage is just what is Precious to God.
Christianity’s Job is to go against anything that connects God to sin. That is what same-sex marriage does. Homosexuals be together, but leave God out of it. It is also Christianity’s Job to tell people in love if they stay in sin they will go to Hell. Homosexuals falls in that group. Having a protest is not “in love.” “In love” is we just want to be clear with God. “In love” is what people do with the information is on them.
Mormons are “trying to position itself as a champion” and that is the problem. Agendas makes people lose right and wrong like in my “‘For All The People’ vanishes when personal agendas exist” Blog Posted 10-7-2014. Agendas always makes people COMPROMISE. Champions are people that fight “For All The People.” Champions are people on solid ground not on the fence. Champions NEVER Compromise:
“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)
Mormon’s COMPROMISE made this a “major event” for “the L.G.B.T. community.” State Senator Stephen H. Urquhart even said, “This changes the dynamic.” “Doctrine comes from sacred Scripture,” which means what it says is what God means with no COMPROMISE. They claim “and we are not at liberty to change it,” but that is what their COMPROMISE did.
This is not the Blog I had planned to write. The Holy Spirit brought it to my remembrances as I was walking this morning. I had read the article yesterday. I was praising God for the Word of God during my daily Bible reading, which is what I had planned to write this Blog about:
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (I John 1:1-10)
To make a long story short I was in a conversation and I commented on something a person said and he said to me, “I’m a good person, but I have issues.” Later it hit me people thinking they are “a good person” is why people do not change. Thinking even further what is a good person? By what standard was he measuring his goodness? This is the Bible’s Standard:
“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:16-17)
That means there is no such thing as “a good person.” There are only two kinds of people in this world, givers and takers. Let people talk long enough and they will tell on themselves. What he was saying made him look like a taker. My comment shined a light on what he was saying. That is why he had the need to tell me he was “a good person.”
Christians must be lights in this world. When people think of themselves as “a good person” they never change. They also never do anything about their issues. What people do not understand is it is their issues that keep them from “fellowship with him” and “fellowship one with another.”
God’s Process and the Holy Spirit deals with our issues. The Holy Spirit dealing with our issues is how “we walk in the light.” The Holy Spirit dealing with our issues is what “cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Light or Darkness. Truth or Lie. Righteousness or Unrighteousness. Holy or Sin. God or satan. God’s Process and the Holy Spirit conforms us into the first word in each sentence. If the first word of each sentence is not you the question you need to answer is:
“And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” (I Kings 18:21)
GOD PUT CHRISTIANITY ON THE EARTH TO BE A LIGHT, BUT THAT LIGHT KEEPS GETTING DIMMER AND DIMMER.