I hope you can stand at least one more post on Proposition 8 and its aftermath.
homosexuality
Understanding General Authorities
Most people who are aware of the LDS Church are aware that we have “general authorities” and that they share some characteristics, but in my experience, they don’t really understand what General Authorities are or what the term means. I’m going to skip what the phrase means and discuss what they are. General Authorities (“G.A.”s) tend to share the following characteristics: a history of personal sacrifice much experience in delayed gratification. a set of spiritual skills and experiences. a set of social experiences and narratives.
The LDS Church, Homosexuality and Suicide: How Can We Prevent It?
On February 25th, 2000 — in the heat of the LDS Church’s Prop 22 efforts in California to ban same-sex marriage — a young LDS returned missionary named Stuart Matis drove to his local LDS chapel, pinned a “DO NOT RESUCITATE” sign to his shirt, and shot himself in the head. More of Stuart’s story can be read here and here. Also, to read one of Stuart’s last letters on the subject written weeks before his death — click here. A few years ago I did some research on the topic, and discovered that Utah leads the nation in...
10 Reasons Why Gay Marriage is Wrong (for fun)
1) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.
Jeff Nielson’s “Open Letter to California Mormons” Encouraging Oppposition to LDS Church on Gay Marriage Issue
Professor Jeffrey Nielsen, whose op-ed two years ago against the LDS Church’s stance on gay marriage led to his demise at church-owned Brigham Young University, has written an open letter to California Mormons in the wake of the church’s request for members to support a constitutional ban on gay marriage in that state (from KCPW). Open Letter to California Mormons Jeffrey S. Nielsen I am a member of the Mormon Church, a married heterosexual, and a supporter of marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples. I am asking you to pause and give sincere thought to the letter from...
Open Thread: Your experiences in church today w/ the LDS anti-gay marriage statement
Do tell….what were your experiences today w/ the LDS Church’s anti-gay marriage statement in your local ward? Feel free to share experiences of friend and family as well.
Sin and Transgression vs. Morality
Homosexuality is a complicated topic – especially because so many people, particularly in religious discussions, over-simplify it. I want to focus narrowly today on what is “sin”, “transgression”, “moral” or “immoral” – or a combination thereof.
News Flash: LDS Church WILL Be Actively Opposing Gay Marriage in California This November
News Flash: The LDS Church WILL be actively opposing gay marriage in California this November, and is encouraging members to actively oppose gay marriage in California. They are asking all members of the church to, “do all you can to support the proposed constitutional amendment by donating of your means and time to assure that marriage in California is legally defined as being between a man and a woman.” Here’s the memo to the church, which will be read to all members in California next Sunday. Ouch.
Gender Roles Debunked!
What can we learn about gender roles in marriage from committed gay couples? Is equity the ideal? Is it possible? With less than 24 hours until Father’s Day, here’s some food for thought.
Voting Mormon
In a previous post, I explored the idea of defining “political” vs. “moral” issues for purposes of deciding when (and how) the Church should get formally involved. A related issue is whether we, even without formal instruction from the Church, are obligated to cast certain, pre-determined votes on select issues. Put another way, does my Mormonism require me to vote in favor of all manner of local referendum banning homosexual marriage? If so, how far does this unwritten rule go? And what about my free agency?
New Same-Sex Marriage Ruling; Same Old Polygamy Stereotypes
Unless your last name is Van Winkle, you likely already know that, yesterday afternoon, the California Supreme Court concluded that the state’s law prohibiting same-sex marriage (SSM, for short) is unconstitutional. Put more simply, in 30 days, SSM will be a reality in California. For those of us here on the Left Coast, things are about to get very interesting. Within hours of the ruling, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, without a hint of irony, told a gathering of reporters: “I plan to marry as many people as I can.” Like many others, I’m still working my way through...
The Danzig Case: Does the LDS Church Influence Members to Oppose Same Sex Marriage?
Many of you may be aware of an ongoing case in Utah involving Peter and Mary Danzig. I’m not going to summarize here, as you can read about the details on various sites, but I’ll post links to the back-stories below. This post is just about opening a conversation. The core issues I feel are under debate are about how much involvement the LDS church officially has in the opposition of same sex marriage. The Danzigs resigned their membership because they felt the church was pressuring them to act against their own consciences. The church says (in a very...
Episode 18: Same-Sex Marriage and Mormonism
In this episode J. Nelson-Seawright, John Hamer, David King Landrith and Rosalynde Welch discuss same-sex marriage within Mormonism.
Episode 7 Part 2: Equal Partnering and “Presiding” in LDS Marriages and Raising Gay LDS Children
In this follow-on episode, we discuss equal partnering and “presiding” in LDS marriages and raising gay LDS children. Panelists include: Ann Porter David King Landrith John Crawford Today’s Moderator: John Dehlin
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