I don't speak for the Church — and neither do you
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Tuesday it would back proposed federal legislation to safeguard same-sex marriages.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Tuesday it would back proposed federal legislation to safeguard same-sex marriages.
Sadly, some members of the Church are surprised or confused by that position.
I do not speak for the Church —
And neither do the many church members who have been misrepresenting the Church's positions on many topics — distorting them to make it seem like the Church validates their political views.
Please note that the official Church statement (see link below) explicitly says "rights of LGBTQ individuals" (emphasis added).
The Church stated that it believes that marriage is a right for same-sex couples.
The Church's concern seems to be that it could be forced by courts or the government to perform same-sex marriages in violation of the Church's doctrine.
According to the Church's official statement (and previous statements), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wants LGBTQ people's rights protected; the Church also wants religious freedoms protected.
The Church sees this bill as doing both.
Consequently, Latter-day Saints should not be inferring that their church does not support the rights of LGBTQ people to be married. To the contrary, the Church would like to see it made federal law for all 50 states.
It simply does not want to be forced to do something that it doesn't believe in, and that right, like the rights of LGBTQ people, is protected by the U.S. Constitution.
Thanks for listening.
LINKS:
