The church backed the Senate's Respect for Marriage Act, albeit not because of a sudden love for same-sex marriage
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued an unexpected statement in support of the Senate's Respect for Marriage Act on Tuesday, before of the Senate's anticipated vote on a measure to safeguard the rights of same-sex couples. "We feel this is the best path forward." Much can be accomplished to heal relationships and foster greater understanding as we work together to preserve the principles and practices of religious freedom as well as the rights of LGBTQ individuals," wrote the Mormon church, which has long taught that acting on same-sex attraction
Of fact, showing support for this law is not as big of a bear hug for LGBTQ rights as it may appear. A deeper examination of the Senate's Accept for Marriage Act reveals that it does not establish a federal right to same-sex marriage; rather, it compels state governments to respect same-sex weddings that occurred while same-sex marriage was legal. The measure mandates the same for interracial marriages. The Respect for Marriage Act was enacted in response to the Supreme Court's decision this summer to overturn Roe v. Wade, which prompted Justice Clarence Thomas to write a concurring opinion in which he called for the court's previous decisions on same-sex and interracial marriage—Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 and Loving v. Virginia in 1967, respectively—to be reconsidered in the future.
The Respect for Marriage Act has had substantial bipartisan support in Congress and even among religious groups because, in addition to not establishing a government same-sex marriage right, it codifies robust "religious freedom" rights for faith-based individuals and organizations. The law grants them broad latitude to discriminate against LGBTQ persons and same-sex couples in exchange for state governments recognizing existing legally married same-sex couples regardless of whatever the Supreme Court rules in the future.
Despite its Tuesday statement, the Mormon Church maintains its firm belief that same-sex unions are inherently immoral. The church's support for the Respect for Marriage Act is similar to its 2016 declaration that same-sex desire is not a sin in and of itself, but only acting on it is. Historically, little concessions granted by the Mormon Church on LGBTQ identities have been accompanied with large requirements. The Mormon Church supports the bipartisan Senate bill because it believes the legality of current same-sex marriages should be acknowledged. It also acquires a federal legal authority to continue discriminating against same-sex couples by barring them from marrying in Mormon chapels.
According to Tim Schultz, president of the 1st Amendment Partnership, the Respect for Marriage Act is expected to get support from faith-based organizations as their best bet at strengthening "religious liberty" rights. "Same-sex marriage has attained broad acceptance in our culture in large part because it hasn't trampled on individuals who believe in traditional marriage," Schultz told the site, which reads as a somewhat backhanded "support" comment for LGBTQ partnerships.
Despite the bill's flaws, others, notably Equality Utah, see the Mormon Church's support for the Respect for Marriage Act as a step forward, although a tiny one. According to the Associated Press, members of the Mormon Church were among the major contributors to California's Prop. 8 in 2008, a ballot proposition across the state that defined marriage as between a man and a woman as a rebuttal to places such as San Francisco that were awarding marriage licenses to same-sex couples. To endorse a law offering some federal rights to same-sex couples 14 years later is a significant shift.
"Regardless of our disagreements, we can always find common ground on legislation that promote the strengthening of all families," Troy Williams, executive director of Equality Utah and a Mormon Church member, told the Associated Press.
#Mormon #LGBTQ #TimSchultz #AssociatedPress #SameSexMarriage #PostMos
SOURCE: jezebel
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