Aug
21
Gay rights and Mormons
August 21, 2008 by Giuseppe Martinengo 2 Comments | Filed in Mormon Church, Mormon Doctrine
I know that this is a very difficult topic. Mormons by principle should love all men, but loving does not mean to give up correct principles. God loves the world but it does not give us all that we ask for.
Presidente Gordon B. Hinckley said:
“People inquire about our position on those who consider themselves so-called gay and lesbians…We love them as sons and daughters of God. They may have certain inclinations which are powerful and which may be very difficult to control…If they do not act on these inclinations, then they can go forward as do all other members of the Church. If they violate the law of chastity and the moral standards of the Church, then they are subject to the discipline of the Church, just as others are.” (See Ensign, November 1998: 70).
I learn several things from this statement.
1) There are people who consider themselves gays or lesbians but it is not correct to say that “they are gays and lesbians” as if their situation was immutable or if they were something different from other people.
2) They are worthy of love and help like any other son or daughter of God.
3) The Church recognizes that they may be struggling.
4) Their inclinations do not determine their actions, and therefore they are responsible as any other person (who may have other inclinations that are not in harmony with Church standards).
I was reading yesterday a book by A. Dean Bird, Mormons & Homosexuality and it is clear from his book that an important point is to decide if homosexuality is inborn or not, because when people think that homosexuals are that way, they are more likely to support gay rights.
He says,
Though there is no science to support the notion that homosexuality is inborn, the gay activists in the mental health organizations as well as in the media still continue to trumpet the “born that way” notion.
Dr. Bird explains how gay activists in 1973 were able to pressure the American Psychiatric Association to the point that
By a vote of 5,854 to 3,810, homosexuality was eliminated as a diagnostic category from the psychiatric manual, making it the first time in the history of the healthcare that a diagnosis was decided by popular vote rather than by scientific evidence.
Very interesting! The consequence is that
American Psychiatric Association had established precedents that medical and psycological diagnoses are subject to political fiat.
Similarly, many proclamations by national organizations
are simply activism masquerading as science (p.22-23).
Now this activism is pushing to a point that is illustrated by this email I received today,
The California Supreme Court, which recently legalized same-sex marriage, has ruled by a 7-0 vote that homosexual rights trump religious freedom. The
ruling barred doctors, because of their Christian beliefs, from withholding unnecessary medical care to gays and lesbians. The ruling says that under state law sexual orientation rights trump religious freedom.
Justice Joyce Kennard wrote in the ruling that two Christian fertility doctors who refused to artificially inseminate a lesbian have neither a free speech right nor a religious exemption from the state’s law, which “imposes on business establishments certain antidiscrimination obligations.”
Doctors at the Christian clinic referred the lesbian to another clinic, but the lesbian refused their referral – demanding that the Christian clinic perform the procedure. When the Christian doctors refused to violate their religious convictions, the lesbian sued and the Supreme Court gave her the victory.
Why do they have to force those doctors to perform a procedure that they do not approve? Are there not enough other doctors who could do it? It seems to me that gay activists are eager to defend their rights but they easily dismiss or trump other people rights.
There would be a lot more to say, but this is enough. Mormons try to love every son or daughter of God, including those who have homosexual tendencies. However, Mormons believe that to act on those tendency is wrong. Finally, since we live in a democratic society, Mormons believe that if gays has the right to promote their cause, everybody else also has the same right.
Comments
2 Comments so far
I wonder if you would consider what is written in Matthew 19:12 For there are some eunuch`s born from their mothers womb… Jesus says some people are born gay. Most gays do not have children. Eunuchs cannot have children.
When it comes to marriage gay members of the church can recieve revelation about the proclamtion on the family is true and inspired of God. In a church that talks about temple marriage and family we should try to be a little more sensitive to the needs of our brothers and sisters in the gospel who are gay. Try to think of the women who have no children on Mothers Day and how painful it can be. While I am not gay I think some of the material you wrote or quoted about gays do not reflect the gays in the church. Why don`t you try getting to know some gay members instead of looking at the subject from books?
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I think that my comment to the comment is just repeating my last paragraph:
Mormons try (or better, should) love every son or daughter of God, including those who have homosexual tendencies. However, Mormons believe that to act on those tendency is wrong.
I am sure there are many great people who have those tendencies and are working hard to overcome them, similarly to people who have other kinds of tendencies. We should love the person but not the sin.
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