Oct

13

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The talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks about religious freedom and its challenges in the US (and in the entire world) is a masterpiece and needs to be read in its entirety, but I want to stress a few points here.

First, the story of  the 42-year-old married woman, Oyun Altangerel, who fought for religious freedom in Mongolia and then became one of the first members of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints in his country is an example for all of us that we should be anxiously engaged in making this world a better place for everybody, and that we need to be brave and defend what is right.

Second, I particularly like and agree when Elder Oaks explains the deceit that is pervasive among many who would like to silence those who oppose same-sex marriage. Elder Oaks says,

Along with many others, we were disappointed with what we experienced in the aftermath of California’s adoption of Proposition 8, including vandalism of church facilities and harassment of church members by firings and boycotts of member businesses and by retaliation against donors. Mormons were the targets of most of this, but it also hit other churches in the pro-8 coalition and other persons who could be identified as supporters.

He continues

As such, these incidents of “violence and intimidation” are not so much anti-religious as anti-democratic. In their effect they are like the well-known and widely condemned voter-intimidation of blacks in the South that produced corrective federal civil-rights legislation.

Contrary to what many proponents of same-sex marriage suggested, are not the Mormons, and others who defended Prop 8, who are trying to deny the importance of civil rights: they are only trying to speak up for what they believe to be right. The real problem are the intimidations and violences of many of those who were against Prop 8. Their course of action is the real threat to the civil rights.

Finally, it is important to remember the history of the United States of America, that were founded by people who were anxious to defend religious freedom

Religious values and political realities are so interlinked in the origin and perpetuation of this nation that we cannot lose the influence of Christianity in the public square without seriously jeopardizing our freedoms. I maintain that this is a political fact, well qualified for argument in the public square by religious people whose freedom to believe and act must always be protected by what is properly called our “First Freedom,” the free exercise of religion.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com


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4 Comments so far

  1. Sherrae on October 14, 2009 8:38 pm

    I am impressed with your blog, I found it as I was looking into Elder Oaks’ recent talk that you included in your blog…just wanted you to know.

    Reply

    Giuseppe Martinengo Reply:
    October 14th, 2009 at 8:43 pm

    Thanks.

    Reply

  2. Elder Oaks, Prop 8, Bruce McConkie, and persecution | GMormon (Giuseppe Martinengo) on October 15, 2009 10:48 am

    [...] Elder Dallin H. Oaks and religious freedom (Prop 8) [...]

  3. Greg on November 22, 2009 1:25 pm

    GMormon – I thought you might be interested in the Silencing the Christians Video in relationship to Elder Oaks’ comments about Religious Freedom.

    Reply