Posted on 06/29/2013 9:38:31 AM PDT by Ripliancum
SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released the following statement today regarding the decisions announced by the United States Supreme Court on cases involving marriage:
"By ruling that supporters of Proposition 8 lacked standing to bring this case to court, the Supreme Court has highlighted troubling questions about how our democratic and judicial system operates. Many Californians will wonder if there is something fundamentally wrong when their government will not defend or protect a popular vote that reflects the views of a majority of their citizens.
"In addition, the effect of the ruling is to raise further complex jurisdictional issues that will need to be resolved.
"Regardless of the court decision, the Church remains irrevocably committed to strengthening traditional marriage between a man and a woman, which for thousands of years has proven to be the best environment for nurturing children. Notably, the court decision does not change the definition of marriage in nearly three-fourths of the states."
WE WARN that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.
WE CALL UPON responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.
_____________________
From the Proclamation on the Family, published in 1995
http://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation
ping
I fear Mormons will be among the first to have their church tax exempt status revoked when they refuse to perform gay marriages. Hopefully, all other conservative denominations will come out with similar statements in short order.
Sorry, after their recent capitulation that forced the Boy Scouts to open the door to homosexuality, the LDS church is simply not credible on this issue.
I agree. Mormons basically endorsed the homoscouts, so they have absolutely no leg to stand on.
The time for action by all God fearing men is here. Obey the government or obey God’s commandments. It’s your choice of peril for disobedience. As for me and my house, we will obey God.
“The Church’s long-established policy for participation in activities is stated in the basic instructional handbook used by lay leaders of the Church: “Young men … who agree to abide by Church standards [are] welcomed warmly and encouraged to participate” (Handbook 2: Administering the Church [2010], 8.17.3). This policy applies to Church-sponsored Scout units. Sexual orientation has not previously been—and is not now—a disqualifying factor for boys who want to join Latter-day Saint Scout troops. Willingness to abide by standards of behavior continues to be our compelling interest.”
https://www.lds.org/church/news/church-responds-to-boy-scouts-policy-vote?lang=eng
This one is actually pretty simple for me. We’re told to leave the 90 and 9 to save 1. Does that not include the so called misguided youth who think he might be gay because the “world” tells him he is? Is not the purpose of Scouting to rise above the ordinary and become leaders and build character? Why should ANY youth be left out of that equation, after all, “gay” young men are not “born that way”, do we as conservatives believe that or not?
Gay adults continue to have no place in scouting whatsoever, and never will, or the Church would drop the program and do their own.
Nope. They will revise the book of Mormon again to state gays have always been an important part of the church and embrace them w open arms.
I thought it was an announcement that plural marriages in the LDS church were to begin again- immediately!
Two incidents, happening almost right after another.. The first was when I traveled with a Mormon troop to attend the national jamboree; troops were joking around with each other while atop the Empire State's Building, someone made a comment about a cute girl who was in the elevator with us, and someone else said within earshot of our chaperon that it was a good thing that his girl friend gave him a good [vigorous intercourse] before he went on this trip, or he'd be all over her.
He was on the plane back home before we reached the Italian restaurant for dinner.
The second was right after we returned, I hung around for their awards ceremony, where one of the older scouts on the trip was us was going to receive his Eagle award. That portion of the program was cancelled when his girlfriend became concerned about missing a period, and his response was that he had been wearing a condom.
Turned out that she wasn't pregnant, he was tossed out of the troop, and scout leaders used the time in the program to reiterate the scout oath and how seriously the troop took that oath.
Excellent examples, thanks! As an Eagle Scout and adult scouter myself, I can tell you that this practice will continue, even more closely watched now. I’m sure the gay groups will try to infiltrate troops and spread dissent, but the moral rules will be strictly adhered to.
It sounds like the troop blurred the lines between church and troop.That can lead to trouble.
I’m sorry, did you not know that the Boy Scouts is a religious organization?
LDS BSA troops must abide by conducts of Church standards, and the Church is the sponsoring charter organization. If one does not wish to do so, they are free to join non-LDS troops.
Again, an excellent point!
Those thinking differently, I think, have never been in scouting, nor participated in the non-denominational Duty to God program.
http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/512-879_WB.pdf
With all due respect I am still not buying it.
Yes, I absolutely have read the church’s statement. I appreciate that its focus is on sexual behavior rather than orientation, that was the de facto and unspoken position of the BSA previous to the new Membership Standards Resolution. I supported that and believed that it was entirely unnecessary to modify the BSA by-laws in the fashion that they did.
However, because the BSA took the route they did and articulated the matter of orientation, it is arguable that they may very well have opened the door to a challenge under BSA v. Dale, the very decision which affirmed the right of the BSA (as a private organization) to restrict a person from membership based on the idea that “the presence of that person affects in a significant way the group’s ability to advocate public or private viewpoints.”
The BSA acted with the support of the LDS membership on the national council and without the support of a super-majority of those involved in Scouting.
Now, that they have expressly articulated that orientation is no barrier to membership as a youth, they are going to have a very, very hard time excluding a homosexual from leadership, despite the fact that they say that policy has not changed. I imagine that the lawsuits are already written for several gay, 17-year-old Eagle Scouts who will turn 18 around the time this takes effect in January 2014. Deny any one of them the privilege of leadership and the lawsuits will fly.
Given that this controversy has largely about the influence of large donors I am very doubtful that the BSA will do anything other than weigh the financial cost of litigation and cave into the pressure groups again.
That moment will be an even more telling one for the Mormon church. Will they accept homosexual leadership? Not likely, given this statement found on (http://ldsbsa.org/): “Where Scouting is authorized by the Church, quorums may participate in Scouting activities during Mutual. Under priesthood leadership, Scouting can complement the efforts of Aaronic Priesthood quorums and Primary classes in building testimonies in young men and boys.”
But here is the problem. Mormon Scout leadership is already not likely to be homosexual and given the preponderance of closed troops and the priesthood requirements, that is not likely to change. So even a vote by the Mormon contingent in support of homosexual leadership for the BSA would not really affect them, but it would have a profound and negative effect on the rest of Scouting. Given their numbers, the entire Mormon contingent could leave Scouting and almost overnight create an LDS version, decimating the rest of Scouting in their wake.
For those of us involved in Scouting through smaller, faith-based organizations that do not necessarily have an alternative (yet), the Mormon capitulation is seen as a hypocritical betrayal of the values of Scouting.
Will have to respectfully agree to disagree. The gay rights agenda are using youth to make their case, but we will not forget that these few youth (and they are few), are still valuable to God and society, and need all the help they can get if they are confused. We do not shun the sinner, but the sin.
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