Are You Proposing This To Allow Gays
To Have Temple Marriages?
We are not proposing that gay men and lesbians be allowed to have temple weddings (either sealings or "for time only" ceremonies). We are not advocating that churches (LDS or any other) be forced to perform weddings which are contrary to their doctrine. Churches are private organizations with First Amendment protections and as such should be allowed to act as they see fit. Divorce and abortion are individual
legal rights in America yet the Catholic Church is not
forced by government to sanction either of those. If/When
civil same-sex marriage is legalized, only those churches
wishing to practice or recognize it will do so. Those
churches that have no problem with marrying gays should be
allowed to do so and have such marriages be equally valid
and binding before the law as any other marriage.
As is well known, California's state
constitution allowed Civil Same-Sex Marriage prior to Prop. 8. During that
time, there was no incident involving same-sex couples demanding to
be sealed in any of the seven LDS temples in California. There have
been no lawsuits brought against the Church, Church officials or
individual members for preaching that homosexual activity is an
abomination before God. The state of California has not pulled the
Church's non-profit status. There have been no threats or threats
of threats nor rumors of threats to any aspect of religious liberty.
Massachusetts has had Civil Same-Sex Marriage since 2004 and
there have been no incidents involving same-sex couples demanding to
be sealed in the
Boston Massachusetts Temple either. Massachusetts' LDS population
experienced the identical results that California had. No problems
at all.
The following is a partial list of countries what perform Civil Same -Sex Marriages and the LDS
temples in each -
As was the case in Massachusetts and California, there have been no
legal incidents nor threats to religious freedom in any of these
countries either. Unfounded claims that such incidents would take
place in locales where Civil Same-Sex Marriage is performed proved
to be unwarranted and
Elder Oaks' fearful remarks at BYU-Idaho are similarly unfounded
and unwarranted.
Also, has legalizing Civil Same-Sex Marriage in Massachusetts (and other states),
as well as the above listed countries harmed the sanctity of
holy matrimony for any couples in those places? Have temple sealings
been nullified in those locales? Obviously not. No couple's marriage
has been harmed anywhere due to Civil Same-Sex Marriage.
We also believe that government officials authorized to perform
marriages should be required under law to perform them for gays and
lesbians as they would for any other couple. Such is required under
the
Fourteenth Amendment's protections of
Due Process and
Equal Protection.
This is why these pages
refer to "gay marriage", "same-sex marriage", etc..as "Civil Same-Sex
Marriage". We are only advocating that laws be passed to allow gays
the equal legal rights offered to heterosexuals and are in no way
wanting to force churches to perform same-sex marriages.
