Latter-day Saints for Civil Same-Sex Marriage
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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.