SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Tuesday it would back proposed federal legislation to safeguard same-sex marriages, marking the latest show of support for the measure from conservative-leaning groups.
The nearly 17-million member, Utah-based faith said in a statement that church doctrine would continue to consider same-sex relationships to be against God’s commandments. Yet it said it would support rights for same-sex couples as long as they didn’t infringe upon religious groups’ right to believe as they choose.
“We believe this approach is the way forward. As we work together to preserve the principles and practices of religious freedom together with the rights of LGBTQ individuals much can be accomplished to heal relationships and foster greater understanding,” the church said in a statement posted on its website.
Support for the Respect for Marriage Act under consideration in Congress is the church’s latest step to stake out a more welcoming stance toward the LGBTQ community while holding firm to its belief that same-sex relationships are sinful. Still, its stance toward LGBTQ people — including those who grow up in the church — remains painful for many.
Patrick Mason, a professor of religious studies at Utah State University, said the church’s position was both a departure from and continuation of its past stances — respecting laws yet working to safeguard religious liberty and ensuring they won’t be forced to perform same-sex marriages or grant them official church sanction.
“This is part of the church’s overall theology essentially sustaining the law of the land, recognizing that what they dictate and enforce for their members in terms of their behavior is different than what it means to be part of a pluralistic society,” he said.
The faith opposes same-sex marriage and sexual intimacy, but it has taken a more welcoming stance to LGBTQ people in recent years. In 2016, it declared that same-sex attraction is not a sin, while maintaining that acting on it was.
The bill, which has won support from Democrats and Republicans, is set for a test vote in the Senate Wednesday, with a final vote as soon as this week or later this month. It comes after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion, with Justice Clarence Thomas issuing a concurring opinion indicating that an earlier high court decision protecting same-sex marriage could come under threat.
The legislation would repeal the Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act and require states to recognize all marriages that were legal where they were performed. It would also protect interracial marriages by requiring states to recognize legal marriages regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.” It makes clear that the rights of private individuals and businesses wouldn’t be affected.
Utah’s four congressmen — who are all members of the church — each voiced support for the legislation earlier this year.
The church’s public stance is a stark contrast from 14 years ago, when its members were among the largest campaign contributors in support of California’s Prop. 8, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman in response to cities such as San Francisco granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Troy Williams, the executive director of Equality Utah, said it was “thrilling” to see the church part of the coalition in support of the legislation.
“Despite differences we may have, we can always discover common ground on laws that support the strengthening of all families,” Williams, who grew up a church member, said.
The faith opposes laws that would make it illegal for churches to not allow to same-sex couples to marry on their property. But it has supported state-based efforts to pass laws that prohibit employment and housing discrimination as long as they clarify respect for religious freedom.
The Respect for Marriage Act neither fully codifies the U.S. Supreme Court decision that enshrined a federal right to same-sex marriage nor details all religious liberty concerns of those who object to it.
Faith groups see it as vehicle for passing religious liberty protections they haven’t been able to in the past, said Tim Schultz, the president of the 1st Amendment Partnership.
Schultz’s organization is advocating for religious liberty on behalf of a coalition concerned with that subject — a coalition that includes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“Same-sex marriage has achieved broad appeal in our culture in significant part because it hasn’t trampled on people who believe in traditional marriage,” he said.
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Associated Press News Editor Brady McCombs contributed to this report.
© 2022 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Not all who claim to be Christians, are Christians.
Not all Churches are Churches of God.
Not a religions worship and obey he word of God.
Matthew 7:15-16 Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing,
but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them.
Lev 20:13 13 “‘If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
Rom 1:24-27 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised. Amen.
Rom 1:26-27 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
There are these CINAs (Christian In Name Only) who will say “times have changed”.
Times may have changed but God has not changed.
Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
When a church or a religion begins to go against the word of God, it is a cult of Satan.
Just in case you did NOT know what organized religion was about, here it is so nakedly exposed it’s embarrassing. It’s about power, control and the benjamins and nothing that is holy or even respectful of the commandments of God. In fact, no one is more in favor of edicts to control the masses than the so-called “ministers” and their demonic ilk.
Lumping all of organized religion in with the Mormons shows your lack of knowledge.
Is Christianity a religion or denomination?
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
But there are many denominations of Christianity and other religions.
Some Love God, teach and follow just the word of God and love and follow Gods son Jesus Christ.
Some pretend to teach word of God and follow Jesus, but teach their own version of the word of God.
Some are only a business and will tell you whatever you want to hear.
Some only pretend to be a Church of God, but are churches of evil, teaching and follow Satan and his lies.
John 8:42-44 If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Mormons used to be known for their ability to fight plagues and rid themselves of locusts. Now they make a diet of them. Will they bring back polygamy in the form of gay marriages or just continue to get the job done on the side?…backide! This ruling puts a whole new meaning of the word organ,, back into their newly “organized” Religion.
NOW we know why the mormans FELL For Romney’s balloney.