Why Did The Mormon Church Become Involved In The Proposition 8 Battle?

[J Bryson]

From this thread.

Originally Posted by Green Gaia
I have a question. Why and how did the LDS church decide to go after committed relationships of gay and lesbian couples instead of using their wealth and influence in some other way that would not hurt people?

Originally Posted by Father Heathen
I think it would make a great thread, because it is a good question why religious organizations use their wealth and influence to meddle in politics rather than assist the needy as Jesus would rather have them do.

Why don't you start it?

So I figured that since no one had done so yet, I'd give this a shot: Why did the Mormon Church choose to get involved in a battle in California regarding the legalization of gay marriages rather than spend the money to feed and clothe the homeless, minister to the ill, and otherwise fulfill the stated mission of Jesus Christ?

Typical disclaimer: I'm not speaking about individual Mormons here, but rather about the church and the church hierarchy.

 

[themadhair]

Why did the Mormon Church choose to get involved in a battle in California regarding the legalization of gay marriages rather than spend the money to feed and clothe the homeless, minister to the ill, and otherwise fulfill the stated mission of Jesus Christ?

Because the organisation and the doctrine have become more important than the message?

 

[Storm]

Because the organisation and the doctrine have become more important than the message?

What's the difference between the doctrine and the message?

 

[themadhair]

What's the difference between the doctrine and the message?

The message is ‘love thy neighbour’ as per JC, the doctrine is everything else.

 

[Storm]

OK, thanks.

 

[J Bryson]

I'm also interested in hearing from LDS members, naturally.

 

[OmarKhayyam]

Pull up chair and pour a tall cool one, it'll be awhile.

 

[Smoke]

Why did the Mormon Church choose to get involved in a battle in California regarding the legalization of gay marriages rather than spend the money to feed and clothe the homeless, minister to the ill, and otherwise fulfill the stated mission of Jesus Christ?

Prop 8 is not the Church's first such endeavor, either. Church leaders were up to their eyeballs in the fight against equality in Hawaii and elsewhere, so if you want to find the source of their involvement, you'll have to look farther back than Monson.

 

[J Bryson]

Oh, I'm sure that you're right. However, Prop 8 seems to be the hot topic at the moment, so it seems like a good jumping-off point. I'm sure that we can expand the conversation to other incidents if called for.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

From the same thread:

... it is a good question why religious organizations use their wealth and influence to meddle in politics rather than assist the needy as Jesus would rather have them do.

Responded to by:

Also, your post is an either/or fallacy. Religious organizations can meddle in politics AND assist the needy. We can discuss more if someone starts a thread.

I don't see Father Heathen's position as a false dichotomy at all. His question is both fair, and to the point.

If the church (any church) has $1 to spend - it cannot spend that dollar on both furthering a political agenda and spend it helping the needy at the same time.

The question is fair, and it deserves an answer.

 

[idea]

Why did the Mormon Church choose to get involved in a battle in California regarding the legalization of gay marriages rather than spend the money to feed and clothe the homeless, minister to the ill, and otherwise fulfill the stated mission of Jesus Christ?

We believe that marriage between a man and a woman can be eternal. Eternal things are more important than temporal things.

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves bbreak through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
(New Testament | Matthew 6:19 - 20)

families are eternal treasures in heaven. Anything that would rob someone of their eternal family is a horror.

 

[idea]

The message is ‘love thy neighbour’

It is not loving to stand by and allow someone to ignorantly travel a path that will eternally lead them to pain.

We love you guys, and so we try and show you the higher path, the one that God has paved.

 

[Storm]

From Idea's posts, I can only conclude that the answer to the OP is that they don't appreciate the separation of church and state.

 

[OmarKhayyam]

It is not loving to stand by and allow someone to ignorantly travel a path that will eternally lead them to pain.

We love you guys, and so we try and show you the higher path, the one that God has paved.

And that is nothing but YOUR mythical dogma. Why should ANYONE pay the slightest attention to it?

Much less make it public policy.

 

[Smoke]

We believe that marriage between a man and a woman can be eternal. Eternal things are more important than temporal things.

Well, good. Then quit putting so much time, effort, and money into temporal things like your political crusade against gay people.

It is not loving to stand by and allow someone to ignorantly travel a path that will eternally lead them to pain.

We love you guys, and so we try and show you the higher path, the one that God has paved.

No, you don't love us. That's an abominable lie. Someone who loved would teach with love and compassion, not with campaigns of bigotry and lies aimed at depriving people who don't accept your teachings of their civil rights. The fact that you can even conceive of such hateful behavior as "love" points to a fundamental flaw in your thinking, and -- to the extent it reflects the teachings of your religion -- a fundamental flaw in your religion, as well.

 

[gnomon]

We believe that marriage between a man and a woman can be eternal. Eternal things are more important than temporal things.

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves bbreak through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
(New Testament | Matthew6:19 - 20)

families are eternal treasures in heaven. Anything that would rob someone of their eternal family is a horror.

What does any of that have to do with direct political campaigning?

There is a difference between a religious organization exhorting it's members to practice in a certain manner but it's something else for that religious organization to exert influence to tell others how to practice.

So can you answer the question in the OP?

edit: Bonus question. Can you state right now without looking it up what the official Church position is on the nature vs. nurture concept regarding human sexuality?

 

[idea]

And that is nothing but YOUR mythical dogma. Why should ANYONE pay the slightest attention to it?

Much less make it public policy.

Feel free to ignore whatever you want. I ignore a lot of people and their myths - you can do it too

Oh yea - it is kind of hard to ignore the truth.

 

[Smoke]

Oh yea - it is kind of hard to ignore the truth.

You don't seem to have the slightest difficulty ignoring the truth.

 

[idea]

What does any of that have to do with direct political campaigning?

The church will not endorse any person/party, however we will support principles. Like pro-life legislation, anti-drug stuff, etc. etc.

edit: Bonus question. Can you state right now without looking it up what the official Church position is on the nature vs. nurture concept regarding human sexuality?

there is no official position as far as I know. IMO - everything comes down to our own personal will - not our genes, or how we were raised - option #3 - our own personal choices dictate who we become.

looked it up, that is correct, no official position.
http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/public-issues/same-gender-attraction
ELDER OAKS: That’s where our doctrine comes into play. The Church does not have a position on the causes of any of these susceptibilities or inclinations, including those related to same-gender attraction. Those are scientific questions — whether nature or nurture — those are things the Church doesn’t have a position on.

I think because some people it is nature, others nurture, others free will, a different reason for everyone.

 

[OmarKhayyam]

Feel free to ignore whatever you want. I ignore a lot of people and their myths - you can do it too

Oh yea - it is kind of hard to ignore the truth.

Who defines "Truth?"

And why does your mythology deserve to be public policy?