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Administrator- Joined
- May 11, 2013
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(The Guardian) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will support proposed federal legislation to codify the right to same-sex marriage.
A vote is due in the US Senate tomorrow on the bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act that would enshrine marriage equality into federal law with regard to same-sex and interracial marriage.
In a classic tap dance, the Utah-based Mormon faith reiterated that it considers same-sex relationships to be “against God’s commandments” but that they would support the right to marriage under certain conditions, including respect for their right of religious belief on the matter.
This 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, the Associated Press reports.
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.
In 2016, the church declared that same-sex attraction was not a sin – while maintaining that acting on it was.
Axios reports that Wisconsin senator Tammy Baldwin, who, together with Republican Susan Collins of Maine, is leading the legislative effort on the Democratic side, believes the bill has the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster.
The news site further reports that Baldwin, Collins, Rob Portman of Ohio, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Thom Tillis of North Carolina issued a statement Monday saying they reached a deal on “commonsense” changes to the bill to protect religious freedom. The changes were first reported by Axios.
A vote is due in the US Senate tomorrow on the bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act that would enshrine marriage equality into federal law with regard to same-sex and interracial marriage.
In a classic tap dance, the Utah-based Mormon faith reiterated that it considers same-sex relationships to be “against God’s commandments” but that they would support the right to marriage under certain conditions, including respect for their right of religious belief on the matter.
This 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, the Associated Press reports.
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.
In 2016, the church declared that same-sex attraction was not a sin – while maintaining that acting on it was.
Axios reports that Wisconsin senator Tammy Baldwin, who, together with Republican Susan Collins of Maine, is leading the legislative effort on the Democratic side, believes the bill has the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster.
The news site further reports that Baldwin, Collins, Rob Portman of Ohio, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Thom Tillis of North Carolina issued a statement Monday saying they reached a deal on “commonsense” changes to the bill to protect religious freedom. The changes were first reported by Axios.
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