Mormon Church supports protections for gays, drawing praise and criticism

Mormon Church supports protections for gays, drawing praise and criticism

Some hailed the decision as a symbolic gesture of progress, others argued that the church was simply trying to make a preemptive strike in advance of the Supreme Court ruling to not appear bigoted.

The Mormon Church made the surprising move to support equal protections for gays and lesbians when it comes jobs, housing, and public accommodations.

Just seven years ago the Mormon Church had led a campaign against gay marriage, but now it is announcing support for at least the protection of rights for gays, although it added exemptions for religious freedom that would allow Mormon doctors to refuse to perform abortions or provide artificial insemination for lesbians, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

Three members of the Quroum of the Twelve Apostles, which governs the church, made the announcement at a news conference in Salt Lake City on Tuesday.

Human rights groups both hailed the move as a symbolic gesture toward Mormon families with gay members and also criticized it as a flawed move that won’t apply nondiscrimination protects equally.

The move comes as states across the country strike down gay marriage bans and the Supreme Court prepares to weigh the issue this year.

One of the key issues that the Mormon Church is wrestling with is how to balance their faith, which many believe declares homosexuality a sin, with a providing protections to individuals whose lifestyle they may not agree with.

It’s an issue that the nation as a whole has grappled with. The Supreme Court ruled against the Hobby Lobby last year when it refused to provide birth-control coverage to employees, which is mandated by the Affordable Care Act. It also rejected the appeal of a New Mexico photographer who refused to photograph a same-sex wedding.

The Los Angeles Times quoted one former Mormon missionary who appeared less than enthusiastic about the announcement, calling it “patronizing” and saying that it was just a public relations move by the church in an attempt to not look bigoted. He said they are likely attempting to save face in case the Supreme Court rules in favor of gay marriage.

With 15 million followers worldwide, the Mormon Church is a very influential force that as recently as 2008 had urged followers to help California voters pass Proposition 8, which would ban same-sex marriage. The bill narrowly passed, but was later struck down byt he courts, and the church faced a backlash.

This led to talks between Mormon leaders and members of the gay community, with more moderate Mormons trying to bridge the gap.

Be social, please share!

Facebooktwittergoogle_plusredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *