About 1,500 Latter-day Saints have submitted letters of resignation from the Mormon Church to protest a new policy barring children of married same-sex couples from being baptized until they are adults, movement organizers said on Sunday. “I mean, you’re not supposed to judge anybody, but I feel like now they’re judging the kids and that’s what hurts”.
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On Friday Mormon leaders released a clarification saying they are trying to protect “the harmony” of homes by excluding families whose basic structure contradicts church teaching. “It’s core doctrine. It’s a central idea that we can be sealed together as a family and live together eternally”, Gordon said. “I don’t need a bunch of [church leaders] telling me what to do”. He rescinded the order Friday, and though his initial order had no direct connection to the church, it contributed to the general tension between the gay community and the LDS. Those raw feelings were on display Saturday. He called the rules the most damaging public relations move by the church since it urged members in 2008 to bankroll and support California’s gay marriage ban.
They clarified that while children of gay parents won’t be given the full spectrum of ordinances, they aren’t barred from attending worship services. “There is a lot to overcome with the myths about who they are and who we are”.
Karma is a bitch, and it seemed to play out when, after the Supreme Court overturned Proposition 8 and DOMA, Utah – the epicenter of the Mormon Church – was one of the first states where a federal court ruled they had to accept same sex marriage post-DOMA.
However, it is unclear how many of those people have already left the Mormon church.
“We don’t want to see anyone leave the Church, especially people who have been struggling with any aspect of their life”, Eric Hawkins, a spokesman for the church, said in an email. The couple has been trying desperately to stay in the church despite a harsh reception to their son coming out. While she still has two brothers who are active in the church, she, her boyfriend and her two children resigned on Saturday. The Mormon church has been against same sex marriages for quite a few time, but this latest decision has caused even more of a Mormon backlash and anger from Mormon parents.
“Thousands of the Mormon faithful standing with the LGBT community sends a powerful message that love will always win”, said Mary Beth Maxwell, HRC’s Senior Vice President of Programs, Research and Training. “It’s giving them a grace period to make a decision on their own”.
It is one of the biggest ironies for LGBT people: for many years, we were warned of the detriments our prospective children would face if we chose to have them.
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Leaders gave multiple speeches preaching a “fairness for all” approach that encourages compassion for gays while protecting religious liberties.
