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Difference between revisions of "Question: Is it hypocritical for Mormons to oppose same-sex marriage, when the Church itself practiced plural marriage?"
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| + | There is a significant difference between laws prohibiting polygamy and laws prohibiting same-sex marriage. Anti-polygamy laws did not allow men to live with their wives. Men were arrested for making sure their kids have food to eat. Laws against same-sex marriage still allow same-sex couples to form a family, live together, and in the case of Proposition 8, have rights equal to marriage. | ||
The Church has supported rights for all people to pursue happiness according to the dictates of their own conscious, both for themselves and for others. They have never pushed for polygamy to be held up as the national standard, and have opposed efforts to hold same-sex marriage as a standard for people with same-sex attraction. The Church has championed rights for people with same-sex attractions that goes beyond any right they sought for polygamy. The right to set a new standard for marriage that would apply to the rest of the United States was not a right that the Church sought for polygamous families. | The Church has supported rights for all people to pursue happiness according to the dictates of their own conscious, both for themselves and for others. They have never pushed for polygamy to be held up as the national standard, and have opposed efforts to hold same-sex marriage as a standard for people with same-sex attraction. The Church has championed rights for people with same-sex attractions that goes beyond any right they sought for polygamy. The right to set a new standard for marriage that would apply to the rest of the United States was not a right that the Church sought for polygamous families. | ||
===Different levels of rights=== | ===Different levels of rights=== | ||
| − | Sometimes, when we talk about rights, | + | Sometimes, when we talk about rights, the different levels and degrees of rights get lumped together into one group. People say that everyone should have rights, but often don't discuss what happens when those rights conflict. There are several different levels of rights associated with sexual practices. |
| − | The most basic right is the right to practice your desired sexual relationship. Even in the most liberal societies, this right is tempered by the right of other people to reject your desired relationship. | + | The most basic right is the right to practice your desired sexual relationship. Even in the most liberal societies, this right is tempered by the right of other people to reject your desired relationship. In most modern societies, any number or gender of consenting adults can usually practice their desired relationship without fear of legal retribution. |
| − | Another set of rights is the right to legal protection from discrimination. This would include laws that would penalize people from treating you differently for your sexual practices. For example, it is illegal to treat a inter-racial couple differently from a couple of the same race. The church strongly believes that everyone should be treated equal. Even if you disagree with a sexual practice, you can still treat people with the respect they deserve. | + | Another set of rights is the right to legal protection from discrimination. This would include laws that would penalize people from treating you differently for your sexual practices in certain circumstances. For example, in most countries, it is illegal to treat a inter-racial couple differently from a couple of the same race when it comes to housing, employment, and many other areas. The church strongly believes that everyone should be treated equal. Even if you disagree with a sexual practice, you can still treat people with the respect they deserve. The church has supported special protection in housing and employment for people with same-sex attraction, including same-sex couples. |
Another set of rights include government help in maintaining your family. This would include legal recognition of your relationship, and associated rights such as visitation rights. It may also help subsidize the cost of your sexual relationships, through tax breaks and other benefits. Some modern societies have extended these rights to same-sex couples, and the church has publicly stated that they do not oppose these rights. | Another set of rights include government help in maintaining your family. This would include legal recognition of your relationship, and associated rights such as visitation rights. It may also help subsidize the cost of your sexual relationships, through tax breaks and other benefits. Some modern societies have extended these rights to same-sex couples, and the church has publicly stated that they do not oppose these rights. | ||
Revision as of 15:31, 10 February 2012
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Questions
==
Critics argue that it is hypocritical for the LDS Church to oppose same-sex marriage, when the Church itself had an alternative form of marriage.
==Detailed Analysis
==
There is a significant difference between laws prohibiting polygamy and laws prohibiting same-sex marriage. Anti-polygamy laws did not allow men to live with their wives. Men were arrested for making sure their kids have food to eat. Laws against same-sex marriage still allow same-sex couples to form a family, live together, and in the case of Proposition 8, have rights equal to marriage.
The Church has supported rights for all people to pursue happiness according to the dictates of their own conscious, both for themselves and for others. They have never pushed for polygamy to be held up as the national standard, and have opposed efforts to hold same-sex marriage as a standard for people with same-sex attraction. The Church has championed rights for people with same-sex attractions that goes beyond any right they sought for polygamy. The right to set a new standard for marriage that would apply to the rest of the United States was not a right that the Church sought for polygamous families.
Different levels of rights
Sometimes, when we talk about rights, the different levels and degrees of rights get lumped together into one group. People say that everyone should have rights, but often don't discuss what happens when those rights conflict. There are several different levels of rights associated with sexual practices.
The most basic right is the right to practice your desired sexual relationship. Even in the most liberal societies, this right is tempered by the right of other people to reject your desired relationship. In most modern societies, any number or gender of consenting adults can usually practice their desired relationship without fear of legal retribution.
Another set of rights is the right to legal protection from discrimination. This would include laws that would penalize people from treating you differently for your sexual practices in certain circumstances. For example, in most countries, it is illegal to treat a inter-racial couple differently from a couple of the same race when it comes to housing, employment, and many other areas. The church strongly believes that everyone should be treated equal. Even if you disagree with a sexual practice, you can still treat people with the respect they deserve. The church has supported special protection in housing and employment for people with same-sex attraction, including same-sex couples.
Another set of rights include government help in maintaining your family. This would include legal recognition of your relationship, and associated rights such as visitation rights. It may also help subsidize the cost of your sexual relationships, through tax breaks and other benefits. Some modern societies have extended these rights to same-sex couples, and the church has publicly stated that they do not oppose these rights.
A final right is for the government to adopt your sexual relationship as a model to be held up, and to be taught in schools as something to strive for. This goes beyond tolerating practices that we disagree with, into incorporating it into our nation's moral fiber.
Rights associated with plural marriage
When the church supported plural marriage, they were seeking for the most basic right - the right to practice plural marriage. They were not seeking for the United States to subsidize their relationships, nor were they seeking for the United States to hold it up as a standard that everyone should strive for. They were simply looking for the right to practice it.
Husbands were forcibly separated from their wives and children. This left a lot of women and children destitute, with little opportunity to get food or make a living. Men who tried to smuggle some food to their starving children were thrown in jail. Many leaders moved to other countries so they could continue to be with their families. Even in recent times, the US government has made raids and kidnapped children from polygamous families.[1]
Rights for same-sex couples
There are many rights that same-sex couples do not have. The church has publicly supported many rights and have pressed for changes in legal system to afford these rights to same-sex couples. The rights that the church supports for same-sex couples goes BEYOND any right that they have ever sought for polygamous families.
The Church has no problem with people living life as they see fit when it doesn't interfere with other rights. However, as is often the case, when some rights expand, other ones diminish. For example, while supporting the rights of people with same-sex attraction to be free from discrimination in employment and housing, the church was in essence restricting the rights of land lords to choose their tenants and employers to choose their employees.
Many people think legalizing same-sex marriage is a necessary step to ensure that same-sex couples have the rights they need to protect their families from discrimination. They do not understand why they Church would be opposed to these rights. As stated earlier, the Church is not opposed to these rights, but adopting same-sex marriage as a national standard equivalent to opposite-sex marriage goes beyond simply living peacefully with those who choose to live a different standard. It is disregarding the old standard and replacing it with a new standard. This will have a detrimental effect on those who do not live up to the new standard.
New standard being introduced with same-sex marriage
The movement to legalize same-sex marriage is setting a dangerous standard of what is expected for people with same-sex attractions. It used to be that society expected people with same-sex attraction to get married to people of the opposite-sex. This type of expectation can cause damage for people with same-sex attraction who are not ready for marriage, and has been opposed by the Church for decades. (See Same-sex attraction/Marriage as therapy
Now, a new expectation is beginning to form that people with same-sex attraction can't have a fulfilling and faithful marriage with someone of the opposite sex and that they must marry someone of the same sex. Expectations of any sort are dangerous and hurt people who do not meet those expectations. About half of faithful members of the Church with same-sex attraction are heterosexually married, and many others have found fulfillment in celibacy. The new standard being adopted by several courts does not have room for these faithful members.
For example, the California Supreme Court ruled that, for people with same-sex attraction, their "choice of a life partner will, by definition, be a person of the same sex", and that was what their "true identity" should be. Later, Judge Walker ruled that the marriages of many members of the church with same-sex attraction was "unrealistic". The Iowa Supreme Court ruled that these relationships were "unappealing" and was "no right at all".
While many same-sex marriage supporters do not wish to harm those who follow the law of chastity, many major organizations have actively sought to take away rights from those people who do not live up to the new standard. For example, the Human Rights Campaign has actively opposed anti-discrimination employment rights for gay people who do not have gay sex.[2] It is ironic that while the Church has been actively lobbying to extend employment rights for all LGBT people, the Human Rights Campaign has worked and has succeeded in taking away those exact same rights from LGBT people who live Church standards.
By the Supreme Courts encoding this new standard into law, people with same-sex attraction who do not live up to the standard can be discriminated against in the private sector. For example, Apple recently removed an app from its iTune collection because the organization who put it up was composed of gay Christians who lived the law of chastity. A spokesperson for Apple explained that having an app for gay people who live the law of chastity "violates the developer guidelines by being offensive to large groups of people". [3][4][5] There is a difference between seeking for the right to live an alternative lifestyle and taking away rights from those who do not choose your lifestyle because you find it "offensive". It is interesting to note this organization has made a statement supporting people's right to choose same-sex relationships.[6]
==Answer
==
The Church supports all of the rights for same-sex couples that they sought for polygamous families plus some. Same-sex marriage is doing more than extending rights to same-sex couples, but is setting a new standard that excludes people with same-sex attraction who are living the gospel standards. The Church never sought to force polygamy on other people, yet the Supreme Courts and many gay right organizations are seeking to take away rights from people who do not live up to the new standards.
== Notes == None
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