LDS church chides Affirmation

[ERCougar]

Originally Posted by Cali Coug

I don't get it. How does changing the meaning of a word alter anything about a "sacred sexual relationship?" Either it is sacred or it isn't. Surely the government doesn't have the power to alter the sacredness of something, do they? I also don't know why it is relevant that homosexuals definitely can't have children. Many married heterosexual couples can't have kids either. Should the elderly be prohibited from marrying? We don't even need to do any medical tests to know they won't have kids. What about sterile people? No marriage? People who don't like kids? Kids may be a desireable result from marriage, but they can hardly be a requirement for any marriage.

There are many reasons to promote marriage other than children. Stability and property and agency rights among them.

Uh...read again. I didn't say anything about losing the sacredness of a sexual relationship. I did say something about eliminating the sacred sexual relationship from marriage.

Here's the reasoning. As a member of the Church who believes in eternal union and the possibility of eternal increase, either in this life or the next, I would like my children's conception of marriage to include both of these aspects. Similarly, I should want a similar conception of marriage to be present in the minds of my fellow man, if I truly desire them to reach exaltation. I'm not sure how you can believe in the fairly central tenet of the church of eternal families and progress and disagree with this, unless you've "given up" on segments of our society.

This is why it's a means debate. Just because I desire that end doesn't mean that I think politics is the means to achieve it. Personally, I don't, and I therefore don't support Proposition 8 (which doesn't really matter because I'm not in CA). I think our support for this comes across as hateful and intolerant, and that message is more important to me than the possible benefit of Proposition 8 on the public conception of marriage. However, I completely understand those (like my wife) who feel politics is an appropriate means for the church to bring about its ends.

What's bugging me about this debate is the efforts of both sides to paint this as black-and-white--either you're an apostate who refuses to obey the prophet or you're a homophobe who blindly follows a bunch of old white guy's disdain for homosexuals.