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Greater than a decade in the past, I wrote a bit for Christianity In the present day headlined, “Ought to the wedding battleground shift to spiritual freedom?”
In that article, College of Virginia regulation professor Douglas Laycock made the case that Christian conservatives who opposed same-sex marriage ought to shift their focus to preventing for his or her First Modification religious-liberty rights.
I used to be reminded of that dialogue when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — in what the Salt Lake Tribune characterised as “a surprising transfer” — “gave its assist to a proposed federal regulation that will codify marriages between same-sex {couples}.”
The story by the Tribune’s Tamarra Kemsley and Peggy Fletcher Stack notes:
The Utah-based religion’s doctrine “associated to marriage between a person and a girl is well-known and can stay unchanged,” the church said in a information launch. “We’re grateful for the persevering with efforts of those that work to make sure the Respect for Marriage Act contains acceptable non secular freedom protections whereas respecting the regulation and preserving the rights of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters.”
At Faith Information Service, Bob Smietana traces the Latter-day Saints’ shock backing of the federal regulation to the fallout from the church’s 2008 assist for Proposition 8. That California poll measure was aimed toward banning same-sex marriage.
Smietana writes:
Voters narrowly permitted Proposition 8, however their victory proved short-lived. A California courtroom dominated that any ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.
The church’s public picture took a beating, mentioned Benjamin Park, a scholar of Mormonism at Sam Houston State College. “Church leaders acknowledged the writing on the wall,” mentioned Park.
The defeat led LDS leaders to again the Respect for Marriage Act, a invoice that will defend same-sex marriage that Congress is now anticipated to cross this week with bipartisan assist. In Wednesday’s 62-37 vote within the U.S. Senate to finish debate on the invoice and advance it, Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah was among the many yeas.
The LDS’ backing of the invoice, which got here as a shock to many who haven’t adopted the church’s historical past, didn’t stem from their disappointment over Prop 8 alone. After the Prop 8 fiasco, church leaders transformed to a method of compromise on LGBTQ rights, at the very least within the public sq., mentioned Park. They noticed that increasing rights for same-sex {couples} may additionally present safety for non secular teams.
The Washington Occasions’ Mark A. Kellner gives this useful background on the laws:
The 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Courtroom choice struck down bans on same-sex marriage nationally.
The brand new invoice is sparked by supporters’ fears that the justices may overturn that call, citing the 2022 choice overturning Roe v. Wade on abortion rights.
A number of senators of each events mentioned in a joint assertion that the Senate model now incorporates an modification with “commonsense language to verify that this laws absolutely respects and protects Individuals’ non secular liberties and various beliefs, whereas leaving intact the core mission of the laws to guard marriage equality.”
Whereas many left-of-center non secular leaders are cheering for the invoice, conservative religion teams stay cut up on the Respect for Marriage Act, as The Related Press’ David Crary explains:
The U.S. Convention of Catholic Bishops and leaders of the Southern Baptist Conference stay opposed, saying the invoice – even with a newly added modification aimed toward attracting Republican assist – is a dire menace to spiritual liberty.
A paramount concern for these leaders of the nation’s two largest denominations is that even the up to date invoice wouldn’t defend non secular colleges or faith-based nonprofits resembling adoption and foster care suppliers.
In the meantime, the Deseret Information’ Kelsey Dallas stories that leaders from the Orthodox Union, an Orthodox Jewish group, expressed related sentiments to the Latter-day Saints assertion:
“Judaism is emphatic in defining marriage as a relationship between a person and a girl. Our beliefs on this regard are unalterable. On the identical time, Judaism teaches respect for others and we condemn discrimination in opposition to people. Our hope is that the Respect for Marriage Act will increase civil rights for LGBT Individuals whereas on the identical time defending ideas of spiritual liberty and variety that are central to our structure,” mentioned Nathan Diament, government director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Middle.
A closing vote within the Senate shouldn’t be anticipated till after Thanksgiving, based on The Washington Publish. The amended model would return to the U.S. Home for approval earlier than President Joe Biden may signal it into regulation.
Energy Up: The Week’s Greatest Reads
1. Getting into a ‘Postdenominational’ period: Contained in the rise of the unaffiliated church: “Between 2010 and 2020 nondenominational church buildings expanded by 2 million attendees and 9,000 congregations within the U.S., based on the 2020 U.S. Faith Census, which was launched final week.” So stories Tracy Simmons at ReligionUnplugged.com. Learn extra on the “rise of the nons” through Christianity In the present day’s Daniel Silliman.
2. The AP Interview: Pence says voters need new management: In a captivating interview with The Related Press’ Jill Colvin, former Vice President Mike Pence talks about his “prayerful consideration” of whether or not he would possibly problem his outdated boss, former President Donald Trump, for the 2024 Republican nomination.
At The Atlantic, Tim Alberta, who typically writes about evangelicals, argues that Pence’s new memoir “selectively edits his 4 years with Trump to keep away from a mandatory reckoning.” At ReligionUnplugged.com, Clemente Lisi’s assessment says Pence’s “So Assist Me God” says the previous vp “doesn’t draw back from his religion and Trump’s election madness.”
CONTINUE READING: “Latter-Day Saints Again Similar-Intercourse Marriage Regulation, However Different Religion Teams Have Issues” by Bobby Ross, Jr., at Faith Unplugged.
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