The Latest Meme…
…Seems to be equating Mormon persecution either historically or in the bigotry of the last election with the passage of Prop 8. That is a thoughtless, emotion-based appeal and should have little effect in our national discussion.
The first distinction that needs to be made is the difference between discriminatory practice for behavior and for condition. As a nation we discriminate on behavioral grounds all the time – and we should. If we did not, chaos would soon reign. We discriminate against speeding and we discriminate against robbery. These are behaviors that make our society worse and therefore, should be discriminated against. Same sex marriage is such a behavior. Marriage serves an important society building role – it is more than simply a union to legitimize sexual activity and coupling, or a legal contract.
This distinction means that there is some reasonable comparison between historical Mormon persecution and the current gay issues. The past polygamy of the Mormons can be compared. But saying that leads to more important distinctions. First, violence was committed against historical, polygamous Mormons – this was wrong. There is no such violence being committed against homosexuals today. They are simply being told, civilly and legally that there are limits to the behaviors that society will accept and legitimize – which is what should have happened with the Mormons.The second distinction is that Mormons first withdrew and then they changed. The practice of polygamy is no longer condoned by the CJCLDS. Most people in the US are trying desparately to find a similar place for homosexuals to stand – free to be who they believe themselves to be, but limiting their public behavior to within culturally reasonable bounds.The GLBT community would do well to learn from the Mormons rather than try to incite them by baseless comparisions. They might find the contentment that I see in so many of my Mormon friends.
Lowell adds: Prop 8 and same-sex marriage raise emotionally complex and volatile issues. It does not advance the discussion, nor is it fair, to frame the issues in Manichean terms: oppressors vs. the oppressed. That’s not how I see the issue. Instead, I think the ancient institution of Marriage is the issue. Should it be fundamentally redefined as no longer between a man and a woman? For those who answer “no,” there has been no intent or effort to oppress or harm anyone. There’s simply a deeply-felt desire to preserve that institution, as a matter of pure conscience. I notice more and more frequently these days how little dialogue there is about Prop 8 and the underlying issues. Instead, there’s a lot of yelling going on, and most of it comes from the No on 8 side. That’s understandable, given the election outcome. But can’t we just talk a little bit, rather than accuse each other of terrible things that are not really in the hearts of the accused?
Posted in Proposition 8, Religious Bigotry | 5 Comments » | 
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