Uppity Gay Mormons now want Temple Marriage
Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 5:12 pm
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/some-m ... ar-BB8T2Ll
SALT LAKE CITY — Court decisions this week paving the way for same-sex marriage to become legal in dozens of states, including Mormon strongholds like Utah, Idaho and Nevada, have emboldened a growing group of Latter-day Saints who are pushing the conservative church to become more accepting of gay members.
The church's stance toward gays has softened considerably since it was one of the leading forces behind California's ban on gay marriage in 2008, but high-ranking leaders have reiterated time and again the faith's opposition to same-sex unions.
Some Mormons hope to change that, or at least work to make congregations more welcoming places for gays and lesbians.
Erika Munson, co-founder of a group pushing the faith to be more accepting of gays, said she worries about losing younger Mormons because of the church's stance. One of her five children, an adult son, has chosen to not to practice Mormonism, in part because of the religion's stance on homosexuality.
"People under 30 all know somebody who has come out. They are not the other, they are not scary. They understand that they are just like them," said Munson, whose group Mormons Building Bridges stays neutral on gay marriage because they want to work within church doctrine. "So, that's really hard to reconcile with a Christian church where we follow the teachings of Jesus."
SALT LAKE CITY — Court decisions this week paving the way for same-sex marriage to become legal in dozens of states, including Mormon strongholds like Utah, Idaho and Nevada, have emboldened a growing group of Latter-day Saints who are pushing the conservative church to become more accepting of gay members.
The church's stance toward gays has softened considerably since it was one of the leading forces behind California's ban on gay marriage in 2008, but high-ranking leaders have reiterated time and again the faith's opposition to same-sex unions.
Some Mormons hope to change that, or at least work to make congregations more welcoming places for gays and lesbians.
Erika Munson, co-founder of a group pushing the faith to be more accepting of gays, said she worries about losing younger Mormons because of the church's stance. One of her five children, an adult son, has chosen to not to practice Mormonism, in part because of the religion's stance on homosexuality.
"People under 30 all know somebody who has come out. They are not the other, they are not scary. They understand that they are just like them," said Munson, whose group Mormons Building Bridges stays neutral on gay marriage because they want to work within church doctrine. "So, that's really hard to reconcile with a Christian church where we follow the teachings of Jesus."