The church opposes the Equality act

[_sunstoned]

Once again, the church is coming down on the wrong side of social justice. This is the latest from the official mormonnewsroom.org

The Equality Act now before Congress is not balanced and does not meet the standard of fairness for all. While providing extremely broad protections for LGBT rights, the Equality Act provides no protections for religious freedom. It would instead repeal long-standing religious rights under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, threaten religious employment standards, devastate religious education, defund numerous religious charities and impose secular standards on religious activities and properties. The Church joins other religious organizations that also strongly oppose the Equality Act as unbalanced, fundamentally unfair and a path to further conflict.

https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/ ... l-approach

[_GameOver]

I agree with the Church. There needs to be protection from mandating against Churches and other religious organizations on this issue.

[_Physics Guy]

Not living in the US, I may not know all the details of this specific issue.

At some point it should be legitimate for, say, a monastic community to reject an atheist who only wants to join them to troll them. Conversely a group of atheists ought to be allowed to exclude an evangelist who just wants to preach at them. Free association shouldn't mean forced association.

In general though it seems to me that "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's" and "My kingdom is not of this world" ought to go a long way in making Christians willing to accept secular justice. Other religious traditions can no doubt invoke analogous principles, though maybe religions with strong theocratic traditions will have a hard time.

[_moksha]

I agree with the Church. There needs to be protection from mandating against Churches and other religious organizations on this issue.

Good point. The Church knows that if religious people cannot actively oppose the civil rights of others, then it is a direct assault against their very Mormanity. It would be like being forced to observe the tenets of Western Democracy and treating others as you would like to be treated.

[_Holy Ghost]

From KUTV in Salt Lake City, the Equality Act would apply to

• Employment
• Housing
• Public accommodations
• Public education
• Federal funding
• Credit
• Jury system

The LDS Church's statement yesterday includes

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is deeply concerned that the ongoing conflicts between religious liberty and LGBT rights is poisoning our civil discourse, eroding the free exercise of religion and preventing diverse Americans of good will from living together in respect and peace. Lawmakers across the nation, including members of Congress, are working to enact or strengthen laws that ensure LGBT persons fair access to important rights, such as nondiscrimination in areas like housing, employment and appropriate public accommodations. The Church is on record favoring reasonable measures that secure such rights.

We urgently need laws that protect the rights of individuals and faith communities to freely gather, speak out publicly, serve faithfully and live openly according to their religious beliefs without discrimination or retaliation, even when those beliefs may be unpopular. This includes the right of religious organizations and religious schools to establish faith-based employment and admissions standards and to preserve the religious nature of their activities and properties.

So housing and public accommodations are apparently not the LDS Church's issues with the Equality Act. How would LGBT equality as to

• Public education
• Federal funding
• Credit
• Jury system

impinge on the LDS Church's right to preserve the religious nature of their activities and properties?

Government can put conditions on PUBLIC education (CES and the BYUs are not public, but private) without infringing on religious liberty. The government can put conditions on federal funding without infringing on religious liberty--a religion can choose to do its own thing in activities and realms for which there would otherwise be federal funds available, if the religion does not like the conditions that the government puts on those funds. It's not impairing religious liberty for a government to impose conditions on funds that a religion doesn't like.

[_Dr Exiled]

They are clearly over-selling the issue. Church, Oaks, Nelson, just because the Supreme Court approved same sex marriage doesn't mean religious freedom is somehow under attack. It's time to act like an adult on this issue and stop stomping around and holding your breath. You lost on the issue. Regroup and find some other issue to push. I'm sure there is some 50's era norm that hasn't been talked about and can become the will of the Lord.

[_mocnarf]

The next step Congress might be is to take away the tax exempt status of any organization that prevents the fully participation in it's rituals by the LGBQxyz people. I would bet there would be a slue of prophecies being recorded.

But allas, that would never happen because the Muslim buddies of Congress would object, unless a loophole for them could be manufactured.

[_Maksutov]

The next step Congress might be is to take away the tax exempt status of any organization that prevents the fully participation in it's rituals by the LGBQxyz people. I would bet there would be a slue of prophecies being recorded.

But allas, that would never happen because the Muslim buddies of Congress would object, unless a loophole for them could be manufactured.

Gandalf the Troll. Keep pushing those buttons.

[_SuperDell]

"The Equality Act now before Congress is not balanced and does not meet the standard of fairness for all."

L-d$,inc is a great example of a group with plenty of experience in not meeting the standard of fairness for all.

[_SuperDell]

From KUTV in Salt Lake City, the Equality Act would apply to

• Employment
• Housing
• Public accommodations
• Public education
• Federal funding
• Credit
• Jury system

The LDS Church's statement yesterday includes

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is deeply concerned that the ongoing conflicts between religious liberty and LGBT rights is poisoning our civil discourse, eroding the free exercise of religion and preventing diverse Americans of good will from living together in respect and peace. Lawmakers across the nation, including members of Congress, are working to enact or strengthen laws that ensure LGBT persons fair access to important rights, such as nondiscrimination in areas like housing, employment and appropriate public accommodations. The Church is on record favoring reasonable measures that secure such rights.

We urgently need laws that protect the rights of individuals and faith communities to freely gather, speak out publicly, serve faithfully and live openly according to their religious beliefs without discrimination or retaliation, even when those beliefs may be unpopular. This includes the right of religious organizations and religious schools to establish faith-based employment and admissions standards and to preserve the religious nature of their activities and properties.

So housing and public accommodations are apparently not the LDS Church's issues with the Equality Act. How would LGBT equality as to

• Public education
• Federal funding
• Credit
• Jury system

impinge on the LDS Church's right to preserve the religious nature of their activities and properties?

Government can put conditions on PUBLIC education (CES and the BYUs are not public, but private) without infringing on religious liberty. The government can put conditions on federal funding without infringing on religious liberty--a religion can choose to do its own thing in activities and realms for which there would otherwise be federal funds available, if the religion does not like the conditions that the government puts on those funds. It's not impairing religious liberty for a government to impose conditions on funds that a religion doesn't like.

BYU accepts U.S. Government money. They may find the laws are not on their side this time.