Mormons Seek Golden Mean Between Gay Rights and Religious Beliefs

[cbayer]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/28/us/mormons-seek-golden-mean-between-gay-rights-and-religious-beliefs.html?_r=0

By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
JAN. 27, 2015


Elder Dallin Oaks, a Mormon Church leader, supports laws protecting gays from discrimination. Credit Jim Urquhart/Reuters

Mormon leaders tried to stake out a middle ground in the escalating battle between gay rights and religious freedom on Tuesday, demanding that both ideas, together, be treated as a national priority.

At a rare news conference at church headquarters in Salt Lake City, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints forcefully condemned discrimination against gays and vowed to support nondiscrimination laws — like one proposed in Utah — to protect people from being denied jobs or housing because of their sexual orientation.

But they also called for these same laws, or others, to protect the rights of people who say their beliefs compel them to oppose homosexuality or to refuse service to gay couples. They cited examples of religious opponents of same-sex marriage who have been sanctioned or sued or have lost their jobs.

“Such tactics are every bit as wrong as denying access to employment, housing or public services because of race or gender,” said Elder Dallin H. Oaks, a member of a group of church leaders known as the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “It is one of today’s great ironies that some people who have fought so hard for L.G.B.T. rights now try to deny the rights of others to disagree with their public policy proposals.”

more at link

[Humanist_Activist]

1. Fucking atrocious people, you do not have a right to....

discriminate when acting in public. I don't give a fuck whether your prophet approves or not.

[edhopper]

2. They cited this

They cited examples of religious opponents of same-sex marriage who have been sanctioned or sued or have lost their jobs.

Sued yes, that's what happens when you discriminate, but did they actually give examples of people losing jobs.

[cbayer]

4. Good point. I'm trying to imagine the situation where someone is fired

for being anti GLBT civil rights. I guess if they were being really vocal or refusing to service some customers, but that would be good grounds for firing someone, imo.

[edhopper]

5. Sounds like the

"Farmers loose farm because of Inheritance Tax" BS. Or the rampant voter fraud scam.
The GOP kept claiming it was a big problem, even though they could not find one example.

[cbayer]

6. Ok, I think I found it. They brought up the single example of Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich.

He had made a contribution to a pro-Prop 8 group in California prior to being hired. When he was hired, this became a big issue He was not fired, but resigned 10 days after his appointment.

That's it. That is their example.

[edhopper]

7. A CEO?

That is a ridiculous example.
He lost his position because of the backlash and threats of boycott against Mozilla.

[cbayer]

8. A CEO of a company worth billions.

A CEO of a company like Mozilla has to be careful. Their position is political and everyone watches everything they do.

That is the only example I can find from the press conference.

[edhopper]

9. In other words

They are full of shit.

[gcomeau]

3. Here's the appropriate "middle ground".

Gays have rights. Religion is not a "get out of discrimination laws free" card. Shut up about it.



There, simple!