Defending Traditional Marriage and Religious Freedom

            I would like to talk about a subject of great importance, the legalization of same-sex marriage and how that has put traditional marriage and society and religious freedom at risk, and they must be protected for future generations.

            On June 28, 2015 the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, taking it out of the hands of the legislation and the people and imposing their will upon the country.[1] Chief Justice Roberts said “the Constitution had nothing to say about same-sex marriage. Over the past six years, voters and legislators in eleven States and the District of Columbia have revised their laws to allow marriage between two people of the same sex. But this Court is not a legislature.  Whether same-sex marriage is a good idea should be of no concern to us. Under the Constitution, judges have power to say what the law is, not what it should be…The majority’s decision is an act of will, not legal judgment. The right it announces has no basis in the Constitution or this Court’s precedent. The majority expressly disclaims judicial “caution” and omits even a pretense of humility, openly relying on its desire to remake society according to its own “new insight” into the “nature of injustice.” Ante, at 11, 23. As a result, the Court invalidates the marriage laws of more than half the States and orders the transformation of a social institution that has formed the basis of human society for millennia, for the Kalahari Bushmen and the Han Chinese, the Carthaginians and the Aztecs. Just who do we think we are?” [2]

            No one wants to deny individuals there right to enjoy freedoms, privileges, rights and privacy. However, since the 2015 Supreme Court Decision traditional marriage family and religious values, beliefs, rights and protections have been at risk. When a government legalizes same-sex marriage as a civil right, it will almost certainly include a wide variety of other policies to enforce this. The implications of these policies are critical to understanding the seriousness of condoning same-sex marriage.[3]

The all-important question of public policy must be: what environment is best for the child and for the rising generation? While some same-sex couples will obtain guardianship over children, traditional marriage provides the most solid and well-established social identity for children It increases the likelihood that they will be able to form a clear gender identity, with sexuality closely linked to both love and procreation. By contrast, the legal recognition of same-sex marriage may, over time, erode the social identity, gender development, and moral character of children. As one example of how children will be adversely affected, the establishment of same-sex marriage as a civil right will inevitably entail changes in school curricula. When the state says that same-sex marriages are equivalent to heterosexual marriages, public school administrators will feel obligated to support this claim. This has already happened in many jurisdictions, where from elementary school through high school, children are taught that marriage can be defined as a legal union between two adults of any gender, that the definition of family is fluid, and in some cases that consensual sexual relations are morally neutral. [4]

            It is important to remember to show kindness, respect to those who have different points of view. We can stand up for our beliefs without hurting other people. We should respect the rights and beliefs of gays and lesbians and show them kindness and love. At the same time never changing the eternal nature of marriage between a man and a woman.

Image: married couple vector royalty free clipart.com

1. 576 U. S. ____ (2015)  
2. 576 U. S. ____ (2015) ROBERTS, C. J., dissenting SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES Nos. 14–556, 14-562, 14-571 and 14–574
3. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/the-divine-institution-of-marriage
4. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/the-divine-institution-of-marriage

If someone asked me about the Church’s position on divorce, based on what Elder Faust and Elder Oaks said, I would tell them that the church believes marriage is sacred and should be protected. Most problems in a marriage are solved with prayer, repentance, forgiveness, and charity. If you need more help, you should seek help. If it is something serious like abuse, then you should end the marriage. I would also refer them to materials written by the prophets and apostles about marriage, family and divorce.[1] [2] Visit www.thechurchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints.org for resources on marriage and family.

President Spencer W Kimball has said, “…only those who believe deeply and actively in the family will be able to preserve their families in the midst of the gathering evil around us.” He is saying that only those who value their families and make the commitment to nurture and protect it will be able to preserve it.[3]

Children that grow up in homes with both parents have a higher standard of living, receive more effective parenting, experience more, have cooperative co-parenting, are emotionally closer to both parents, and are subject to fewer stressful events and circumstances. children living in single-parent homes are more likely to experience stressful events and circumstances like economic hardship, quality of parenting, and exposure to stress.[4]

1.Elder Dallin H. Oaks speaking on divorce.

2.Elder James E. Faust speaking on divorce. (Elder Faust; “Father, Come Home,”Ensign, May 1993, 35.

3. Elder James E. Faust speaking on divorce. (Elder Faust; “Father, Come Home,”Ensign, May 1993, 35.

4.Amato, P. (Fall, 2005). The impact of family formation change on the cognitive, social, and emotional well-being of the next generation.

5. Image: https://www.123rf.com/photo_50787919_stock-vector-divorced-wedding-couple-symbol.html

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.