Comments on: Spinning the news to create wedges in Mormondom?

By: Paul Mero

Paul Mero — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 21:58:00 +0000

I’ve read Rauch…and Bauer…and Sullivan….among others.

By: Rob Lauer

Rob Lauer — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:10:00 +0000

I would recommend that you and readers here read and consider the points made in this excellent book, “GAY MARRIAGE: WHY IT IS GOOD FOR GAYS, GOOD FOR STARIGHTS AND GOOD FOR AMERICA” by Jonathan Rauch. http://www.amazon.com/Gay-Marriage-Good-Straights-America/dp/0805078150#reader_0805078150

By: Paul Mero

Paul Mero — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 04:10:00 +0000

Our Sutherland web site is full of articles on the subject. You might want to read this: http://www.amazon.com/What-Marriage-Man-Woman-Defense/dp/1594036225/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360555752&sr=1-1&keywords=robert+george+what+is+marriage

By: Rob Lauer

Rob Lauer — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 16:28:00 +0000

Of course I care about freedom.Which is why I defend the freedom of homosexual individuals enter into a CIVIL marriage contract.

And I defend the freedom of churches or any private organization to denounce those civil marriages, to refuse to officiate over those marriages, to excommunicate those who enter into them, advocate them, etc.

Where is the evidence that civil mariages between homosexual individuals harm society?
What exactly is the harm?

By: Paul Mero

Paul Mero — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 02:29:00 +0000

Okay…so…private relationships don’t rise to the level of law and policy, right? UNLESS, those private relationships, such as marriage, benefit society so significantly that they define society, as marriage and family do. There are no societal benefits to homosexuality…all of its “benefits” would be private (and selfish).

It’s interesting that you would now argue sodomy laws (laws based on behavior) in defense of “gay” rights based on feelings and attractions.

Laws against sodomy and cohabitation and restrictions on familiy-related government-controlled policies (such as adoption and foster care) change with culture, for sure — solely for political reasons…although those changes don’t negate the initial value found in those restrictions.

Homosexual relationships don’t harm my personal relationship or yours in a direct way, true (although there are intransitive aspects that with behavior that apply to moral character and manifest in socially). But when projected from private matters to public policy, there is harm…exactly why the Church pushed Prop 8 and now defend it vigorously.

I and many others have written about those harms…I even argue that, ultimately, freedom is at stake.

If you care.

By: Rob Lauer

Rob Lauer — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 23:11:00 +0000

I completely agree: the Scouts have a right to adopt any policy they wish…regardless of its popularity.

Yes, people “struggling with homosexuality is a private matter” and people who live their lives in a homosexual relationship is also a private matter–just as a romantic relationship and a married relationship and a family relationship is a private matter.

In 2003 the POLITICS changed: faith-based assumptions and conepts regarding sodomy were thrown out as a basis for arresting adults because of their private relationship.

Truth did NOT change: homosexual relationship in no way threatened the rights of individuals–the rights which the U.S. law and government at all levels was instituted to protect. The TRUTH was, the faith-based laws regarding so-called “sodomy” (itself a Medeival Christian concept) were, when enforced, themselves an attack on the rights of individuals.

By: Rob Lauer

Rob Lauer — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 23:03:00 +0000

I made no reference to “Natural Law” which is a Catholic theological concept. I refered to Natural Rights–which is a secular Enlightement concept and the philosophy to which the U.S. Founding Fathers looked for framing our Repubic.

I’m not serving Kool-Aid, Brother And if you want to believe that there is no evidence upon which to base the scientific theory that sexual orientation is in-born, by all means go right ahead.

By: Rob Lauer

Rob Lauer — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 22:55:00 +0000

I’m NOT saying that the Church has changed it teaching on homosexual actions, thought they have changed their APPROACH to dealing with homosexuals since the 1970s when “gay rights” first became a social and political isssue. As for your comment regarding my “faith” and “The new religion ‘gay’”–I have no idea what you mean.

My religion is Mormonism.

By: Nick Mathews

Nick Mathews — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 02:05:00 +0000

It rises to the level of law and policy when guys like you discriminate against people who are different.

By: Paul Mero

Paul Mero — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:47:00 +0000

1) I agree…people struggling with homosexuality is a private matter.
2) In 2003, did truth change or did politics?
3)I’m not a Scout but it’s a private organization and it can do what it wants…and for over 100 years it has…and in 2000 SCOTUS agreed.