New LDS Church Website: Mormons and Gays

[myboynoah]

What's the point of asking a Bishop about something like this?

I think most Bishops will be reasonable (like yours) but doesn't it just cause a lot of unnecessary drama if your Bishop happens to be an idiot?

Some people want to know where they stand with the Bishop, I guess.

[Moliere]

I think the thing that really irritated me is this:

Elder Oaks restated the church's position that nondiscrimination laws and ordinances should protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people against discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodation, with some exceptions for religious conscience.

"We think there is a very real question about whether there should be an absolute nondiscrimination (provision) in housing that would not let a widow, say, who rents out a room in her home, make some individual choices on the basis of her conscience, so if you have nondiscrimination as a value that overrides everything else, that's not good."

He said such "gradations" will be difficult for lawmakers to draw.

"But I hope they will be drawn and you won't get an absolute 'no discrimination' law or (one that is) an absolute, 'religion is an excuse for everything.'"

He expresses concern that an elderly widow would be forced to abide by anti-discrimination laws. Except that the elderly widow is exempt from fair housing laws, as is anyone who rents out rooms in their own home, as long as they live there too and the house is built for 4 or fewer families. It's called the "Mrs. Murphy exemption;" it's codified into the federal statute, and the exemption is mirrored in the Utah statute. What's more, this isn't coming from an old railroad man, or a teacher-turned publisher. This is coming from a man who was once sitting on the Utah Supreme Court.

He outta know better. He does know better. And to sit there and pull out Mrs. Murphy as a red herring makes me a bit disappointed.

I'm not sure how good of a bill this is, however it speaks volumes that the church is officially endorsing the piece of legislation. It doesn't surprise me in the least that D. Todd was part of the announcement.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/8...gislation.html

[old_gregg]

except for the bizarre bsa exemption

[Moliere]

except for the bizarre bsa exemption

I didn't hear about that. Did they include the BSA since it wasn't covered under the religious exemption? If so, I'm sure the church had a heavy hand in that.

[old_gregg]

I didn't hear about that. Did they include the BSA since it wasn't covered under the religious exemption? If so, I'm sure the church had a heavy hand in that.

yeah. weird to see them explicitly named. must have been a sticking point in the negotiations, so i guess it's even weirder that anyone cares about the bsa that much.

[Solon]

Some people want to know where they stand with the Bishop, I guess.

This little sentence has more meaning than is apparent at first glance. Bravo, MBN.

Here is the non-discrimination bill in its current proposed form: http://le.utah.gov/~2015/bills/static/SB0296.html

Here are the exemptions (for the most part, although there's stuff later on about student housing at religious schools):

(ii) "Employer" does not include:
93 (A) a religious organization [or association], a religious corporation sole, a religious
94 association, a religious society, a religious educational institution, or a religious leader, when
95 that individual is acting in the capacity of a religious leader;
96 [(B) a religious corporation sole; or]
97 [(C)] (B) any corporation or association constituting an affiliate, a wholly owned
98 subsidiary, or an agency of any religious organization [or association or religious corporation
99 sole.], religious corporation sole, religious association, or religious society; or
100 (C) the Boy Scouts of America or its councils, chapters, or subsidiaries.

[Moliere]

So I'm hearing different opinions as to whether this new law will allow Mormon bakeries to decline baking a gay wedding cake. Any lawyers around these parts know the answer to that?

[Donuthole]

So I'm hearing different opinions as to whether this new law will allow Mormon bakeries to decline baking a gay wedding cake. Any lawyers around these parts know the answer to that?

Wedding cakes don't have a sexual orientation, so it's pretty much just propaganda.

[Sullyute]

Here are the exemptions (for the most part, although there's stuff later on about student housing at religious schools):

We endorse this law as long as we don't have to follow it! But gays please continue shopping at our mall.

[falafel]

So I'm hearing different opinions as to whether this new law will allow Mormon bakeries to decline baking a gay wedding cake. Any lawyers around these parts know the answer to that?

Mormon bakeries?

[Dwight Schr-ute]

Mormon bakeries?

Don't pretend like it doesn't exist.

lion-house.jpg

[falafel]

Don't pretend like it doesn't exist.

[ATTACH]5590[/ATTACH]

Wow, I just realized I went to a Mormon bakery for prom dinner.

[Donuthole]

Wow, I just realized I went to a Mormon bakery for prom dinner.

Loser. I went to a normal bakery for prom dinner so we could have some gay cake!

[Northwestcoug]

So I'm hearing different opinions as to whether this new law will allow Mormon bakeries to decline baking a gay wedding cake. Any lawyers around these parts know the answer to that?

From the article:

It does not contain religious exemptions from nondiscrimination provisions for individuals or for-profit businesses.

I guess if it didn't specifically contain those exemptions, then it seems like they can't use this bill to discriminate based on religious conviction. At least that's how I read it.

[byu71]

I saw on the news last night both LGBT folks and a church official praising the legislation. Kind of a nobody gets everything they want scenario and it seems nice to me to actual see compromise going on. Yes, I know the far righties and far lefties hate that word. It is a matter of principle for them.