Same-sex marriage coming to Utah

[Topper]

On that topic, you may have noticed lots of references on social media to increased gay teen suicides since the policy change. The number 35 has been thrown around. Seems heartbreaking and many national publications have picked it up and ran with it.

However, the story takes a turn. PFS did an investigation and could not find any hard data to back this up. In fact, suicides actually went down compared to the same period during the prior year (2014). PFS story here:

http://www.sltrib.com/news/lds/3473487-155/suicide-fears-if-not-actual-suicides?fullpage=1&utm_source=Baptist+News+Global+Today&utm_campaign=6fafa99959-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_dd0edff639-6fafa99959-53697525

Analysis of the article here:

http://www.getreligion.org/getreligion/2016/2/4/young-gay-mormons-and-suicide-the-salt-lake-tribune-tries-to-do-the-numbers

This is an awful set of circumstances and even one suicide is too many, but this is an interesting instance of media and culture wars.

My FB feed is inundated by people posting these links. As you point out, when asked for hard data, nobody has any. I'm no fan of the policy, but it doesn't help your cause if you simply make up shit to conform to your bias.

[Maximus]

Trump likes cruz again

In a striking reversal of rhetoric, Donald Trump would not rule out Ted Cruz as his hypothetical vice-presidential pick.

“Well, I don’t know. Look, I have nothing against him. It was sort of a sad thing that happened, but I’ve always liked him,” Trump told Hugh Hewitt on his radio show Thursday, after weeks of trashing his primary rival as nasty, hypocritical and disliked.

Trump added that he has “always gotten along well” with Cruz, but that “I’m so much now focused on New Hampshire.”

[Donuthole]

Here's a city weekly article about my cousin and his husband's Twitch stream. They are self-dubbed "gaymers."

http://m.cityweekly.net/TheDailyFeed/archives/2016/02/08/twedesmith

[cougjunkie]

Here's a city weekly article about my cousin and his husband's Twitch stream. They are self-dubbed "gaymers."

http://m.cityweekly.net/TheDailyFeed.../08/twedesmith

Wait so these two meet at BYU and they immediately know that one another is gay? Was your cousin pretty open about it? Even while attending BYU?

[Donuthole]

Wait so these two meet at BYU and they immediately know that one another is gay? Was your cousin pretty open about it? Even while attending BYU?

I had the same question. I can't remember if he came out while he was still at BYU or shortly thereafter. He is only moderately flaming, while his husband is definitely farther up the flaming scale. But yeah, I'm guessing that's probably not the complete story.

[Uncle Ted]

Mormon leader: ‘We are not bigots’ because ‘there are no homosexual members of the church’

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) Elder David A. Bednar revealed to followers recently that there were “no homosexual members of the church.”


During a Feb. 23 meeting, the member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles took a question from a church member in Chile who asked, “How can homosexual members of the church live and remain steadfast in the gospel?”


“First, I want to change the question,” Bednar replied. “There are no homosexual members of the church. We are not defined by sexual attraction. We are not defined by sexual behavior. We are sons and daughters of God. And all of us have different challenges in the flesh.”
[...]
Bednar’s sentiments resemble 2007 remarks by then-Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.


“In Iran we don’t have homosexuals like in your country,” Ahmadinejad told a group at Columbia University, prompting laughter from the audience. “In Iran we do not have this phenomenon,” he continued. “I do not know who has told you we have it.”

https://www.rawstory.com/2016/02/mormon-leader-we-are-not-bigots-because-there-are-no-homosexual-members-of-the-church/

So I guess there is no need to hold a church court for so called homosexual members. They don't exist and the members are not defined by sexual behavior. Good to know.

[Maximus]

https://www.rawstory.com/2016/02/mor...of-the-church/

So I guess there is no need to hold a church court for so called homosexual members. They don't exist and the members are not defined by sexual behavior. Good to know.

Meh

[byu71]

https://www.rawstory.com/2016/02/mor...of-the-church/

So I guess there is no need to hold a church court for so called homosexual members. They don't exist and the members are not defined by sexual behavior. Good to know.

I once had a fellow CB member boardmail me and state I was damaging testimonies and leading people away from the church. My transgression was to state my opinion (in several conversations) that I did not believe everything said by and member of the twelve has to be taken as the Word of God.

I would assume he (Elder Bednar) would also say there are no heterosexuals who are members of the church?

In my world it is easier to listen to what the brethern have to say knowing in my mind I don't have to consider everything they say is the Word of God.

[smokymountainrain]

I once had a fellow CB member boardmail me and state I was damaging testimonies and leading people away from the church. My transgression was to state my opinion (in several conversations) that I did not believe everything said by and member of the twelve has to be taken as the Word of God.

I would assume he (Elder Bednar) would also say there are no heterosexuals who are members of the church?

In my world it is easier to listen to what the brethern have to say knowing in my mind I don't have to consider everything they say is the Word of God.

taken in context, yeah, I think he would say that as well, but I don't think the Iranian president would say the same.

Having said that, I have to wonder if he did completely dodge the question from the Chilean member of the church.

[byu71]

taken in context, yeah, I think he would say that as well, but I don't think the Iranian president would say the same.

Having said that, I have to wonder if he did completely dodge the question from the Chilean member of the church.

Well, also before I go one being critical, I should make sure the translation from Spanish to English was done correctly. He might have said "there are" and the no was put in inadvertantly.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Good grief. What a dumb article. The notion that Bednar and the Iranian leader were saying the same thing is ludicrous.

[Eddie]

Well, also before I go one being critical, I should make sure the translation from Spanish to English was done correctly. He might have said "there are" and the no was put in inadvertantly.

Interestingly enough, if you translate "no" from English to Spanish - and vice versa - it comes out "no".

[Northwestcoug]

Bednar's comments may not be as bad as the Iranian what's his face. But it really is stunning how he is still trying to promote the narrative that Oaks proposed years ago: that the church shouldn't use the word 'homosexual' to describe anyone. He is still trying to control the narrative by claiming that homosexuality equals gay sex and nothing else. If he can influence members to not use the term homosexual and refer to gay members as same-sex attracted, then he can still differentiate between members in good standing and those who should be rejected. As if gay people are defined solely on the basis of their sexual activity.

But that ship has sailed, and he and others have lost the argument. Seriously, is there anybody who refers to gay people as 'same-sex attracted' outside of church functions?

[creekster]

Bednar's comments may not be as bad as the Iranian what's his face. But it really is stunning how he is still trying to promote the narrative that Oaks proposed years ago: that the church shouldn't use the word 'homosexual' to describe anyone. He is still trying to control the narrative by claiming that homosexuality equals gay sex and nothing else. If he can influence members to not use the term homosexual and refer to gay members as same-sex attracted, then he can still differentiate between members in good standing and those who should be rejected. As if gay people are defined solely on the basis of their sexual activity.

But that ship has sailed, and he and others have lost the argument. Seriously, is there anybody who refers to gay people as 'same-sex attracted' outside of church functions?

You're trying far too hard. And in doing so you're either missing or ignoring the point. The question was how could a homosexual member remain faithful to the church. Bednar's response was on point. He said there is no such thing as a homosexual member attempting to remain faithful there are simply sons and daughters of God trying to be faithful. In other words, everybody remains faithful and obedient in the same way. This has absolutely nothing to do with the political and social construct put forth by the ayatollah. That you persist in trying to draw the parallel reveals more about your bias and attitude than it does Bednar's.

[Green Monstah]

Interesting guy...


http://archive.sltrib.com/printfrien...9&itype=ngpsid

Interesting de-conversion story.

http://signaturebookslibrary.org/leaving-the-fold-%E2%80%93-17/