A Parallel

I belong to a church that teaches complete abstinence before marriage, and complete fidelity after marriage.  This same church teaches that marriage is between man and woman (or women depending on the timeframe in question).  I belong to a church that teaches homosexual practices are a sin.  That being said, I am a proud member of this church.

However, I belong to a church that also teaches understanding, loving your fellow man with the same love Christ would.  I am a proud member of this church.

Let me demonstrate two very real situations and demonstrate some parallels.

The church that I belong to has not always received mainstream acceptance.   When it was first founded it was immediately the object of much persecution.  It was persecuted so much that its followers had to move to Kirtland, Ohio.  Through several years, and several moves it finally ended up in Missouri, and then Nauvoo, Illinois.  Their largest crime?  They were Mormon.

There are currently a group of people in our nation that are treated as second class.  They are not permitted to marry and have the rights that go along with that.  In some areas they can be denied employment and housing.  Their crime?  They are attracted to people of the same gender.

The Mormons petitioned the government for a redress of grievances.  The President’s reply “Your cause is just, but I can do nothing for you”  People were claiming it was their religious right to persecute the Mormons, while all the Mormons were doing was asking for tolerance, and understanding.

LGBT are asking for the same rights everyone else in society enjoys.  States are coming together in droves to pass constitutional amendments to prohibit their marriage.  In my own State there was a debate over whether or not it should be illegal to use their sexual preference as reason to deny them housing.  All they are asking for is tolerance and understanding.

Interesting notion, when a minority is asking for tolerance and understanding the majority is quick to ask for the same back.  I understand you Mormons want tolerance and understanding, but you have to understand, I have my religious rights persecute you.  I understand you want the same rights I enjoy to marry the one you love, but you have to understand my right to persecute you.  The group enjoying the rights the other desperately seeks has a hard time morally claiming their point of view needs acceptance as well.

Recently there was a debate over whether or not Mormons are Christians.  Mormons are exclaiming we believe in Jesus, of course we are!  Other Christians are saying that we just too different, and while we may believe in the same being, are not Christian.

Many people don’t mind civil unions, or domestic partnerships or whatever the term of the day happens to be; but cannot accept the fact they want to call it a marriage.  If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck…it’s a duck.  If it looks like a marriage, and acts like a marriage…it’s a marriage, no matter what you call it.

When Utah was applying for statehood, the idea of polygamy was the reason it kept on being denied.  The Mormons were claiming it was their protected first amendment rights to practice polygamy, and took the issue to the Supreme Court.  The Supreme Court came down and said that laws prohibiting polygamy were indeed lawful.

The LGBT is petitioning courts asking for their rights to marry.  I hope this is where the parallel ends.

I am not saying that understanding and tolerance is a full embracement.  Reasonable people are allowed to disagree, but to deny someone a right that you enjoy, be it to religion, marry or to even vote is not something reasonable people can do.

I am grateful to live in a country where places like Chick-fil-A can make a statement on marriage, and not be legally punished; where citizens are allowed to march in a Gay Pride parade and not be legally punished; where citizens are allowed to disagree on what they think is right and wrong.  However, I firmly believe that disagreeing with someone is not a basis to deny them a right.