[quote=“Roy, post:12, topic:6868”]
(Roy) I keep hearing that the Church is pushing our beliefs onto others. And the citations are Prop 8 and ??? Tell me how that is pushing our beliefs / religion onto others.
(Ron) Okay Roy,
When the LDS Church and it’s University, each based in Utah, created an orchestrated campaign to go into California
elections and be a major contrubuter to stopping the LGBT’s from having the right to marry, because marriage was to be between one man and one woman, than that was pushing our beliefs on one segment on the California Society that not only did not believe in it but also had no desire to obide by it. That is interference with others beliefs and trying to force our beliefs on them, thus, denying them the opportunity of marriage because they do not believe as we do.
We forgot, but the critics did not forget, that until it became illegal, the Church practice marriage of one man having more than one wife was Okak. . My own father in law came from a pologymist family and was one of the best men I have ever know in my life. He was my Bishop for 13 years. So is the LGBT issue within the Church doctrine or procedure? I think that since we changed our belief that than it was okay for man to have more than one wife, but now, it is not okay for marriage to be anything other than one man for one wife, I must ask, is it docrine or procedure currently being used?
(ROY) I suppose the church does not have any right to express ourselves outside of church and when does that extend to inside the church?
(Ron) In this country any group, be they religious or non-religious, have the right to express their concerns about policies that would impact the church. They also have a right to send missionaries into the world to spread the word to those willing to hear.
Others also have the right to react to the message be it positive or negative.
In the case of the LGBT group, in response to our interference with California Prop 8, the response negative and hurtful and we will all feel the pain if that response keeps us from ever getting to the next level in a P5 conference. If we learn from this experience of being kept out of Power 5 conferences be they Pac 10/12 or Big 12, or by presidence, all of the other 3 P5 conferences, it may have been worth it if we learn anything from it. The slower we are at learning, the less helpful the lesson becomes.
(Roy) I am 68 years old and have lived all over the country and outside the country and have never witnessed the church forcing our beliefs on others.
(Ron) I am 81 years old, I have been many times in every country of Europe, Iberia, Scandanvia, United Kingdom, Northern Africa, Most of the Middle East, Canada, Mexico, Central America and I have lived in Mexico and Germany, and I have witnessed the Church, or it’s members,forcing their beliefs on others that did not appreciated it.
One time, while living in Germany, at an LDS branch in Heidleburg, I was asked by the Branch President, to not bring my guest with me to Church anymore because he was half black.
While living in California, I was asked by some gay acquaintances why the Church in Utah would interfer with their California elections causing, at least until the surpreme court over ruled the election, the LGBT community from being able to marry? (So why shouldn’t that same LGBT group feel like they should keep that group from joining any P5 conference?)