Is it love?

 

These adorable kids are not allowed to be baptized in the LDS church if their parents are gay.


It's because the LDS church has confirmed that you cannot be a member of its church if your parents are gay.  At least, not easily.  You have to move out of their house and disavow them.


This policy is hypocritical because the same policy doesn't apply to *children* of parents who aren't married, parents who don't pay tithing, parents in jail, parents who aren't Mormon. How are they any different?


I cannot fathom any way this could possibly be seen as loving.

It will be used to justify families breaking apart. It directly states that you should disavow parents who are gay (and implies any family members). That's not love.
It institutionalizes treating others differently, not because of their beliefs but because of people they associate with - both of which I think are wrong.

What's the next step? Will you have to stop being my friend because I disagree with this policy? Should you remove your parents, siblings, or children from your home because they think differently?

You are always welcome into my home, whoever you are, whatever you think. Why shouldn't any "loving policy" have similar humanity, empathy, and compassion?

The common arguments in defense of the church are --


1) "The church does the same for children of polygamous parents."

There are legitimate safety issues here, since many polygamous communities in/around Utah have super-authoritarian communities that the kids can easily be exiled from or worse. This is similar to the church and Muslim parents, where there again are safety concerns.

But with gay parents? Are there safety concerns? Is it really equivalent?

Why can you be baptized with polygamist and muslim parents after 18, but not gay parents?

2) “This stops kids and parents from being divided.”

If you really wanted to keep parents and kids together, then why not allow those of parents with mixed marriages to have their children baptized? (Has the rule been clarified for them? eg. one parent in church, other parent out and gay) There's bound to be divorced parents (one of which is gay) that allow their children to go to church, be baptized, etc for the sake of keeping the peace with the ex spouse.

3) "This is to prevent kids from experiencing conflict between what their parents teach them and what the church teaches.”

Does this hold up for baby blessings?

Many parents allow their children to be baptized into religions that they may themselves not believe in. If this was truly an argument, maybe they should ban children of gay parents completely from attending the church?

4) “This enables children to make the decision at a time when they can better understand things.”

Eight year olds make eternal promises -- maybe that should stop too until they are eighteen?