I thought Salt Lake City would be behind the curve in the evolving efforts to see gay people treated as equal citizens. I was wrong. I also agree with Andrew Sullivan that their actions cast a very poor light on Catholic and Protestant Christians.
Way to go SLC!
Joe H.
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The Years Of Writing Dangerously
9 years ago
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Thanks for bringing this to my attention. As someone who recently went from active Mormon Church membership to no longer identifying as Mormon, this hit close to home. I wonder if the development is the result of the backlash the church experienced after Prop 8? In California, the affect Prop 8 had on congregations was interesting. In my area there are wards (Mormon congregations) located in liberal communities--Berkeley, for example. But if you go further east, the communities are conservative to the extreme. Neither of these groups seem to have been much affected. The liberal wards ignored the church's stance on Prop 8 and the conservative congregations had teenagers canvassing neighborhoods in its support. My own ward, however, was deeply split. (We're on the border from a political viewpoint). The resentment the measure engendered in my Ward will not go away soon. Active attendance is probably down by 25%.
Yes, thanks for that article. Lovely. I doubt it was a decision taken lightly in SLC but, hmmmm, it makes me wonder how much sway the "conservative to the extreme" Mormons that Bahr mentions have in SLC. I will not be surprised if the MC changes its mind.
I did not grow up Mormon, I've never been tempted by Mormonism, but I have, oddly enough, read The Book, visited the Sacred Grove, and enjoyed the time I've lived in Mormon communities. From the outside, Mormon tolerance of others appears to be influenced more by pre-Utah Mormon history than by any, um, theological concerns.
Numbertwopencil,
Utah's culture is dominated by a single religious instution, so its culture is going to be distorted by that fact. My experience is that everyone who lives in the State is either an active member of the Church or is reacting to it in one way or another.
That said, Utah has some intense and vocal conservatives and usually votes Republican. But Salt Lake City proper is a different animal. As recently as a few years ago, it had elected and relected arguably the most liberal mayor in the country (Rocky Anderson). Its a fascinating place, filled with very tolerant people, Morman and non Morman. I loved living there.
Joe
Alan,
This could be the result of a backlash, but I think Sullivan gets it right. One interesting thing that I didn't mention is that Salt lake City has a large and visible gay population. Most people don't realize that, but its clear to anyone living there. It may be that the people of Salt Lake City are getting used to gay people.
As far as extending marriage rights to gays, Utah seems the most unlikely state to do so. As you know better than I, Mormon theology is anchored by its theology of the family. Unless and until a large population of Mormans draws the distinction between civil marriage and religious marriage, nothing will change there.
Joe H.
November 15, 2009 2:02 PM
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