In the last week there have been 2 significant changes to the LDS “Handbook 1” (which goes to the stake and bishop leadership levels), both relating to homosexuals. Changes listed here.
The first is that homosexuals that are in a same-sex marriage are now considered apostates by the church.
For those that don’t know, in particular, that means that they have actively and willfully turned their back on God. One does not become an apostate by simply not going to church.
This is viewed as one of the worst things that a person can do in the LDS church. Even murderers, child molesters, and rapists are not considered apostates.
As though that weren’t heinous enough, the second change takes that level of mistreatment of humanity to a new level.
Children of same-sex couples now cannot be baptized and become members of the church, until such time as they are 18 years old, and disavow their parents’ marriage. Let me repeat that… DISAVOW their parents’ marriage.
This originally was thought to be disavowing their parents, but it is mentioned specifically disavowing same-sex marriage or cohabitation. One church leader made this clarification, as though it was better than disavowing one’s parents. “Hey moms… I love you, but you’re apostates and I can’t support your relationship together.” This is more of the “love the sinner, hate the sin” filth that we’ve seen before.
The idea that one can love the sinner, yet hate the sin, especially in this case, is preposterous on its face. It provides a false sense of not being hurtful to others for what you believe.
It has also been “clarified” by LDS church leadership that it is to protect the children of persons who are in same-sex relationships. That the child would become confused because of a difference of church and family teachings.
In the LDS church, most are baptized at the age of 8, and upon confirmation, it is thought that you then are directed by the “Holy Ghost” to know the difference between right and wrong. It is thought that after baptism, you need repent if you do ‘wrong’ because you have the Holy Ghost and faculties to KNOW those differences. The question this brings up, in the case that a same-sex couple give a child permission to become baptized at the age of 8, would the Holy Ghost not be able to provide those answers? Is the Holy Ghost that impotent?
As has been blatantly apparent, I’m not a fan of organized religion, but this takes it to a new level. I now consider the LDS church to be hate group.
I’ll expand, in case you think I’m being unfair.
Children of other types of individuals can be baptized (with parental permission) at the age of 8, including, but not limited to, children of murderers, rapists, child molesters, terrorists, and drug dealers. Yet, children of persons that are in a same-sex relationship apparently are special, and not in a good way.
As a friend posited to me shortly after this information was available, it seems that now that the control the LDS church tried to exert previously on same-sex marriage has been lost nationwide, and it’s turning on its own membership.
This does not punish same-sex couples. It punishes children. A child that is actively going to church will now be ridiculed by his or her peers because they are not getting baptized. Being a Utahn, I was ridiculed at 8 because I wasn’t getting baptized, and I wasn’t LDS.
These rules cannot come from anywhere but hate for homosexuality and an inability to affect public change. Hence, hate group.
I’m sure we’ll see plenty of apologists attempt to provide reasons for why this is a necessity, and is part of a loving God, but it’ll take a lot of convincing for me to see why this is anything but human hatred coming from a place of power.