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 Recently Elder Oaks delivered a forum address at BYU-Idaho expressing his concern about the erosion of religious freedom. He was referring to the effort on the part of some same-sex marriage advocates to force the LDS Church out of the same-sex marriage debate.
This is not an idle concern. Elder Oaks quoted one of the spokespersons for the same-sex marriage advocates as saying "My single goal is to get them out of the same-sex marriage business and back to helping hurricane victims." On one of his recent programs, Keith Olbermann gave Elder Oaks his "worst person in the world" award and commented that the Church should shut up on this issue.
It would be a tragedy if gay rights advocates, in seeking to obtain gay rights, became party to an effort to rob others of another set of rights - the right to participate in public debate about public policy issues in accordance with personal religious views. Those rights should be sacrosanct in a democratic society.
Even though the Catholic Church and many other religious organizations have expressed opposition to same-sex marriage, the LDS Church has become a favorite target of gay rights groups because the Church itself is a small minority of the population and often misunderstood by a majority of Americans. The effort for rights should not result in the denial of others' rights.
LDS Church leaders have expressed opposition to same-sex marriage because of the concern that marriage itself will be weakened by this expansion of the definition. They are concerned about the decline of the family and view same-sex marriage as yet another example of the decline. Many LDS Church members are concerned that, if same-sex marriage is legal, the Church itself will be forced to recognize and perform such marriages.
Both sides of the same sex marriage debate should recognize the rights of others who disagree with them. Gay rights advocates should view the LDS Church's position as a legitimate expression of the religious views of a group of Americans who have every right to participate in the formation of public opinion and public policy. Disagreement with a particular view does not warrant attempting to exclude that view from the public sphere.
Similarly, opponents of same-sex marriage should recognize that gay rights advocates are lobbying for equal rights after decades of social, legal, and political discrimination. Historically, homosexuals have been the targets of oppression. In Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler targeted for concentration camps not only Jews but also homosexuals. In this country, during the 1950s Senator Joseph McCarthy attacked homosexuals, along with Communists, as threats to the United States. As a result, homosexuals were denied employment by the federal government and state governments. Homosexuals often were barred from teaching in schools or working in hospitals.
Fortunately, much of the legal discrimination against gays has been eradicated. However, the social biases still exist. Teens still use the term "gay" as a derogatory remark. Some people want gays to stop protesting and pushing for gay rights. Many people often express homophobic views, despite the fact that President Hinckley explained, speaking of gays and lesbians, that "we love them as sons and daughters of God."
The issue of same-sex marriage will be with us for some time to come. In the meantime, we can be civil with those who disagree with us. We should not suggest that those on the other side from our views should disappear or give up their right to advocate their perspective. |
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