An LDS prospective on CA Prop 8
California Proposition 8 is old news. It was passed by 52% of voters in November of 2008 and it was upheld by the California Supreme Court. So why this post? I wanted to give my view on why I (and many Christians like me) support Prop 8.
The Bible speaks out plainly against homosexuality. There are scriptures in both the Old and New Testiments condemning it. It’s true that God is a God of love. The message of the Bible is one of God’s love for all his children. However, God’s love for his children never excuses their sins. For example, while on the Earth, Jesus Christ denounced the Pharisees as hypocrites who deny the faith, but there can be no doubt that the Atonement of Christ applies to all men who repent, even the scribes and Pharisees. That is the essence of God’s love. That anyone who falls short of the glory of God can be forgiven through the Atonement of Christ.
OK. So as a Christian, I believe the Bible to be the word of God. Therefore I accept the Bible’s condemnation of homosexuality. Why can’t I just leave well enough alone? I’ll go my why, and let others go theirs. Why can’t I (and other Christians) just let homosexuals practice their lifestyle in peace? Well, you could say that as a Christian I fear the wrath of God.
To one extreme we have the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah which were destroyed by God for their practice of homosexuality. While God may not rain down fire for the practice today, it is certain that He may choose to withhold His blessing from the person or nation that chooses to to embrace such a life style. And if we try and operate without His blessing, how can we, as a Nation, hope to remain great? Benjamin Franklin stated as much at the Constitutional Convention:
[I]f a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that “except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better, than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest. [full text]
It is because we do not wish to become a bye word to future generations that we fight now in our generation for what we believe is right.
But the issue of Gay Marriage becomes even more urgent for Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) because of what we consider to be revealed truth. We learn from the Book of Mormon that the American Continent is meant to be a Land of Promise. We also learn that this is only guaranteed as long as the inhabitants of the land obey Gods commandments.
I feel very strongly that without the aid of heaven, we cannot long endure as a great nation. I feel strongly that we cannot claim the aid of heaven, while embracing things that are in direct opposition to God’s laws.
Why do I as a Christian speak out so strongly against gay marriage? Because I must.