Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Hawaii LDS Churches Release New Letter on Gay Marriage
By Selected News Articles @ 3:25 PM :: 7283 Views :: Family, First Amendment, Religion

Hawaii's largest faiths oppose same-sex marriage bill

Deseret News: On Sunday, local LDS Church leaders read a letter to the adult men and women organizations of local congregations stressing the church's position against same-sex marriage and the bill:

"There are two reasons for our opposition: First, it attempts to redefine marriage. The church is firm in its belief that marriage as the union of a man and a woman is essential to the well-being of children, families, and society. Second, the protections offered in the current draft are completely inadequate to safeguard constitutionally guaranteed religious freedoms. Traditional marriage and religious liberty are among the most cherished and historically vital elements of society, and both deserve careful protection."

The letter signed by local stake leadership expressed respect for those "who choose to live by other values," and urges church members to "educate yourselves on these matters and to let your voice be heard through the democratic process. We encourage you to call, write and visit your elected representatives to let them know where you stand. Join your voices with others in organizations who share your views."

Second statement

The letter was the second the LDS Church has presented to members about the bill and upcoming special session. A letter read by local leaders on Sept. 14 advised members to study the church's 1995 Proclamation on the Family, which speaks out against gay marriage, and call their legislators to express their views.

"Whether or not you favor the proposed change, we hope that you will urge your elected representatives to include in any such legislation a strong exemption for people and organizations of faith," stated a copy of the letter from the Mililani Stake Presidency, one of 15 stakes in Hawaii where more than 71,000 Mormons live.

The earlier letter didn't sit right with some of the leading opponents of gay marriage who saw it as emphasizing an exemption instead of opposing the bill.

"I think that’s a mistake," Hochberg said a week after the letter was read. "We don’t support that position (of focusing on a religious exemption). ... If you are for plan B you will get plan B. And that’s our position, no plan B."

He said HFA and local LDS Church leaders had met to discuss what he characterized as competing messages.

Mililani Stake President Owen Matsunaga, a local Mormon leader involved in the campaign against the current bill, said in an email Sunday there was some confusion in the local press about the church's position and that the new leter is "a reaffirmation of our position in relation to same-sex marriage and religious liberty issues."

Hochberg, who didn't respond to a request for comment on the LDS Church's latest statement, doesn't place much confidence in religious exemptions: "It doesn't matter what kind of exemption is written, it is going to fail at some point," he said.

Instead, HFA is lobbying for the bill's defeat and legislation that would put the question of same-sex marriage up for a popular vote. That would be similar to what happened in 1998, when voters took the question out of the court's hands and authorized the Legislature as the only body that can reserve legal marriage for opposite-sex couples.

read ... Deseret News

LINK: Full Text New LDS Letter

LINK: Old LDS Letter

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT