Smackdown

<< Are you aware that the Church helped pass an equal opportunity housing and employment law in Utah that encourages non-discrimination against homosexual couples?>>

Yes. I am aware. Its called “S.B. 296 Antidiscrimination and Religious Freedom Amendments”. This bill was called “The Utah Compromise”, because yes it did ban discrimination.

Are you aware it still allows LGBT discrimination for religious organizations? That means that the church can employee people, but be 100% exempt from this law. The law also coded Boy Scouts of America as a religious organization, giving them the same exemption.

You can read that exemption under section 34A-5-102 found here

http://le.utah.gov/~2015/bills/static/SB0296.html

<< I don't know where you're getting your information from, because our church leaders have always tried to be loving and understanding of homosexual people.>>

The LDS church has been intimately involved with a group called “World Congress of Families”. WCF is literally a designated hate group by Southern Poverty Law Center.

https://www.splcenter.org/news/2015/10/21/everything-you-need-know-about-anti-lgbtq-world-congress-families-wcf

According to that article,

“The World Congress of Families (WCF) is one of the key driving forces behind the U.S. Religious Right’s global export of homophobia and sexism. From its headquarters in Rockford, Illinois, WCF pursues an international anti-choice, anti-LGBTQ agenda, seeking to promote conservative ideologies—and codify these in regressive laws and policies—that dictate who has rights as “family,” and who doesn’t.”

The World Congress of Families were key lobbyists getting legislation passed in Russia, Nigeria, and Uganda. “LGBT people in those countries have suffered vicious and violent backlashes in their wake. This includes harassment, discrimination, prosecution, public beatings, and murder.”

http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/exposed-the-world-congress-of-families

Now, you may be wondering exactly what connections the LDS church has to the World Congress of Families. Over the years, authorities such as Erich Kopischke and m. Russell Ballard have given talks at WCF’s conferences, along with dozens of members. Dallin H. Oaks is an Honorary board member of Howard Center for Family, Religion, and Society, which owns and runs the WCF.

In addition, the LDS church often has booths set up at WCF conferences:

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2012/10/traditional-family-championed-at-world-congress?lang=eng

Janice Shaw Crouse, a member of the board of directors of WCF and executive director of the World Congress of Families IX, puts it in the simplest terms:

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “has long been a strong ally to the World Congress of Families””

http://www.religionnews.com/2015/10/27/world-congress-of-families-is-full-of-mormon-connections/

<<Also, the countries where it's actually punishable by death to be gay, the church is not even allowed to proselyte there.>>

That simply isn’t true. We will take Nigeria for example, since the World Congress of Families helped pass legislation there. There currently are 5 missions in Nigeria:

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/facts-and-statistics/country/nigeria

It also is a federal crime to be gay in Nigeria:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Nigeria

If you are married, and have gay sex outside of your marriage, your punishment is to be stoned to death. If you’re unmarried, you get 100 lashes and a year in jail.

<<How would they possibly have any influence with these governments?>>

As I explained earlier, LDS authorities are intimately connected with WCF, which has successfully lobbied in those countries.

<< anywhere where that IS a law like Iraq, Iran, the Sudan, Qatar, etc, the LDS church can't even proselyte there.>>

There are counties other than in the middle east that have brutal and intolerant laws.

<< Plus, the policy that has just been released is really nothing new>>

This policy was NOT released. It was LEAKED. Someone had access to this information, and revealed it to the public. The church had NO say in it’s reveal.

Heck, even the book it came from (General Handbook of Instruction - Book 1) isn’t available to the public. Luckily someone leaked that as well last year.

http://ge.tt/30Ll6cs1/v/2

<<The same policy also pertains to children of Muslim and polygamist families, too.>>

I’m not familiar with leaders needing permission from the first presidency to baptize children of Muslims. Section 16.3 (specifically 16.3.8 & 16.3.9) of “General Handbook of Instruction No 27 - Book 1A – 2010” deals with polygamy needing preauthorization. There is no mention of needing pre-authorization in 16.3 for children with Muslim parents.

I think this is pretty obvious why the church created the policy with polygamy. The church distances itself from polygamy every chance they get, even though its still a commandment required for salvation in D&C 132, and a man can still be sealed to multiple women, as long as only one is alive.

<<Now same-sex couples have just been added to that list and everyone thinks it's such a shock. It's really not.>>

Of course purging gay members isn’t a surprise. The reason this is such a big deal is because it affects the children with gay parents. This directly contradicts Article of Faith 2 and Matthew 19:14 which say:

AoF 2: We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.

Matt. 19:14: But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/a-of-f/1.2?lang=eng

http://biblehub.com/matthew/19-14.htm

In this case, children with gay parents are being denied their salvation because their parents are gay.

The most common defense is “this policy will prevent contention in the home”. The thing about baptism, is both parents have to consent anyways. (section 16.3.3) If the parents don’t consent, then there would be no need for this policy anyway. This policy won’t even let consenting gay parents let their kids be baptized.

The policy didn’t only prevent baptism, though. It also bans those children from getting baby blessings.

From my perspective, the church doesn’t want to be associated with gay marriage whatsoever, just like polygamy. This new policy has made it so the church can purge those members and keep their children from gaining membership unless they essentially cut off contact.

Children of gay families also tend to be more unorthodox, progressive, and outspoken. From the recent excommunications of Kate Kelley, John Dehlin, and Rock Waterman, we learned that the church has no room for people who don’t fit the mold and ask hard questions.

Are children who have already been baptized that have gay parents going to lose their membership? Will this policy of barring children from ordinances stop with gay marriage? Will the church prevent children of apostates from joining as well?

<< We're not trying to "dig ourselves out of a hole" or anything like that with the things that have been shared about how the church supports the LGBT community.>>

I’m not sure if you’re aware, but the actual church, not it’s members, donated A TON of money to sway the public’s vote to be against gay marriage in California. It was called Prop. 8. Local leadership was instructed to encourage members to canvas neighborhoods to gain additional support. Many members were excommunicated in the area during this time because they supported gay marriage.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/fred-karger/mormongate----the-churchs_b_163016.html

<< So instead of jumping on me or on the church for this kind of thing, try finding legitimate information to back up your so-called "accusations".>>

I am fully informed about your “so called church”. I know what its involved in, where it donates money, can smell a public relations move a mile away (including the website that published this article, which receives money from the church), and I’m not afraid to face difficult facts. You want to go toe to toe with me? Take off your rose colored glasses and then we’ll talk.