An on-line newspaper in our area runs every TSCC media release that’s pushed. One today talks about TSCC “publish[ing] new resources to help people understand the importance of protecting religious freedom.”

Here it is:

http://www.baxterbulletin.com/article/20131228/LIFESTYLE/312280007/LDS-Church-shares-resources-freedom-religion?nclick_check=1

I am genuinely confused about what the brouhaha about religious freedom being threatened is about.

This is from a link (to TSCC’s website) provided in the article:
“Leaders of many faiths, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have expressed deep concern that religious liberty is eroding in the United States and around the world.”

How exactly is religious freedom being eroded? I’m just not seeing it.

The one (and only) reference in the link that describes the threats to religious freedom is this:

“Although his address on religious freedom was not written in response to the Proposition 8 battle over same- sex marriage in California, Elder Oaks likened the incidents of outrage against those who prevailed in establishing marriage between a man and a woman to the ‘widely condemned voter-intimidation of blacks in the South.’”

So if I understand, Oaks is saying pushback against those who advocated for Prop 8 is like voter intimidation of Blacks in the South? You have got to be kidding me!

And get this: “Elder Oaks also said religious freedom is being jeopardized by claims of newly alleged human rights. As an example, he referred to a set of principles published by an international human rights group which calls for governments to assure that all persons have the right to practice their religious beliefs regardless of sexual orientation or identity. Elder Oaks said, ‘This apparently proposes that governments require church practices to ignore gender differences. Any such effort to have governments invade religion to override religious doctrines should be resisted by all believers.’”

So he sees guaranteeing the right to practice religion is a THREAT to religious freedom? That makes no sense.

Please, someone, enlighten me. What threats are there in the United States to religious freedom nowadays?

Because I'll tell you what it looks like to me. It looks to me like TSCC is trying to build up panic, and then lay claim to leadership of some cross-faith coalition as it strives to look normal.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/28/2013 06:00PM by left4good.

"More fundamentally, religious freedom — akin to “freedom of conscience” — is the human right to think and believe and also to express and act upon what one deeply believes according to the dictates of his or her moral conscience."

This is not true.

While you have the right to think, believe and express as you may, you don't have unlimited right to ACT with only religious duty as your justification. Pretty sure that was the SCOTUS ruling in Reynolds v. United States.

They clearly do no have the right to act in a way that violates my religious freedom.

And there it is.

This is the point that people incapable of feeling empathy can't comprehend.

Just because it is Person A's religious belief that Person B's actions are wrong, it doesn't mean that Person A has the right to stop Person B or rely on the government to stop Person B.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/28/2013 09:38PM by nonsequiter.

A group of people who called themselves experts in international human rights law wrote up a list. Somehow a list posses a big threat to religious freedom?

http://www.yogyakartaprinciples.org/principles_en_principles.htm

I guess it's Principle 21 that's raising red flags.

Frankly it reminds me of the Agenda 21 hysteria.

TSCC is a threat to religious freedom within families...

The battle is ON!!! Too bad TSCC is on the losing side ;) I was wondering how quickly they were gonna give in to peer pressure but it looks like they're not going down without a fight! I can't wait to see what happens!