This quote is from an LDS church statement on homosexuality. The church leaders interviewed are equating the challenges of homosexuality with those of disability, explaining that just like someone with a life-altering disability has no hope of marriage, neither does someone with strong homosexual proclivities.
I don’t even know where to begin a discussion about how troubling I find this statement. Can any of you help me out here??
ELDER OAKS: There are differences, of course, but the contrast is
not unique. There are people with physical disabilities that prevent
them from having any hope — in some cases any actual hope and in
other cases any practical hope — of marriage. The circumstance of
being currently unable to marry, while tragic, is not unique.It is sometimes said that God could not discriminate against
individuals in this circumstance. But life is full of physical
infirmities that some might see as discriminations — total paralysis
or serious mental impairment being two that are relevant to
marriage. If we believe in God and believe in His mercy and His
justice, it won’t do to say that these are discriminations because
God wouldn’t discriminate. We are in no condition to judge what
discrimination is. We rest on our faith in God and our utmost
assurance of His mercy and His love for all of His children.ELDER WICKMAN: There’s really no question that there is an anguish
associated with the inability to marry in this life. We feel for
someone that has that anguish. I feel for somebody that has that
anguish. But it’s not limited to someone who has same-gender
attraction.We live in a very self-absorbed age. I guess it’s naturally human to
think about my own problems as somehow greater than someone else’s.
I think when any one of us begins to think that way, it might be
well be to look beyond ourselves. Who am I to say that I am more
handicapped, or suffering more, than someone else?I happen to have a handicapped daughter. She’s a beautiful girl.
She’ll be 27 next week. Her name is Courtney. Courtney will never
marry in this life, yet she looks wistfully upon those who do. She
will stand at the window of my office which overlooks the Salt Lake
Temple and look at the brides and their new husbands as they’re
having their pictures taken. She’s at once captivated by it and
saddened because Courtney understands that will not be her
experience here. Courtney didn’t ask for the circumstances into
which she was born in this life, any more than somebody with same-
gender attraction did. So there are lots of kinds of anguish people
can have, even associated with just this matter of marriage. What we
look forward to, and the great promise of the gospel, is that
whatever our inclinations are here, whatever our shortcomings are
here, whatever the hindrances to our enjoying a fullness of joy
here, we have the Lord’s assurance for every one of us that those in
due course will be removed. We just need to remain faithful.
