The Mormons are a strange bunch, with their “revelations” regarding polygamy coming just in time for Utah to be declared a state, and things like that. I will never forget a forger from the 1980’s, who claimed to have found new letters from Joseph Smith, were Smith talked to a chameleon for a while. The Mormon church tried in vain to cover this up, but eventually just started telling their members that chameleons were what people used to call the old Ben Franklin stoves, since those stoves did indeed change colors when heated. Now to me, this seemed as crazy as a person talking to a lizard, but for the majority of those that belonged to the LDS (Mormon) church, this explanation that their founder was talking to a stove was good enough for them. Of course it was found out later that the letter was a forgery, and most of the members quickly forgot the whole chameleon letter episode. To me, there was no clearer indication of how the church quickly covered up whatever was unpleasant than the fact that they actually made up the story about the Ben Franklin stove, as if it was normal for people to have conversations with stoves. The LDS Church just made up a story out of the blue to cover up what it later turns out was to be a forgery, and few members seemed to think that this was odd. Actually for Joseph Smith, something like talking to a stove might have indeed been normal.
But that was many years ago, and the church has come a long way as shown by their change of heart regarding people who are gay, and what protections those people should have against discrimination. Salt Lake City Utah looks to try to make things almost equal, which seems odd considering the staggering amounts of money they have recently spent to defeat gay marriage in other states.
From The Salt Lake City Tribune:
by Rosemary Winters and Peggy Fletcher Stack
The LDS Church’s unexpected endorsement of two Salt Lake City gay-rights measures has many observers wondering if another surprise could follow: a friendlier reception in the 2010 Legislature for such protections statewide.
Even an LDS apostle — continuing the string of stunners –thinks Salt Lake City’s ordinances could be a model.
“Anything good is shareable,” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said in an interview Wednesday, referring to Salt Lake City’s new policy aimed at protecting gay and transgender residents from discrimination.
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Well that seems like they have had a change of heart, until you get to the exceptions…
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…Last year, Equality Utah launched the Common Ground Initiative, arguing that even those who disagree on gay marriage can agree on things like making it illegal to fire someone for being gay or providing health-care safeguards to same-sex couples. The bills were modeled after rights the LDS Church said it did not oppose. But Mormon officials snubbed an invitation to join the campaign. All three bills fizzled in the 2009 session.
At least one of the measures is poised for a 2010 comeback: an anti-discrimination statute that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s fair employment law. The bill includes the same exemption for religious organizations and their affiliates that Otterson praised in Salt Lake City’s ordinances.
That means the capital’s new rules, prohibiting discrimination against gay and transgender workers, homebuyers and renters, do not apply to churches or small businesses. The LDS Church and its wholly owned subsidiaries, such as the towering City Creek Center condos taking shape in downtown Salt Lake City, are exempt. (Emphasis added)
Link to full story
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So in a state where the Mormon church owns quite a bit themselves, as chance would have it they are exempt from the new rules. It would have been one thing if the religious institutions themselves were exempt, but things like small businesses and Condos?
I guess they haven’t really changed all that much. Even though they have granted themselves this exemption, as meager a step as it is, I suppose these new laws regarding discrimination are still a step in the right direction. Just a really small step.