The LGBTQ community on the Mormons Building Bridges Facebook page has reacted to their marriages being called counterfeit. Here are a couple of excerpts from the article. I would like to call attention to any feelings of contention that arise in thinking about these things:
"Where there is contention, the Spirit of the Lord will depart."
"Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God, but same-sex marriage is only a counterfeit. It brings neither posterity nor exaltation. Although his imitations deceive many people, they are not the real thing. They cannot bring lasting happiness."
The Ensign magazine, April 2017, The War Goes On, Elder Larry R. Lawrence
I know that if my marriage was called a counterfeit by some outsider, I would probably be upset. A similar statement by a person who believes in the same religious foundations as I do would, I hope, give me cause for serious reflection.
The question for me is, what constitutes a counterfeit marriage?
My first thought is about love versus counterfeit love. If a married couple says they love each other and they love their children, I believe them. It doesn't matter if the married couple is a same-sex married couple or a man-woman partnership. I can observe their behavior, and if that behavior appears similar to mine, I give them the benefit of the doubt.
Can the love in a marriage be real if the marriage is counterfeit (we still need to decide what counterfeit marriage means)?
That's as far as I've gotten on this so far.
No comments:
Post a Comment