Headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
SALT LAKE CITY — In anticipation of the United States Senate’s vote on the Respect for Marriage Act (RMA), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement supporting amendments in the bill that protect religious freedom.
Tuesday’s statement began, “The doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints related to marriage between a man and a woman is well known and will remain unchanged.”
The RMA bill provides statutory authority for same-sex and interracial marriages.
Specifically, it would repeal and replace provisions that define, for purposes of federal law, marriage as between a man and a woman and spouse as a person of the opposite sex with provisions that recognize any marriage that is valid under state law.
The bill also repeals and replaces provisions that do not require states to recognize same-sex marriages from other states with provisions that prohibit the denial of full faith and credit or any right or claim relating to out-of-state marriages on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin. The bill would also allow the Department of Justice to bring a civil action and establishes a private right of action for violations.
Tuesday’s statement from the Church concluded: “We are grateful for the continuing efforts of those who work to ensure the Respect for Marriage Act includes appropriate religious freedom protections while respecting the law and preserving the rights of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters.
“We believe this approach is the way forward. As we work together to preserve the principles and practices of religious freedom together with the rights of LGBTQ individuals, much can be accomplished to heal relationships and foster greater understanding.”
will@cvradio.com
Free News Delivery by Email
Would you like to have the day’s news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!