For me the big issue here is that it creates another barrier against someone accepting the gospel. I taught several people on my mission that didn’t have a problem with the word of wisdom, tithing, etc., but they were not going to get married to their live-in significant others. We talk about the widening chasm between the Church and the world, and it is true. Unfortunately, that chasm makes it more difficult for members of the world to come to our side.
Things like this always remind me of an institute teacher I had. At the time, the Proclamation was only a year old, and he told our class that our church would come to be known as the primary institution in our country that defended marriage and family. I thought that was bold at the time, to say the least, but he’s been proven right already.
Michael, it’s good to remember that according to strict religion theory (the prevailing theory) what makes a church or religion strong is not that it is wholly accommodating to everyone. In fact, quite the opposite. Church’s succeed in part by filtering people out by these very means.
The real danger to a strict church is that the divide will become so large that their children won’t convert any more.
New Post: Today Show: Marriage Wanes in America: Looks like the proclamation on the family had it… http://t.co/MfEBEnMS72 #LDS #Mormon
TheMillennialStar: Today Show: Marriage Wanes in America http://t.co/EhKJetA73G #lds #mormon
RT @ldsblogs: TheMillennialStar: Today Show: Marriage Wanes in America http://t.co/EhKJetA73G #lds #mormon
The Proclamation definitely had it right.
By the way, that “50 percent of marriages end in divorce” canard needs to be destroyed because it is false.
http://www.divorcesource.com/ds/main/u-s-divorce-rates-and-statistics-1037.shtml
For me the big issue here is that it creates another barrier against someone accepting the gospel. I taught several people on my mission that didn’t have a problem with the word of wisdom, tithing, etc., but they were not going to get married to their live-in significant others. We talk about the widening chasm between the Church and the world, and it is true. Unfortunately, that chasm makes it more difficult for members of the world to come to our side.
Things like this always remind me of an institute teacher I had. At the time, the Proclamation was only a year old, and he told our class that our church would come to be known as the primary institution in our country that defended marriage and family. I thought that was bold at the time, to say the least, but he’s been proven right already.
Michael, it’s good to remember that according to strict religion theory (the prevailing theory) what makes a church or religion strong is not that it is wholly accommodating to everyone. In fact, quite the opposite. Church’s succeed in part by filtering people out by these very means.
The real danger to a strict church is that the divide will become so large that their children won’t convert any more.