Is religious conviction worthwhile in the context of someone else’s religion? Yes, I think in the majority of cases it is.

Is religious conviction worthwhile in the context of someone else’s religion?

Hypothetically speaking, perhaps a religion that encourages same-sex couples to marry might make you reconsider the value of marrying out of religious obligation.

if a person feels any sense of religious obligation regarding how, where, when or whom he or she marries, then that feeling is illegitimate and a result of the abuse of power.

If it is an abuse of power, then yes, I don’t approve of it. Perhaps I should have been more clear, but what I was saying is that if a person doesn’t want to get married they shouldn’t feel forced into it—by either their new husband or their religious leaders, or by anyone.

Is it stretch for me to say, you seem to be saying that you believe the opposite, that forced marriages are ok as long as it’s connected to a sense of religious duty, or if one of the spouses insists?

I don’t actually think you really believe that, but I could be wrong. And if you don’t believe that, then why are we still talking about this?

I don’t think it’s wrong to connect a sense of religious duty to something like marriage any more than it would be wrong to connect that sense of duty to something like crossing the great plains in a handcart, going on long and arduous missionary journeys, bleeding in Gethsemane, or any of a host of other things that induce misery.

OK, but what about really long and difficult things that people do out of a sense of religious duty? Take the missions of Paul, for example. Or the sufferings of Christ.

I’m not sure where you’re going with this—are you planning to somehow reconnect with the topic?

I’ll go out on a limb and answer what I think is your question. Entering a marriage one does not want is NOT the same as “really long and difficult things that people do out of a sense of religious duty”. Including “the missions of Paul” or “the sufferings of Christ”.

Doesn’t the moral fabric of other countries matter? How come it’s so important in the states?

Perhaps it’s a function of where the Church is most able to muster its people and resources to influence issues such as this. There’s a gigantic number of Latter-day Saints in California. The numbers are nowhere nearly so great in many other areas.

Regardless, they are very different things. Taking a ward calling that you don’t feel excited about or comfortable with is completely different than entering a marriage you don’t want. It feels silly to even make the comparison.

OK, but what about really long and difficult things that people do out of a sense of religious duty? Take the missions of Paul, for example. Or the sufferings of Christ.

The fight about gay marriage just happened in Canada.Sure didn’t see the involvement of the church here.

Many other countries also allow gay marriages. The church hasn’t seemed to have noticed.

Doesn’t the moral fabric of other countries matter? How come it’s so important in the states?

Dawn

But surely you aren’t suggesting that anything someone does out of a sense of religious duty is therefore wrong? Whether it’s marriage, or serving in a ward calling, or anything else?

Surely not.

But surely you’re not equating marriage done out of a sense of religious duty to serving a ward calling or “anything else”. (How can I know what anything else means?)

Regardless, they are very different things. Taking a ward calling that you don’t feel excited about or comfortable with is completely different than entering a marriage you don’t want. It feels silly to even make the comparison.