Elizabeth Smart's father announces he is gay

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why are they making this national news?
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Probably because to the media this is cause to celebrate. To the media a coming out party is always a reason to celebrate.
 
gazelam said:
Not true. Many in this life through no fault of their own will not have the opportunity to marry in the temple. They will have the opportunity in the afterlife if they remain faithful.
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I’ve been around Mormons long enough to understand the stigma of not being married in the temple. It exists. People that don’t marry in the temple carry that nagging sense of not living up to the ideal their whole lives.

Also that doctrinal belief makes absolutely no sense given that Jesus Himself said there is no marriage in heaven. Not much gray area there.
 
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gazelam said:
Perhaps you are confusing the term “Eternal Life” with mere living forever. To quote the Encyclopedia of Mormonism (here), “ To Latter-day Saints the phrase “eternal life” refers not only to everlasting life but also and more particularly to the quality of life God lives. Eternal life is available to all people who have lived on earth who accept this gift by their obedience to God’s laws and ordinances .”

The second (Terrestrial Kingdom) and third (Telestial Kingdom) kingdoms are places where the inhabitants live forever, but do not enjoy Eternal Life.
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Yeah I did confuse Eternal Life with living forever, because that’s what Eternal Life means. This is another example of Mormons redefining terms to fit their own theology, then using those terms in discussions with Christians as if they’re talking about the same thing when in actuality the meaning is far different.

How can one live forever in one of the three kingdoms of HEAVEN, I repeat HEAVEN, and yet two of those HEAVENLY kingdoms are not considered Eternal Life? It’s ridiculous and makes no sense. The whole Mormon economy of heaven is overly complicated and bizarre.
 
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Chris-Wa1 said:
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gazelam:
Perhaps you are confusing the term “Eternal Life” with mere living forever. To quote the Encyclopedia of Mormonism (here), “ To Latter-day Saints the phrase “eternal life” refers not only to everlasting life but also and more particularly to the quality of life God lives. Eternal life is available to all people who have lived on earth who accept this gift by their obedience to God’s laws and ordinances .”

The second (Terrestrial Kingdom) and third (Telestial Kingdom) kingdoms are places where the inhabitants live forever, but do not enjoy Eternal Life.
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Yeah I did confuse Eternal Life with living forever, because that’s what Eternal Life means. This is another example of Mormons redefining terms to fit their own theology, then using those terms in discussions with Christians as if they’re talking about the same thing when in actuality the meaning is far different.

How can one live forever in one of the three kingdoms of HEAVEN, I repeat HEAVEN, and yet two of those HEAVENLY kingdoms are not considered Eternal Life? It’s ridiculous and makes no sense. The whole Mormon economy of heaven is overly complicated and bizarre.
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CCC 1033 Our Lord warns us that we shall be separated from him if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor and the little ones who are his brethren. To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called “hell.”

It appears to my non-Catholic eyes that the CCC teaches that the damned will live forever separated from Christ. It is an example of living forever, but not having Eternal Life. Perhaps you believe that the damned also have Eternal Life, but if so, you’d have a very hard time making your case.
 
Horton said:
I would hope he would be kind to her after lying to her all these years.
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You don’t know he lied to her, at all. None of us do. She may have known he was gay all along. It happens often.
 
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Given what I know about LDS culture it’s unlikely an LDS man would tell his LDS wife he was gay. The LDS are encouraged to tell their bishops everything about their lives and unlike our confessional, there is no expectation of privacy. The bishop, unlike our priests, make no vow to keep the seal of the confessional.

Because of their strange beliefs regarding marriage and eternal life her knowing seems impossible. The husband is the leader for his family getting to the highest heaven, the goal of every LDS. If she knew he was gay she would know he would not be going to the highest heaven and neither would she. She would almost have to tell her bishop to get some direction. Since the bishop isn’t obligated to keep things confidential, he could tell anyone.

My informed guess would be she did not know. All accounts portray them as good faithful LDS. She would have gone to the church with this if she had known.
 
I grew up a Mormon.
The LDS is pretty anti homosexual, I think even more so than the Catholic Church. Where the Catholic Church is accepting of the homosexual feelings and urges respect and love however not condoning the act; I never saw that in the Mormon church. It is kind of viewed as a thing of shame. For example, a person can be a homosexual and be Catholic, they are just called to a life of chastity like anyone else who isn’t married. In Mormonism it is kind of the same however the homosexual is viewed somewhat as being inferior and has some sort of a curse. That is why he probably has to leave the church. They would be saying he is some possessed person.
 
bmaz said:
Elizabeth Smart’s father announces on Facebook that he is gay. He is leaving his wife, and the Mormon Church.
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Has it been ruled out that his Facebook account could have been hacked?
 
@meltzerboy2
If I never hear anything more about Elizabeth Smart I’ll be happy.
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You’ve done a disservice to Elizabeth Smart. She is an activist, interviewer, public speaker, and author. I respect her a great deal. Her public presence makes the world a better place. And I hope we continue to see her in the public eye.
 
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@Wife.of.Gabriel

Ed Smart made the announcement publicly. He also said he was leaving the Mormon Church. He’s done a great disservice to his family. In accord with Latter-day Saint doctrine, the Smart family members believe that they will be united forever in the afterlife. Now, their hopes have been crushed. (I don’t believe in these Mormon doctrines. I’m just describing the way the family feels. He and his wife could have divorced quietly. And he could have kept the reasons to himself.
 
I was not aware of her motivational speaking and activism, as you and Bear have pointed out. I applaud her for that and am glad you find her interesting and informative, and respect her. She is not, however, a part of my life, and especially when this story brings up personal aspects of her family, namely, her father’s being gay, this does not interest me, just as it does not for virtually any other celebrity.
 
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There’s definitely some demonic influence tied.to sexuality in that poor family.

St Michael protect them.
 
I read an article yesterday stating that he had kept the secret from his family for all of his marriage, just as I expected.
 
If you believe everything you read on a gossipy topic such as this, nonetheless, then there isn’t much left to say.

Spouses share and keep all kinds of secrets with each other, regardless of the state if their marriage, especially when kids are involved.
 
FiveLinden said:
Remind me what Christ taught us about homosexual behaviour?
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Your comment reminds me of Marcion heresy and a denial that Christ is the second person in the Trinity.

And on a related note, I’m reminded of the fact Christ did condemn all sexual immorality, in thought and deed.
 
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