Mormon Inquiry

Pope presses Obama on abortion, stem cells.

Pope Benedict XVI stressed the church's opposition to abortion and stem cell research in his first meeting with President Barack Obama on Friday, pressing the Vatican's case with the U.S. leader who is already under fire on those issues from some conservative Catholics and bishops back home.

The 30-minute meeting Vatican audience was described by both sides as positive -- constructive talks between two men who agree on helping the poor and pushing for Middle East peace but disagree on what the Vatican considers prime ethical issues.

I know what the Pope means by "prime ethical issues," but I'm not sure how to connect that concept to President Obama.

Between being out of town and the Fourth, it's been a slow couple of weeks here. Let's get July started with an Orson Scott Card column at the Mormon Times, "Mormon 'Tribe' Feels Like Home." OSC reflects on the fact that Utah seems like home to some Mormons who weren't born there and don't live there.

At Mormon Matters, a post reflecting on the positive and negative aspects of serving a two-year LDS proselyting mission. Young men who follow the standards of the LDS Church are very strongly encouraged to serve. Young women are, at present, neither encouraged nor discouraged from serving; many do in fact volunteer. Young men are eligible to serve starting at age 19, young women at age 21.

At the Salt Lake Tribune, "Petition urges LDS Church to soften stance on gays," reporting efforts of a collection of LDS and ex-LDS to lobby the LDS Church by delivering a petition reproving its stand on Prop 8. According to the article, "The committee plans to deliver the petition to top LDS leaders Nov. 4, the first anniversary of Prop 8's passage." The headline is somewhat misleading -- the LDS Church has already softened its stance on gays within the Church. What the petitioners want is for the Church to change its opposition to gay marriage in particular.

That question has been getting more consideration recently, with the general consensus being, "No, at least not yet." By Common Consent is posting an academic piece by scholar Walter E. A. van Beek that helps understand the question. He uses the examples of Islam and Roman Catholicism to highlight diversity within the religion as a key indicator of world status.

The diversity mentioned in Islam and Catholicism allows for identification processes of the individual with that religion, that vary widely. People may define themselves as Catholic or Muslim on widely diverging grounds, ranging from full and total commitment (the literal meaning of "Islam") to identification of a very low intensity.