Dave's Mormon Inquiry

Polygamy 2012

Once upon a time, family law was a marginal legal topic that didn't make many headlines the way constitutional law or criminal law so often do. But gay marriage and Prop 8 have propelled family law and marriage to the legal center stage. In an odd parallel development, "the family" has, over the last few years, moved to the center of LDS doctrine and practice as well, with "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" being the most visible evidence of that change. We are living in an intersecting perfect storm of changing family law, family doctrine, and family practice. So we should learn some family law before the cyclone hits. Let's start with a current case.

The Marriage Fight in Maine is Heating Up

From the Wikipedia entry, here's the background for the upcoming election fight over the fate of same-sex marriage in Maine.

A bill to allow same-sex marriage in Maine was signed into law on May 6, 2009. Maine is the fifth U.S. state to recognize same-sex marriages, and the second to do so through a legislative process rather than through a judicial ruling. The law would have taken effect on September 11, 2009, but will now be subject to a people's veto in Maine's November 3 elections.

Hugh Hewitt Goes to Bat for Mormons

At Hewitt's blog: "Same Sex Marriage Backers Target Mormons," noting that Mormons rather than Catholics are taking the heat because there is no apparent downside to publicly attacking Mormons. More ugly details at the Article VI Blog. Hewitt concludes:

Any similar attempt to intimidate and threaten a minority population in the United States would be instantly and roundly denounced, hounded by the MSM, and the cause they espoused would rightly suffer. The backers of same sex marriage who are working to defeat Prop 8 should condemn these extremists and assure the voting public that they are not connected with the No on 8 campaign.