Mormons on Conversion Therapy

Utah recently passed a law to ban conversion therapy and become one of the 18 states that have already made restrictions on conversion therapy. The law is being recently reviewed. 

            The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Opposed the law and made an announcement. The church is concerned about derailing religious beliefs and for children to understand gender identity realities. Although the church has said homosexuality is not a sin, but they will still oppose same-sex marriage. The Governor is a member of the church as most of the Utah populations are members of the church. 

            LGBTQ activists hoped Utah would join on the banned of conversion therapy. They say that the therapy increases odds in suicide attempts. Conversion therapy claims to change a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. Minors are usually the most exposed to the treatment because of how vulnerable they are. The therapy leads to depression, anxiety, drug-use, homelessness, and suicide. 

            Right -wing religious groups like the Mormon church support the concept. This technique started in the mid- 20^thcentury. But has proven itself to be very harmful and outdated. Major medical and mental organizations condemn the use of conversion therapy. 

Human Rights Campaign. “The Lies and Dangers of ‘Conversion Therapy.’”  Human Rights         Campaign, https://www.hrc.org/resources/the-lies-and- dangers-of-reparative-therapy.

Press, Associated. “Mormon Church Strikes Blow against Utah Ban on Conversion           Therapy.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 16 Oct. 2019,       https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/16/mormon-church-strikes-blow-against-    utah-ban-on-conversion-therapy.

The ‘Nones’ Category

The growing population in America is beginning to not identify with rigorous, rich religious tradition and teaching but instead choosing to be unaffiliated with a religion. People are rather starting to identify as “Nones” which is a growing population unaffiliated with a religion. Their numbers are approximately tied at 23% with Evangelicalism and Catholics. This is partly due to “Nones” questioning religious teaching which is the most common reason and the second reason is that they don’t believe in god. There could be a political shift because of growing percentage of “Nones.” 

            “Nones” date back to the 1960’s when they first appeared. A very small group at the time since most people then affiliated with a religion. The numbers started to become bigger in the 1990’s and increased throughout the years. In the 1990’s the young people were the post wars generation and they began identifying as “Nones”. It became more popular because of a dramatic shift in religious leaders moving to the far right of the political spectrum, while the younger people were shifting more to the left.  The “Nones” political view do not line up with these religions most of the time. The political difference in mainstream religions and the “Nones” has the potential to be significant in the coming elections.

            “Nones” can get confused with atheists and agnostics, as “Nones” are usually put in the same category as them. This confusion then persuades people into thinking that “Nones” are not religious. “Nones” are religiously independent.  There is a spectrum, at one end there are “Nones” that are closely related to atheists while on the other end of the spectrum, they practice some religious aspects without saying they identify with a religion. Most of the time they still believe in karma and mediate but don’t necessarily think these practices are religious or spiritual. Their label is very complex. 

            In the end “Nones” are a group to pay attention to. There is a diverse community of them just waiting to be explored. They are the fastest growing population of religious views. They even may change the game in a political way and hopefully we can get a better understanding of who and what they are about in the future.

Reference

Alper, Becka A. Why America’s ‘Nones’ Don’t Identify with a Religion . 8 Aug. 2018, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/08/why-americas-nones-dont-identify-with-a-religion/.

Flory, Richard. “What’s in a Name? Religious Nones and the American Religious Landscape.” Religion Dispatches, 24 July 2015, http://religiondispatches.org/whats-in-a-name-religious-nones-and-the-american-religious-landscape/.

Glenn, Heidi. “Losing Our Religion: The Growth of the ‘Nones’.” Nor, 13 Jan. 2013, https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/01/14/169164840/losing-our-religion-the-growth-of-the-nones.

Jenkins, Jack. “’Nones’ Now as Big as Evangelicals, Catholics in the US.” Religion News Service, 21 Mar. 2019, https://religionnews.com/2019/03/21/nones-now-as-big-as-evangelicals-catholics-in-the-us/.