[Repost from 2012 and 1998; last revision 1/3/1998; posted here for reference.]
If
the Proclamation on the Family was the subject of study in my law class.
What is a "proclamation"
1.
History of proclamations. There have
been four other proclamations (1841, 1845, 1865, 1980). Is this like the
others? Different? How? Why?
2.
Is it scripture?
3.
Is it dogma (meaning a point of
faith which is required or obligatory)?
4.
Is it revelation?
5.
Is it addressed to the world (like
the proclamations of 1845 and 1980), or to church members (like the
proclamations of 1841 and 1865)?
6.
Is it descriptive (a declaration of
the world as it is), or prescriptive (a declaration of how the world should or
must be), or aspirational (a declaration of how the world would be happiest)?
2.
What is the source of authority?
1.
It was prepared by a committee, as
are various lesson guide (for example). Is it different? Who was on the
committee? Does that matter?
2.
What has been said and by whom and
with what authority to ratify or confirm or position the PotF as authority?
3.
Is a sustaining by the general
church membership required? Why? Why not?
3.
What are appropriate or valid
sources for definitions and explanations?
1.
The committee was probably most or
all white American men born in the first half of the 20th century.
Is that correct? Is that an appropriate framing for definitions and meanings?
2.
Are the scriptures useful or
appropriate for defining terms?
3.
What has been said (and by what
authority) since the PotF was issued to explain or interpret?
4.
Is the PotF to be understood as a sui generis text? Or as a text with
precedents within Mormon scripture and history? Or as part of a conversation
with the external world? Consider the context in which the PotF was issued:
1.
Political environment: Republican
Party platform, position of the religious right, Conference on Women (in
China), welfare for single mothers and dependent children, immigration policy.
2.
Church environment: Elder Packer on
intellectuals, feminists and homosexuals; SWK, ETB and GBH on the role of
women.
3.
Legal environment:
pro-life/pro-choice debate; capital punishment; same-sex marriage dispute in
Hawaii.
4.
A number of Roman Catholic
encyclicals and letters are pertinent, including Evangelium Vitae (The
Gospel of Life) (3/25/95), about abortion, euthanasia and the death penalty, Letter
to Families (2/2/94), Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (On Social Concerns)
(12/30/88), concerning poverty in the modern world, and Economic Justice For
All issued by the U.S. bishops in 1986.
5.
Text of the PotF
1.
Marriage
1.
What is marriage, that it is
"ordained of God"? Is it a commitment, a legal relationship, a
ceremony, a public declaration, an ordinance?
2.
Is the temple sealing "ordained
of God"? Is it the same as “marriage”? What is the status of those who
marry in a civil ceremony?
3.
If marriage is not limited to the
temple sealing, what are the elements or parameters of an “ordained by God”
marriage? Can it be self-declared? Common law? Only by a Mormon bishop? Only by
a minister of some kind? By a Justice of the Peace?
4.
If marriage is a legal relationship,
and the law (here or elsewhere) recognizes same-sex or polygamous or
time-limited or other relationships, are they then "ordained of God"?
What is the distinction? Who decides, or by what basis can we determine?
5.
Is marriage between one man and one
woman the only possibility? Is polygamy within the scope of that which is
"ordained of God"? Not ever?
2.
Nature of God
1.
Does “God is Father” mean God is
male? What does “Father” mean? What does "heavenly parents" mean? Are
those terms inherently gendered?
2.
When God is Father, in what sense is
a woman created in God's image? Is that consistent with gender being eternal?
3.
Moses 2:27 says that God created man
in the image of "mine Only Begotten." What does “in the image” mean
if it is the same for men and women, for the Father and the Son?
4.
Is a man's divine nature and destiny
to be like his heavenly father?
5.
Is a woman's divine nature and
destiny to be like her heavenly father? Or her heavenly mother?
3.
Role of Christ
1.
God is "Eternal Father" and
there are "heavenly parents." Where is Christ?
2.
Are "sacred ordinances and
covenants" enough by themselves for individuals to return to the presence
of God? What is the role of or need for the atonement?
3.
Is salvation and return to God and
exaltation a family matter ("as a family or not at all") or an
individual matter?
4.
Gender
1.
What does "gender" mean as
used in the PotF?
1.
Sex--male
and female? What about [1998]hermaphrodites/[2019]intersex persons? What
about various chromosomal combinations other than XX and XY? Are those
"essential characteristics" or are they aberrations which will be
corrected (in the millennium?)
2.
Sexual nature?
Is sexual orientation an essential
characteristic? Or is it malleable? If malleable, then does that go both
directions--i.e., is heterosexual orientation a learned trait which will not or
may not be eternal? If essential, is that true for both hetero- and homo-sexual
orientation? What significance is there to evidence that at least some part of
orientation is genetic? What significance is there to evidence that a
substantial part of orientation is apparent very early, i.e., before age 8?
3.
Social and
cultural identification? (This is
the most common dictionary definition of "gender.") Are there only
two genders? Is the social and cultural setting that has an "essential
premortal, mortal and eternal purpose" the late 20th century U.S. setting?
Or the mid-19th century Utah setting? Or “here and now” for each reader?
4.
Role--some
people ("fathers") are to preside and provide and other people
("mothers") are to nurture?
If that is the case, how does one decide who are the fathers and who are the
mothers? By reverting to some other definition of gender (see 1, 2 and 3
above)? For the many adults who do not live in a household with two adults and
minor children--who live alone, or do not have children (or none at home), or
are single parents for whatever reason—how would these role assignments make
sense or be defining?
2.
What is the sense of
"gender" in a premortal period, without a body and without sexual
relations, without marriage and family?
5.
Procreation.
1.
In what sense is “multiply and
replenish” the first commandment?
1.
First in time? What about "of
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat." (Genesis
2:17, and in Moses).
2.
First in importance? What about Christ's
teaching about the most important commandments?
2.
Are people who cannot bear children
(infertility by birth, by accident, by age) breaking a commandment when they do
not "multiply"? What about a woman who is not married and does not
bear children? Is artificial insemination a good way or acceptable way to
"multiply"? What about sex without marriage?
3.
Are there some people who should not
have children? Those who are not married? In cases where pregnancy or
childbirth is physically dangerous? Where physical resources (food, shelter)
are limited? Where the mother or the father is emotionally unstable? Where one
or both of the parents don't want or don't like children?
4.
Does the "multiply and
replenish" commandment have consequences for birth control?
5.
What does it mean to say that
"the means by which mortal life is created" is "divinely appointed"?
Is this simply an affirmation that sex is of God? Or is it a declaration of
opposition to artificial insemination, test-tube conception, etc.? If the
latter, what is "the means" which is divinely appointed? For example,
what about in vitro fertilization using sperm and egg from husband and wife,
married to each other?
6.
What does it mean to "affirm
the sanctity of life"? Is this simply a general affirmation that we should
not kill? Or is it a pro-life, anti-abortion statement? Can abortion ever be acceptable
when life is "sanctified"? Does it suggest that capital punishment is
wrong? What about fighting in a war?
6.
Sex: “the sacred powers of
procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded”
1.
Identify that “are to be” appears as
a command. The PotF seems to have nothing to say about sex other than between
man and woman, lawfully wedded (i.e., consequences, penalties). Is that right?
2.
What does "sacred powers of
procreation" mean? Intercourse? Sexual activity of any kind? Foreplay? Kissing?
3.
Is the emphasis on procreation?
1.
What about sexual activity between a
man and a woman of a type that cannot result in pregnancy?
2.
What about birth control? Sex after
menopause?
3.
What about sexual activity between a
man and man or a woman and woman, sex that by definition cannot be procreative?
4.
Is the emphasis on “lawfully
wedded”?
1.
What “lawfully” is meant? Which
state in the United States? Which non-U.S. country? What age limits? With or
without mixed race restrictions? Under what divorce rules?
2.
What if the law changes?
7.
Children.
1.
Parents have a duty to rear their
children in love and righteousness. What is the appropriate role for uncles and
aunts and grandparents and neighbors and friends? Extended families are to
"lend support when needed." Is "need" only in the case of
disability or death? If not, what are other circumstances? Divorce? Financial
difficulty?
2.
In many cases one parent or the
other is absent. Does that change the obligation of the remaining parent in any
way?
3.
What is the role and obligation of a
step-parent? Does it change if the second adult in the household is same sex?
What if there are more than two adults involved?
1.
For example, a biological
mother/biological father/step-father or step-mother.
2.
For example, a biological mother/mother's
female partner/biological father/father's second wife.
4.
Parents are to teach children to (a)
love and serve one another, (b) observe God's commandments, (c) be law-abiding
citizens. Is this an exhaustive list or an illustrative list? If exclusive, what
about [insert any number of teachings that might be important]? If
illustrative, what else belongs on the list and does it mean anything that it
is not stated explicitly?
5.
Do children have any recourse if
they do not get their "entitlement," i.e., birth to married parents
and growing up with parents who are completely faithful to each other? Do they
have recourse to the Church? To the community? The state? To God?
6.
If a woman gets pregnant without
being married, what is best to do for the child? Get married so birth is to
married parents? Arrange for an adoption? Does it matter how old the woman is?
Who the biological father is? What if the woman is married to a man who is not
the biological father, or paired with another woman? Are those cases different,
with respect to what the child gets of his or her entitlement and education?
7.
Who is the audience for the sentence
"Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony .. ."?
Probably not the children (the effect would be to tell the majority that they
were cheated) and probably not parents who are living together and faithful
(they are already providing birth within marriage and charged with honoring
their marital vows). Candidates include:
1.
Men and women contemplating
adultery. This says "don't." But they already knew that.
2.
Men and women contemplating divorce.
Does this mean that when there are dependent children divorce is never a good
or right alternative? If divorce is sometimes the best alternative, what values
counterweigh the children's entitlement? What about abuse?
3.
Couples contemplating having a
child. If there is any doubt about staying together or complete fidelity,
should they avoid having children?
4.
Single adults and unmarried (whether
opposite sex or same sex) couples contemplating having a child. This would say
"don't." Same for adoptions?
5.
Policy makers. Does welfare policy
that penalizes families with two parents make it more or less likely that
children will get their entitlement? Does accessible birth control for
teenagers make it more or less likely that children will get their entitlement?
Does abortion make it more or less likely that children will get their
entitlement? Does same sex marriage make it more or less likely that children
will get their entitlement?
8.
Role of women.
1.
Is the mother's "primary
responsibility" of nurturing by divine design?
2.
Is there a role or a place for a
woman who has no children?
3.
What does "equal partners"
mean when roles are different for men than for women?
4.
Is heavenly mother a model of
nurturing?
9.
Role of men
1.
What does it mean to
"preside"? "Presiding" can happen only when there is
someone to preside over. Is there a meaning of "preside" which is
consistent with being an equal partner?
2.
Do men have a role in nurturing,
teaching, playing with, modelling for, their children, or is that all for
mothers? Do men have any responsibility with respect to children other than
their "own" (and how is "own" defined)?
3.
What is a "divine design"?
It can't be "the way God made the world" (like gravity, for example)
because it is obvious that many fathers do not preside (whatever it is that
preside means, when a father is absent he can't very well be doing it), some do
not act in love and righteousness, and many do not provide the necessities of
life. Is it a commandment?
4.
Does heavenly father provide the
necessities of life?
10. Families
1.
"Family" is not defined in
the PotF. Does "family" = father, mother, children? (This represents
a minority of households in the Church and in the world.) What is
"family" when the children grow up and leave home? Does
"family" = people living together and supporting each other? What
is/was "family" in polygamy?
2.
Is "happiness" in family
life and a "successful" family the same thing?
3.
What are "the teachings of the
Lord Jesus Christ"? [This could, of course, be a multi-semester course in
itself.] What is added in listing "faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness,
respect, love, compassion, work and wholesome recreational activities"?
Why is anything added? Why is there a separate list?
4.
Are Christian families happier than
Buddhist families?
5.
Is family so important that people
should get married and have children even when they have doubts about their own
ability, or their spouse's ability, to make it work? Should some people never
marry?
11. Political activism.
1.
Violating covenants of chastity,
abuse, and failing to fulfill family responsibilities seem to be accorded equal
seriousness or severity. Should punishment under the law be the same?
2.
Do laws regarding abuse (which
require reporting, and take the abuser out of the home, for example) maintain
and strengthen the family? [Probably they do, but this is not a simple
question.]
3.
Which direction on abortion
maintains and strengthens the family? Why?
4.
What kind of welfare system best
maintains and strengthens the family?
5.
What are "measures designed
to maintain and strengthen the family"? (emphasis added). Is there some
way to tell what has been so designed? Is it a call to promote measures with a
"pro-family" label? Or is it to promote measures which it seems will
actually help?
6.
Is the objective to promote the
happiness and success of families, or is it to promote the family as a
fundamental unit? (See the example below.)
Example: Suppose we use "father/mother/dependent
children" as an operating definition of "family," and the issue
we are asked to support or reject is a proposal for legal recognition of
same-sex marriage.
Analysis: We know that recognition will make
"family" (as defined) less unique, less fundamental. If same-sex
marriage is recognized then society will have to operate with a broader
definition of "household" or "dependent group." At the same
time, suppose we are genuinely convinced that families will on the whole be
happier as a consequence of recognizing same-sex marriage, because their gay
children will have a good option for their life, and because there will be a
significant drop in the number of opposite-sex marriages where one partner is
homosexual and either or both spouses are ultimately unhappy.
Question: Does the PotF say to vote for uniqueness, or for
happiness?
Or does the PotF itself teach that the second part of the
analysis wrong? Does the PotF in some way teach that recognition of same-sex
marriage could not possibly make families happier? (Where is that message in
the text?)
Or is the PotF an assertion that every measure which
maintains the family as fundamental also (by definition?) promotes the
happiness and success of families?
Copyright 1997 Christian E. Kimball
Revision date: 1/3/98
