Senator Buttars
Today Senator Chris Buttars was in the news. Referring to homosexuality, he is reported to have said, among other things:
I believe the whole thing is immoral. What is the morals of a gay person? You can’t answer that, because anything goes. So now you’re moving toward a society that has no morals. [Homosexuality is] a perversion. They don’t want equality. They want superiority.
Predictably many were shocked and expressed their contempt. For example, there was this from homosexual rights activist Jacob Whipple:
It’s extremely offensive and inappropriate, especially for an elected official. It should not be tolerated.
And from Senator Scott McCoy, the only (thankfully) openly homosexual member of the Senate:
An apology is not going to do it at this point. I’m not sure I’d find an apology sincere anyway.
Now that these folks are suitably shocked and offended, let’s rustle up a few more quotes, just for comparison. Consider that President Ezra Taft Benson also said that homosexuality is a perversion in 1986:
He will not commit adultery “nor do anything like unto it” (D&C 59:6).This means fornication, homosexual behavior, self-abuse, child molestation, or any other sexual perversion. (“Godly Characteristics of the Master,” Ensign, Nov 1986, 45)
While not using the word perversion Apostle Richard G. Scott refers to homosexuality as evil:
Elder Scott
Sexual immorality creates a barrier to the influence of the Holy Spirit with all its uplifting, enlightening, and empowering capabilities. It causes powerful physical and emotional stimulation. In time that creates an unquenchable appetite that drives the offender to ever more serious sin. It engenders selfishness and can produce aggressive acts such as brutality, abortion, sexual abuse, and violent crime. Such stimulation can lead to acts of homosexuality, and they are evil and absolutely wrong. (Richard G. Scott, “Making the Right Choices,” Ensign, Nov 1994, 37)
Apostle Joseph B. Wirthlin explains what it all means:
That means we are to avoid abnormal sexual behavior, including fornication, homosexual behavior, child molestation, or any other perversion of God’s plan of happiness. (Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Deep Roots,” Ensign, Nov 1994, 75)
West Jordan Senator Buttars also said,
I believe they [homosexuals] will destroy the foundation of the American society. In my mind, it’s the beginning of the end. … Sodom and Gomorrah was localized. This is worldwide.
President Spencer W. Kimball talked about civilizations destroyed by homosexuality:
This heinous homosexual sin is of the ages. Many cities and civilizations have gone out of existence because of it. It was present in Israel’s wandering days, tolerated by the Greeks, and found in the baths of corrupt Rome. (Spencer W. Kimball, “President Kimball Speaks Out on Morality,” Ensign, Nov 1980, 94)
Well, Senator Chris Buttars, it seems you are in good company. It is too bad that your more timid, rickety colleagues in the Senate are not on the same page as you. Perhaps they are just being politically correct and believe inside what you and the prophets speak openly.
Related Posts
Updates
20 Feb 2009 Senator Butttars will not resign as a result of his statements about homosexuality to a documentary filmmaker, but he will lose two key chairmanships and membership on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Too bad, because that’s where homosexual rights bills would be heard. When told that the homosexual community wanted an apology for his comments, he said, “Well, they ain’t gonna get one.”
In reply to my email of support, Senator Buttars graciously responded:
Thank you so much for your email of support. In recent years, registering opposition to the homosexual agenda has become almost impossible. Political correctness has replaced open and energetic debate. I have no intention of resigning. During this time it is more and more critical for people to be outspoken. People need to let other Senators and the media know that they too are outraged by what is happening. I appreciate you taking the time to send me an email of support.
Senator Buttars
Good for you Senator, I was hoping that you would not resign.
23 Feb 2009 It is a dangerous precedent for the Utah Senate to be attempting to censor one of their own for no other reason than to be politically correct. Support for Senator Buttars’ right to speak out came from an unlikely source on Friday, in an American Civil Liberties Union press release:
While we disagree vehemently with Senator Buttars’ views, we strongly support the
Constitution’s free speech protections. Free speech rights are indivisible. Restricting
the speech of one group or individual jeopardizes everyone’s rights because the same
laws or regulations used to silence unpopular and controversial speech can be used to
silence valid discourse.
Senator Buttars is heading for Keith Olbermann’s list again – isn’t he! Though I do not advocate homosexual activity and I agree with him, I am concerned that Senator Buttars approach will not get things done. The only thing that he will accomplish here is to embarrass himself and increase resolve among the gay activist.
Don’t get me wrong, he is hitting the nail on the head here, but this particular nail has it’s own hammer too.
From what I read in the Deseret News, Senator Buttars was right on with his comments. The argument about if he was misrepresented or not is just a sideshow. The real issue is that the Senator said that homosexuality is a perversion, which it is. Many others believe this but they either lack courage, or have the sense not to say it. Because the vocal minority don’t want to call homosexuality a sin they will do everything possible to shut up Senator Buttars. The will also whip up the sideshows to distract the masses.
Louisiana,
I agree with you and would not speak up in public myself (although I have on this blog). I think Senator Buttars is performing a very useful service by reminding us that homosexuality is a perversion. And Utah has already forbidden civil unions in its constitution because the majority basically agree with the Senator. The amendment is very unlikely to change in the near future, unless by federal fiat.
Seriously Mr. Buttars I thought you were taught to love? Those words have no relation to love in any sense!! How the hell you got electedagaing is amazing to me. I guess Utah people either don’t get the TRUTH of you, or just don’t care.
The senator needs to differentiate between people who suffer from a same sex attraction and those who take part in homosexual acts. Homosexual acts are disordered and the practice of them is sinful. Experiencing a same sex attraction is a problem some people have to put up with or seek help in getting a cure.
You bring up a good point and it would help his case. However, I am always pleased when someone will speak up on this topic and saddened when those that fundamentally are thinking the same thing condemn him so badly.
For this discussion I’ll not say what my position is on the content of the Senator Buttars statement. What I will say to both sides of the argument is, FREE SPEECH is allowed in this country, Thank God! If we agreed with everyone all the time we wouldn’t need to be learning lessons here on Earth and would not exist in our Earthly bodies.
Pam,
You are welcome to state what your position is. I am reasonably liberal in moderating comments. I appreciate you stopping by.
I don’t agree with the statements he made, but that said there is such a thing as freedom of speech and these days it seems like less and less people are allowing people to really speak their minds. Regardless of whether they agree with me or not :)
Talia,
It seems to be almost universal that people will agree that one should be able to speak one’s mind. The interesting point in all of this is that many of the senator’s fellow legislators, as Mormons, hold approximately the same views on homosexuality. Yet they ran for the hills when he said homosexuality was a perversion.
Homosexuality is a perversion against all that is natural. It is in the same catagory as pedophilia and sexual perversion with animals. All of these are unnatural with no productive end results. Therefore People who follow these paths are unfit to be in a position of power in this country. They would be our children’s role models? Senator Buttars is brave enough and honest enough to state this view. May God bless him.
Homosexual acts are no more “perverted” than heterosexual acts done outside the bonds of marriage. In accordance with church doctrine, a sexual act between a man and a woman who are not married is viewed exactly the same as an act between two individuals of the same sex. Essentially, the church views all sexual acts done outside the bonds of marriage as a “perversion.” This is, among other reasons, why the church is so opposed to same-sex marriages. If homosexuals are allowed to marry, then current church doctrine would seem to condone such acts. The church would, therefore, need to redefine its definition of what constitutes appropriate sexual behavior. This could be interpreted as a reaction to political realities, rather than as actual revelation.
The other members of the legislature tried to distance themselves from Senator Buttars’s comments because they are more intelligent than he is. They realize that there are more productive ways of going about protecting traditional values. Buttars’s imbecilic comments don’t convince anyone. In fact, they just make others more likely to disregard reasonable arguments for why homosexuals should not be allowed to marry.
Pilgrim,
It is refreshing to hear a little straight talk once in a while from the senator. There was no need to discipline him just for telling the truth.
Pilgrim,
You said, “If homosexuals are allowed to marry, then current church doctrine would seem to condone such acts. The church would, therefore, need to redefine its definition of what constitutes appropriate sexual behavior. This could be interpreted as a reaction to political realities, rather than as actual revelation.”
Heaven is governed by law, law that is truth, and irreversible. The revelation that sexual relations are only proper within marriage is law, and is preceded by and dependent on a higher law: marriage is between a man and woman. Once the latter has been broken, the former is irrelevant. No change or redefinitions would be necessary. The Church is opposed to same-sex marriage because “it is a perversion.”
And no, there was no need to discipline the senator for speaking what he believes.
Pilgrim,
If you label Senator Buttars’s comments as “imbecilic” then it appears that you are saying that similar comments by general authorities are also imbecilic. Is this what you intend?
God only created a “man” and a “woman”. That’s it! Almost every man or woman living in this world knows, except for those who intend to disregard on what the bible says. And as for what the Senator said, it is perversion. A man is created to be part of a woman; vice versa.
Many hold the view that early childhood experiences predispose people to homosexuality. From a very young age, a child’s experiences gained from the environment allow a predisposition for homosexual practice.
I always thought homosexuality was more of a fetish.
Anyway, I don’t them homos because that means less competition for girls.
Congratulations senator Buttars for being so curageous.
I think this senator must receive more attention. It’s a good thing that some courageous people are able to do something in the congress.