RELIGION & UTAH AMENDMENT: From the Deseret Morning News

Following the LDS Church First Presidency's statement in support of traditional marriage, some of Utah's mainline Protestant religious leaders issued a statement of their own Wednesday opposing a proposed state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

In a separate statement, the Most Rev. George H. Niederauer of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City said he will not endorse Amendment 3, which will be on the Nov. 2 ballot, out of respect for those who have expressed concerns over the language, including GOP Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and his opponents for re-election.

The religious leaders' concerns Wednesday were centered around Amendment 3's second sentence, which reads: "No other domestic union, however denominated, may be recognized as a marriage or given the same or substantially equivalent legal effect."

Last week, some 80 religious leaders--mostly Evangelical--endorsed Amendment 3, saying the measure was needed to protect traditional marriage, agreeing with amendment supporters that it would be interpreted narrowly. ...

In a statement to be published in an upcoming issue of Intermountain Catholic newspaper, Bishop Niederauer said: "We share the concern of all three candidates for the Office of Attorney General (the state's highest legal office) that the second part of the amendment is problematic."

The three candidates have said the amendment is vaguely worded and could have punitive impacts on unmarried couples, negating wills, powers of attorney and other legal contracts.

"While it is true that the Catholic Church is opposed to same-sex marriage, we are reassured that Utah law already prohibits such marriages," Bishop Niederauer said.

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posted by Eve at 6:15 PM | link

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