Breast feeding in Church

A local woman in Utah who has made waves and started a fight with her bishop wants The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to come out with a uniform policy on breast feeding. This is an idea so culturally specific I think only a Utah Latter-day Saint would ever come up with it.

To begin with, I am not convinced the actions of her bishop were as much a reaction to her breast feeding in public as opposed to her combative and rude reactions to others issues with it.

Actions in public society can never just be about a woman and her child and how they want to do things. They have to be navigated by other cultural considerations. Personally I can see values in opening more space for breast feeding. On the other hand I have read other places where people actually gripe that women's restrooms in LDS Church buildings have been made too comfortable for breast feeding.

I have known other buildings that had rooms specifically just for breast feeding, this is more common in newer buildings. I have also known other buildings with large numbers of mothers of young children to transform a classroom into a breastfeeding station.

The main reason why I think the demand here is unworkable is that breast feeding is a culturally navigated issue. In some cultures breast feeding in public is viewed very differently than others. Any possible statement on the matter would either offend people in some cultures where things are approached very privately, or those who allow it much more in the open.

Worse still, a lot of possible statements on the issue would offend people in both cultures.

This is clearly an issue best decided at the local level.