In the same sex marriage battle, the focus has shifted towards other legal rights that will allegedly be infringed upon if proposition 8 is defeated in California. The chicken littles are running around in their religious garb prophesying terrible calamities if we GASP! let two men or two women be married.- Gay marriage will be forced down the throats of our school children
- Private businesses will be fined for refusing to do business with perverts
- Our country will, overnight, be transformed into a totalitarian state
- Churches will lose their tax exempt status if they refuse to recognize and perform gay marriages
- Religious adoption agencies will be forced to place innocent children into the homes of known pedophiles
- It will push our economy into a recession
I just want to say that turning the effort to support proposition 8 into a battle for religious freedom is, at best, disingenuous.
If what the LDS church, and others, are really concerned about is maintaining their constitutional rights as defined by the first amendment - then fight that battle. There is no question that our rights, both as individuals and as institutions, are being infringed upon in diverse ways.
But, to wage a war against same sex marriage and then, almost as an afterthought when you created an hailstorm of controversy within your own ranks, to start waving the first amendment flag - I'm sorry, I'm just not buying it.
- Where were you when doctors were fighting for their right to refuse to perform abortions based on their religious beliefs?
- Where were you when teachers were fighting for the right to teach creationism along with evolution?
- Why aren't you fighting to make divorces more difficult?
- Why aren't you fighting for abstinence education to be taught in our public schools?
- Where is your outrage against lowering the drinking age to 18; a movement which is gaining momentum?
Am I to believe that a bunch of queer couples in California who want to have the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts are the greatest threat we've ever seen to our society? Isn't that just a bit melodramatic?
It's one thing when other churches preach hate disguised as love - but aren't we, as Mormon's, above that? We, of all people, should know what it's like to be despised and reviled for simply being who we are. Didn't God specifically say to us "I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men" (D&C 64:10)?
You say you love me (as a gay Mormon), especially if I continue to live by church standards. But then to turn around and say that people like me - my friends - are the greatest threat to society ...
I'm not feeling much of that love.
8 comments:
*ahem*
D&C 134:9 "We do not believe it just to mingle religious influence with civil government, whereby one religious society is fostered and another proscribed in its spiritual privileges, and the individual rights of its members, as citizens, denied."
*sigh*
I remember the whole era thing when I was a young un. Lots of fear mongering. I detect a note of desperation in some of the pro 8 propaganda. Maybe it will fail. We can hope. In spite of all this I still love the gospel and have a testimony but I can't wait until the election is over. :)
"I'm not feeling much of that love."
Hey, I love ya. :-)
"It will push our economy into a recession"
Okay, Rob and I were personally accused of collapsing the financial markets a couple days ago, but the guy didn't elaborate. I've been searching for where this notion originates; can anyone point me in the right direction. And you better do what I ask, or I'll make the market dip another 700 points, somehow...
kengo: [sigh] how are we supposed to resolve these inconsistencies? In the letter they read in Sacrament meeting last Sunday reaffirming the political neutrality of the church - they seem to have added a line also affirming their right to speak out on political issues. So, political neutrality apparently only applies to political parties and candidates - not issues [sigh]
a.j.: I was on my mission during much of the ERA battle; although, I was also a relatively new member of the church (~2 years) and didn't fully grasp all that was going on. I know there were a lot of members involved in helping to defeat the ERA - but was the church, as an institution, as involved politically as it is with prop 8? I just don't remember.
scot: At least somebody loves me :)
Now, could you please reverse the stock market trend?
btw, this is what it says on the Meridian website:
9. It will cost everyone more money. This change in the definition of marriage will bring a cascade of lawsuits, including some already decided adversely. Even if courts eventually find in favor of a defender of traditional marriage (highly improbable given today's activist judges), think of the money – your money, your church contributions – that will be spent on legal battles.
9. It will cost everyone more money.
This one cracks me up...
The phrase: Even if courts eventually find in favor of a defender of traditional marriage... seems to indicate that what they're really saying is:
9. It will cost everyone more money. After Prop 8 fails, we will be sore losers and will continue to fight in the courts to maintain the favored status of "traditional marriage". These lawsuits will be expensive!
Okay... I realize that they're really talking about the supposed lawsuits against churches that refuse to perform same-sex marriages, etc. But then we're talking about the courts finding in favor of freedom of religion, not "defenders of traditional marriage", and I don't see that as being all that improbable, whether the judges are "activist" or otherwise.
Scot, the reason you and Rob are the cause of the recession is the same reason that Katrina decimated New Orleans.
You exist.
*shakes head* I thought you would've realized that you're the cause of all the worlds ills.
GOSH.
Just think how our country would be better without homosexuals! We'd be a happy place with love, and freedom, and plenty...just like Iran!
(someone get something to catch up the sarcasm dripping off this one, k?)
Dichotomy: It's all just fear mongering without any substance. The Catholic church doesn't recognize divorces even though they are legally available - where are all of the lawsuits forcing them to recognize divorce?
kengo: you just reminded me of this youtube video
It's All Because (The Gays Are Getting Married)
I find this document useful in refuting some of those more ridiculous arguments.
I find the "information" on the Meridian website to be very disturbing. It seems to represent the most conservative and extreme element of the church, and tries to pass itself off as representative of the church as a whole.
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