This posting is from the blog: Too Long in the Wasteland
I couldn't agree with every word more.
"Dear Dad and Mom:
Mom called me and asked me to explain how I could justify supporting gay marriage. I am leaving for Japan, and will be out of contact for the rest of the week. This is a topic that has vexed me for some time, however, and I'd love to explain to you why I am so offended by the actions of your church over the past decade.
I find failing to support gay marriage indefensible on three levels: Political, Moral, and Personal.
Political:
I hold to the fundamental belief that all people deserve to be treated fairly, and equally, under the law. I do not believe that government has a right to interfere in the personal lives of consenting adults, either on sexual, religious, intellectual, or expressive grounds.
You can dislike gays, and their activities. That is your right. You can discriminate against them personally, and I expect your church will continue to do so. But when you seek to limit the legal rights of decent, honorable people, on the grounds of fear and bigotry, you overreach.
This is an argument the church will eventually lose, just as it lost it's arguments regarding the odious practice of polygamy, and the repugnant practice of withholding the priesthood from blacks. In general, people are decent, and fair minded. In time they will recoil from the ugliness of the current lds campaign against gays.
I realize you feel obligated to defend the actions and decisions of your church leaders. This obligation will lead you to craft any number of justifications. They all come down to one word-- "yuck". You don't like that some people are gay, and you want to treat them differently under the law.
All adults should be able to marry the person they love, and should be able to expect society to support their commitment. In return, society is strengthened by increasing the solidity of the family relationships those consenting adults build.
Let your church believe what it wants- act based on the dictates of your own conscience. but don't seek to impose the dictates of your conscience on others, unless you wish to give up the right yourself as well.
Moral:
I don't like bigotry, I don't like dishonesty, and I don't like those who use fear to manipulate others. The church has done this throughout it's campaign against gay marriage, and it has warped the minds of it's members, resulting in any number of indefensible claims and arguments.
The tactics of the church campaign highlight the flimsy material behind which it hides. And it fails to answer the question at the heart of this debate: When did Jesus say it was okay to treat gay men and women with such wicked disregard for who they are? There is no biblical or christian scriptural basis for disallowing gay marriage. And if you want to argue that, I can quote reams of verses that are ignored by those cherry picking quotes that apologists pretend justify their position.
King Benjamin had a lot to say about helping others. he would certainly be disgusted by a church that thinks preventing gays from having marriage was worth 20 million dollars of mormon money. think of all the good that money could have done in helping people. It was an immoral use of resources.
As for modern day revelation- D&C 132 is still on the books, last time I looked. And the canard of revelation -"the bretheren must know something we don't" - has been used to justify other positions that were eventually reversed, again by modern 'revelation', when it became convenient.
Personal:
You have a son. He is Gay. God made him that way. He has a strong 'spiritual' marriage, with Gregg, that is stronger than many of the marriages you've claimed pride in with your other children. You could choose to praise his love, and his life, and celebrate the way his creator chose to make him.
I do.
I love you, and don't expect you to agree with me. I would like to think that you could at least respect Joe's desire to have a committed relationship, and leave your personal misgivings behind, and that you could allow him to live his life, as an honorable member of society, as he sees fit.
I do.
Love, Seth"
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Proposition 8- Thoughts from a Mormon
After hearing of vandalism on church buildings in California and bricks through church member's windows, spray paint on their homes and vehicles, and other terrible acts from people against prop 8, I just wanted to share this email letter that a church member I know received from a family friend of hers.
Dear Friends,
In the aftermath of the recent election, we may find ourselves oddly on the defensive regarding our support for the Yes on Proposition 8 cause. Our young people have been especially subject to mean spirited comments by high school friends and teachers. We have nothing to be ashamed of. We did nothing wrong. In fact, we did everything that a civic minded American can and should do. I have put together a few facts that help me to appreciate our position better. For example:
1. Mormons make up less than 2% of the population of California. There are approximately 800,000 LDS out of a total population of approximately 34 million.
2. Mormon voters were less than 5% of the yes vote. If one estimates that 250,000 LDS are registered voters (the rest being children), then LDS voters made up 4.6% of the Yes vote and 2.4% of the total Proposition 8 vote.
3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) donated no money to the Yes on 8 campaign. Individual members of the Church were encouraged to support the Yes on 8 efforts and, exercising their constitutional right to free speech, donated whatever they felt like donating.
4. The No on 8 campaign raised more money than the Yes on 8 campaign. Unofficial estimates put No on 8 at $38 million and Yes on 8 at $32 million, making it the most expensive non-presidential election in the country.
5. Advertising messages for the Yes on 8 campaign are based on case law and real-life situations. The No on 8 supporters have insisted that the Yes on 8 messaging is based on lies. Every Yes on 8 claim is supported.
6. The majority of our friends and neighbors voted Yes on 8. Los Angeles County voted in favor of Yes on 8. Ventura County voted in favor of Yes on 8.
7. African Americans overwhelmingly supported Yes on 8. Exit polls show that 70% of Black voters chose Yes on 8. This was interesting because the majority of these voters voted for President-elect Obama. No on 8 supporters had assumed that Obama voters would vote No on 8.
8. The majority of Latino voters voted Yes on 8. Exit polls show that the majority of Latinos supported Yes on 8 and cited religious beliefs (assumed to be primarily Catholic).
9. The Yes on 8 coalition was a broad spectrum of religious organizations. Catholics, Evangelicals, Protestants, Orthodox Jews, Muslims “ all supported Yes on 8. It is estimated that there are 10 million Catholics and 10 million Protestants in California. Mormons were a tiny fraction of the population represented by Yes on 8 coalition members.
10. Not all Mormons voted in favor of Proposition 8. Our faith accords that each person be allowed to choose for him or herself. Church leaders have asked members to treat other members with "civility, respect and love," despite their differing views.
11. The Church did not violate the principal of separation of church and state. This principle is derived from the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . ." The phrase "separation of church and state", which does not appear in the Constitution itself, is generally traced to an 1802 letter by Thomas Jefferson, although it has since been quoted in several opinions handed down by the United States Supreme Court in recent years. The LDS Church is under no obligation to refrain from participating in the political process, to the extent permitted by law. U.S. election law is very clear that Churches may not endorse candidates, but may support issues. The Church has always been very careful on this matter and occasionally (not often) chooses to support causes that it feels to be of a moral nature.
12. Supporters of Proposition 8 did exactly what the Constitution provides for all citizens: they exercised their First Amendment rights to speak out on an issue that concerned them, make contributions to a cause that they support, and then vote in the regular electoral process. For the most part, this seems to have been done in an open, fair, and civil way. Opponents of 8 have accused supporters of being bigots, liars, and worse. The fact is, we simply did what Americans do “ we spoke up, we campaigned, and we voted.
Hold your heads up high “ you did a great job on this most important cause. We will have more opportunities in the future to participate in our democratic process. Let's remember the lessons learned and do an even better job next time.
These are opinions and thoughts; any errors are mine and in no way reflect official Church policy or doctrine.
Dear Friends,
In the aftermath of the recent election, we may find ourselves oddly on the defensive regarding our support for the Yes on Proposition 8 cause. Our young people have been especially subject to mean spirited comments by high school friends and teachers. We have nothing to be ashamed of. We did nothing wrong. In fact, we did everything that a civic minded American can and should do. I have put together a few facts that help me to appreciate our position better. For example:
1. Mormons make up less than 2% of the population of California. There are approximately 800,000 LDS out of a total population of approximately 34 million.
2. Mormon voters were less than 5% of the yes vote. If one estimates that 250,000 LDS are registered voters (the rest being children), then LDS voters made up 4.6% of the Yes vote and 2.4% of the total Proposition 8 vote.
3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) donated no money to the Yes on 8 campaign. Individual members of the Church were encouraged to support the Yes on 8 efforts and, exercising their constitutional right to free speech, donated whatever they felt like donating.
4. The No on 8 campaign raised more money than the Yes on 8 campaign. Unofficial estimates put No on 8 at $38 million and Yes on 8 at $32 million, making it the most expensive non-presidential election in the country.
5. Advertising messages for the Yes on 8 campaign are based on case law and real-life situations. The No on 8 supporters have insisted that the Yes on 8 messaging is based on lies. Every Yes on 8 claim is supported.
6. The majority of our friends and neighbors voted Yes on 8. Los Angeles County voted in favor of Yes on 8. Ventura County voted in favor of Yes on 8.
7. African Americans overwhelmingly supported Yes on 8. Exit polls show that 70% of Black voters chose Yes on 8. This was interesting because the majority of these voters voted for President-elect Obama. No on 8 supporters had assumed that Obama voters would vote No on 8.
8. The majority of Latino voters voted Yes on 8. Exit polls show that the majority of Latinos supported Yes on 8 and cited religious beliefs (assumed to be primarily Catholic).
9. The Yes on 8 coalition was a broad spectrum of religious organizations. Catholics, Evangelicals, Protestants, Orthodox Jews, Muslims “ all supported Yes on 8. It is estimated that there are 10 million Catholics and 10 million Protestants in California. Mormons were a tiny fraction of the population represented by Yes on 8 coalition members.
10. Not all Mormons voted in favor of Proposition 8. Our faith accords that each person be allowed to choose for him or herself. Church leaders have asked members to treat other members with "civility, respect and love," despite their differing views.
11. The Church did not violate the principal of separation of church and state. This principle is derived from the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . ." The phrase "separation of church and state", which does not appear in the Constitution itself, is generally traced to an 1802 letter by Thomas Jefferson, although it has since been quoted in several opinions handed down by the United States Supreme Court in recent years. The LDS Church is under no obligation to refrain from participating in the political process, to the extent permitted by law. U.S. election law is very clear that Churches may not endorse candidates, but may support issues. The Church has always been very careful on this matter and occasionally (not often) chooses to support causes that it feels to be of a moral nature.
12. Supporters of Proposition 8 did exactly what the Constitution provides for all citizens: they exercised their First Amendment rights to speak out on an issue that concerned them, make contributions to a cause that they support, and then vote in the regular electoral process. For the most part, this seems to have been done in an open, fair, and civil way. Opponents of 8 have accused supporters of being bigots, liars, and worse. The fact is, we simply did what Americans do “ we spoke up, we campaigned, and we voted.
Hold your heads up high “ you did a great job on this most important cause. We will have more opportunities in the future to participate in our democratic process. Let's remember the lessons learned and do an even better job next time.
These are opinions and thoughts; any errors are mine and in no way reflect official Church policy or doctrine.
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