Say What?!
Some of the stuff coming from the other side in the post-Prop 8 “discussion,” is just kind of unbelievable. Consider this reprint from the New Yorker on MSNBC:
You might think that an organization that for most of the first of its not yet two centuries of existence was the world’s most notorious proponent of startlingly unconventional forms of wedded bliss would be a little reticent about issuing orders to the rest of humanity specifying exactly who should be legally entitled to marry whom. But no. The Mormon Church—as anyone can attest who has ever answered the doorbell to find a pair of polite, persistent, adolescent “elders” standing on the stoop, tracts in hand—does not count reticence among the cardinal virtues.
That’s the opening sentence! It completely ignores two very plain facts. One, the LDS – rightly – jettisoned their adherence to “unconvential forms of marriage.” Something the gay community just might want to consider. Some of us learn from our mistakes. Secondly, no one “issued orders” to anyone – THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. The only coercion I have seen in this entire thing has been from the left as they used disturbance of the peace, vandalism, threats of violence, and harassment to attempt to force their minority desire on the rest of society.
The second piece is out of the Boston Globe:
This year’s headline is that, with the encouragement of their religious leaders, Mormons gave loads of money and man-hours to pass Proposition 8 in California, which banned same-sex marriage in the state. Indeed, they were probably the most organized and consequential force behind the measure’s passage. But in the face of post-election protests outside its temples, the church doesn’t seem to want to take much credit.
Not really. I have never heard a Mormon shrink from their role in all this, rather I have heard people who 1) exercise the wonderful religious virtue of humility in its proper context and fashion; 2) wish to act in unity with others of somewhat different religious persuasions; and 3) recognize that their contribution, while significant, was not determinative.
I can only conclude thot those that lost in this election need someone to blame that is not themselves and so they are lashing out at Mormons as the most readily available and vulnerable target. But when matched up against the facts – simply that 52% of the people of California voted for Propsition 8 – that targeting simply does not hold up. 6, 582,471 votes were cast for Prop 8 – that is a number roughly equivalent to all the Mormons in the United States, and most of them live somewhere besides California.
Frankly, in light of such factually inaccurate claims as these, this whole “blame the Mormons” schtick on the part of the left is starting to look ridiculous. It would be humorous if people were not losing their jobs, being vandalized, and beig threatened.
Posted in Proposition 8 | 3 Comments » | 
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Swertfeger on 24 Nov 2008 at 10:26 am #
One should also note that in the early history of the LDS Church, the Mormons did not attempt to change any laws to define their polygamous marriages as legaly equivalent to a monogomous marriage. When polygamy was outlawed, the Mormons continued to perform the religious ceremony without the sanction of the state, and continued to live in polygamous marriages despite their illegality because they had made a religious covenant. But despite that, religious leaders were thrown in jail, and Church land was at risk of being confiscated by the government. For homosexuals to compare their plight to that of the LDS Church they would have to show that they are currently being thrown in jail for living in a homosexual marriage, even if they were only married in a religious ceremony. Gay husbands and lesbian wives would have to go into hiding and become fugitives of the law. That hasnt’ happened. The only persecution has been performed by those on the No on 8 side of the debate. The only people hiding are those scared of being assaulted and accosted. The only people that need protection are those who voted for Prop 8, not the homosexuals who claim oppression and persecution for their sexual beliefs.
CarlH on 24 Nov 2008 at 12:21 pm #
The editors of National Review agree and make a point of it with today’s editorial:
Read the whole thing, which points out that, despite the current targeting of the Mormons, the ultimate goal of the activists is “legislating moral conformity” to the detriment of freedom of conscience.
shortstuff98 on 24 Nov 2008 at 10:13 pm #
Just to add on to your blog, there are only about 750,000 Mormons in California. Considering how large our families tend to be, maybe 250,000 are registered voters. That’s it. And the church itself did not donate money for the cause. Members may have but the church did not.