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LDS Church expects petition from Prop. 8 foes

Stand by Proposition 8.
We need marriage to be between a man and a woman. That is the only real marriage.

This kind of reaction is to be expected. There is always a group like his that resents what the Church does. I would bet that many of these 300 people who wrote letters are either of homosexual orientation or they are homosexual sympathizers. I doubt it would change the Church's actions because they feel very strongly about the importance of what they are doing and the prophet knows that this proposition 8 is a monumental matter having to do with families.

I would honestly like to know how many of these individuals are true practicing Mormons, or are mormons in name only. Within all churches, you have varying degrees faithfulness and political stances.

If "Mormons" are signing this petition against Prop. 8 then they really are not true believers in their faith- when a Prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, the issue is closed. Apparently, some members do not really believe that, nor that their Prophet really represents the Lord. Very sad.

I have seen people disagree with their Priesthood leaders and yet support their decisions with their whole heart, mind, and efforts. I believe some are doing so now, and I wish to commend and encourage them as so frequently that goes unnoticed.

I signed the petition. I also asked that my name be removed from the church membership. To my surprise I did not get hassled with visits or phone calls.

I wonder how many folks have left the church over this?

What is sad is the division and judgmentalism. What would Jesus do? There is a big difference between a church having a view on a moral issue, and actually telling their members to support a certain way to vote,
telephone trees, some of which are outright strongly recommending certain sized donations.
The pamphlet on 6 thins that will happen if the Prop. doesn't pass have been proven by an active LDS atty. to be legally false--lies-yet thousands are being passed out.
Our own scriptures make clear our mutual belief in the right to practice our religion freely and equally
that of others. Not to press for legislation that takes away the civil rights and equality of many of God's children.
Science is a few short years away from proving this is not a choice. Get to know a gay person--it is much harder to persecute somemone,once you see the goodness in them! Some are so heartbroken they are taking their lives! Please have at least some compassion for these lambs--none of them chose to be gay-have some respect for their families,also.

I'm a life-long member of the Church. I'm married in the temple and have a recommend in my wallet. I pay a full tithe, go to my meetings, and am even working on my food storage. My family has been in the Church for four generations and my father is just about to be released as the Bishop of his ward.

And I signed that petition. The Church can teach whatever it wants, but I feel in my heart that Proposition 8 is wrong.

Just so you will know, for everyone like you who leaves the LDS church about 10,000 will join, and some will because of it's stance on this very issue. Here is the problem with gay "marrige" for most of us! Already in California and in other states where same sex "marriages" are legal, the very next thing that happens is the rest of us start losing our religious liberties! Examples: Catholic adoption agency shutting down because they will not adopt childern to gay couples. A doctor was sued by a lesbian couple because for religious reasons he refused to perform fertilization proceedures. A couple in Boston was arrested because in public schools he asked for parental notification when same sex "couples" were taught as normal. Most of us don't care what you have sex with. The problems is that you want to force us to abandon our liberites to accomodate you! Soon you will want minister, or priests arrested if they refuse to perform your "marriage".You can't say you aren't doing these things because you already are doing it! There in lies the problem!

Said President Harold B. Lee:

�You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may conflict with your political views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life � Your safety and ours depends upon whether or not we follow � Let�s keep our eye on the President of the Church.� (Conference Report, October 1970, p. 152�153.)

"Science is a few short years away from proving this is not a choice."

Science has already shown that certain men are genetically predisposed to commit adultery. Is anyone willing to say that we don't always have a choice as to whether or not we will commit adultery?

There is always a choice. A person's genes may make certain choices harder. The genes that affect our chemical make up make some people more prone to short tempers and others more likely to overeat. Are we prepared to endorse anger and gluttony because of genetics?

Let's not sell ourselves short. We all face different temptations and not all temptations are equal, and while we can understand that others may give in to temptations that are stronger for them than they are for us, would we be willing to justify murder if we found a gene that predisposed its carriers to kill others?

Prop 8 is potentially a major cultural change in the US.

1. Schools will be required to teach young children that gay marriage is normal.
2. Adoption agencies could shut down who don't offer their services to gay couples.
3. Ministers could be sued for not marrying gay couples.
4. Doctors could be sued for not helping gay couples have children.

All of these things have already happened.

I know of no example where lawyers have been granted a power to sue and then not use that power. Certainly the LDS church would find itself in court.

If your membership is in jeopardy over this then you were not strong in the faith to begin with. I Know many gay people, we have a very close family friend who is gay and we love him very much but at the same time I know this is wrong what he is doing. I know what the bible teaches and I believe what it teaches, marriage is between a man and women. If we don't stand up for what we believe in what will be the next thing that will pass.

The church is going down a "slippery slope" on this one. Do they really believe that they can have a long term effect on this issue? I think it is inappropriate with our doctrine regarding church and state to tell its members how to vote politically in any regard. Maybe a long term plan that looks to the future with regard to our own practices towards homosexual's is more enlightning and helpful. This is a battle we cannot win, we must find another way to put our message out other then political involvment or protest. It just seems beneath us.

If we are all alike it's easy to love thy neighbor. If we are to be truly tested we need the gray areas of life.

If all those who are opposed to the word marriage do not help those that are different to obtain equal rights under the laws of man, then their job is half done.

The scriptures are very clear on sodomy and this is from God, it is a sin and to condone it is a sin it does not mean we should not love those they are committing the sin but we should never ever break the commandments we are either obedient or we are not

All active latter day saints believe in the resurrection, if a gay has a sex change operaton say from male to female he will certainly be a male as a spririt and a resurrected being/

TO Andrew Callahan, "a Latter-day Saint from Nebraska who opposes the church's stand, and has said his church membership is in jeopardy as a result"...BYE BYE!

Follow the prophet or get out of the way so the rest of us can. There is no compromise, pal. There is no wishy washy when we receive direction from those that we sustain as prophets, seers, & revelators. Now, the problem may be in your gaining a testimony of that, but it sounds like a threat to say "My testimony is in jeopardy." It sounds whiney and it sounds manipulative.

For those of you opposing Prop. 8, you must be blind to the agenda the Gay Rights Movement has had in place for decades and which they are accomplishing step by step. This movement is much more insidious than you know. You'd better start researching this issue before naively posting your opinions.

I support Prop 8 and truly believe that if it does not pass there will be far reaching negative effects for our children. This issue is a very sensitive one. Individuals on both sides feel very passionately about this issue and its consequences. But while I don't support "gay marriage" as a practice, I whole heartedly support your right to believe as you wish and to vote as you see fit. It is not right for either side to engage in name calling, hateful threats, or disallowing others to post signage in their yard either in support or opposition to this issue. Let's allow everyone the right to voice their beliefs.

There is a fine line between lobbying efforts and political endorsement. Where this is simply a lobbying issue, the church is well within its legal rights to lobby for this issue. If they were endorsing a candidacy, that would be different. So to those that feel the church has overstepped its bounds, you're simply wrong, not only is it in the moral purview, it is legally justifiable.
To those that say this is a curtailment of civil liberties, last time I checked, any man or woman could get married, homosexuality, which is a choice of preference, is not a cognizable classification such as race or gender and really shouldn't be because such a classification would be impossible to govern. I am unaware of any physical or identifiable factor that would separate straight from gay except for self-serving testimony. I just don't want the secular agenda forced down my throat anymore than a liberal wants me to force my religion down theirs. So, when the government stifles my opinion in favor of a secular agenda there is little difference in who gets stepped on, and a fringe homosexual element should not be allowed to displace foundational morals.