Comments about ‘Church urges civility in wake of protests’

Am I supposed to believe that taking away rights is acting "in a spirit of mutual respect and civility towards each other"? I can only hope that the reaction to the Church's aggressive position on this issue is the galvanizing force that leads the protesters to win back the rights they once had. With all due respect.

Nobody had rights taken away from them. Those rights were given by activist judges who usurped the will of the people. If anyone lost in this, it was the people whose voice was invalidated by activist judges who instead of interpreting the law, rewrote it. The Sec of State chose to reword the initiative and name it a "Gay Marriage Ban" instead of what it was "a definition of marriage."

I'm sure we all wish this wasn't an issue, but it is.

This debate involves many rights on every side. A definition of marriage will form school curriculum, and one based on theories of being "equal protection under the law" will neccesitate proactive government action to allieviate percieved discrimination.
Remember that Jesus counseled us to turn the other cheek. If the protestors brake one window of your car, drive forward and come back around with the other window exposed.
We need to follow Jesus' advice and respond to hate with love.

Protesting the vote result that you don't like in front of the Los Angeles temple will simply galvinize the LDS members that were not previously involved in the Prop 8 campaign because it strikes an emotional response that all members who have been to the Temple have. Plus it further alienates other religious gruops into a "Are we the next targets?" response. If you want to win the next campaign don't inflame your opposition!

Well, let's hope no windows get broken by the protesters. But let's also remember that Jesus got a little angry once in a while, too, and I can understand that the protesters would respond to hate with some anger.

I think your first paragraph is right on the mark, and I can't imagine anything wrong with equal protection and government action to rid ourselves of discrimination.

I believe the "right" you are afraid of losing is the "right" to malign gay people. This seems far more destructive to me than whatever my neighbors might do with their own marriage (if given the right).

I believe that once again God has tested us and we have failed miserably. He tested to see if we were following his counsel on brotherly love for one another, not judging each other, loving thy neighbor as thyself. And as we continue to do we failed. To look at your neighbor as less than, unworthy of what you are worthy of, to see your brothers and sisters in this world as any less deserving of happiness than you or your families all because they are not exactly like you. It is a shame that the universe keeps testing us over and over and we never get it right. We continue to harm on another instead of letting each other be. We continue to judge each other. God made us different for a reason. I believe that reason was to test us to see if we could all make it on this planet together in peace and harmony. Prop 8 was another test. Humanity gets another "F".

I voted yes on prop 8. I don't think people should tell me wither i hate gay people or not. I don't. I will not, however endorse a homosexual relationship. When people get married, the state government (which represents the people, including me) endorses the relationship.

Homosexuals: "California state gov. let us get married"

lets reword what they are actually saying.

Homosexuals: "People of California!! endorse and approve of our relationship!"

Gay marriage has more to do with what homosexuals want the society to do rather than what they actually want to do.

I feel love and compassion for all gay people. I hope that they repent and find true happiness that only comes through living the commandments of God.

* "I'm sure we all wish this weren't an issue, but it is." *

And it was not the LDS Church that made it an issue, nor the Catholic or the Evangelical churches. It's an issue because a lifestyle-choice special-interest group (which is NOT the same as a racial or ethnic minority, duh) insists that society accept its redefinition of an ancient, established institution.

It wasn't the LDS Church that shoved this issue onto the public forum and in the faces of millions of people who understand that marriage (as in Genesis 2:22-24 and Matthew 19:4-5) is the foundation of families and societies.

As for African-Americans siding with discrimination because they favored Prop. 8, that's ridiculous. How ironic, and how racist and condescending, for the same-sex advocates to expect black people to be so dumb. They know discrimination when they see it. Any ethnic minority (and I am one) who sees any connection between Prop. 8 and true crimes against humanity based on race or ethnicity needs to go back and read their history books or just talk to their grandparents.

With so much heat (and less light) being shed by some of these posts, we need to keep in mind that some people truly are hurt, angry, and lashing out because they misunderstand Prop. 8 and wrongly feel they are being discriminated against.

They need our goodwill, even if their lifestyle does not need (or merit) our approval. As my brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, they have my prayers.

Contrary to the mean-spirited views of some people, true Christians (which includes Mormons and Catholics) aren't interested in the right to malign anyone or deny rights. A true Christian is bound by covenant to love God and our neighbor.

Jesus Christ said, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword." He taught and lived peace and love but knew there would be conflict and animosity over His teachings. Paul, one of the greatest missionaries in history, included in the full armor of God a sword, which he identified as the word of God. And we all know what the Word says--to love God and our neighhor--IN THAT ORDER.

If the Lord has tested us with Prop 8, it was would we follow His counsel to preserve the sacred definition of marriage and family. History is full of times when people did not agree with the Lord's counsel, but it doesn't change what is right. Differences and tolerance do not equate to acceptance.

Well, they say we're forcing them to our religious beliefs, and i say they're forcing us to thier sexual beliefs. Sounds like a bit of a mess to me people. This is just a classic case of oppostions in all things! So lets all just relax, we will all be dust in 200 years!

I object to the "No on 8" insistence that I hate gays because I favor the traditional family. I have numerous friends and associates who are gay. I don't malign or look down on them in any way. I have absolutely no interest in whether they become "spouses" in any sense of the word except one: same-sex couples should not be allowed to adopt children. The research is very clear that children who are raised in a home that is missing either a mother or a father begin life with a serious disadvantage, and have measurably poorer outcomes in life as a result. Sure it happens in divorce situations, but it's an unintended outcome.

There certainly are truly inherent rights being trampled in a same-sex marriage scenario: the rights of adoptive children (who have no say in the matter) to be raised in a home with both a mother and a father. Nature decrees a child must have a mother and a father to be born. Who are we then to deprive them of either by sanctioning same-sex marriage? We must not be party to this injustice.

Call it anything but marriage, and I'm on you side. Do what you want, I could care less. But the term marriage has defined a relationship between male and female for thousands of years. For that reason I cannot share the term marriage without protest. It is not the same, call it union, bond, whatever. I can't use the name Gay, or ware a rainbow or the color purple without making a statement. Don't steal another term from society.

When goverment action to eliminate "discrimination" involves teaching about sexual perversions to kindergartners I will oppose it, thus I support Proposition 8.

To Mr. Lambert,

Your beloved leaders said "No one on either side of the question should be vilified, intimidated, harassed or subject to erroneous information."

So that means you need to be completely quiet.

With all due respect...

There is NO respect due to an organization that so hypocritically claims to be the ONLY true church of Jesus - THE PRINCE OF PEACE! - but who then spend millions of dollars on a propoganda campaign that was filled with LIES, to use the force of law to remove the happiness and freedom of a few people over whom they have NO authority, and who have NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with that church!

Sickening! The LDS Church deserves NO respect. It and all its members deserve derision, contempt, disdain, and ridicule!

The church didn't spend money on the campaign. The members of the church spent money on the campaign.

"propaganda campaign that was filled with LIES"

That is kind of a straw man argument. What lies?

"over whom they have NO authority" The church never claimed authority over anybody. The members of the church CAMPAIGNED and the awesome voters of California (who yes do have authority to approve an amendment) voted yes on pro 8.

This does have to do with the church. To permit that a people sin in ignorance while we are capable of teaching the truth would cause the sin to be put on ourselves according to Mormon doctrine.

The LDS church did not spend a dime on the campaign. I wish the news media could get it right! There were members of the church who did donate money and time!! Their Choice!!
Their Right!

Get it right david!!

I wish SARAH was here to help us solve this problem.

I know we could TRUST HER.

SARAH 2012

To love your neighbor does not mean to accept homosexuality. On the contrary. It is love to help those who are caught in a web of sin and help them to turn from that sin. All the people who advocate homosexuality have turned thier backs on gays.