Comments about ‘Hundreds take to S.L. streets to protest, support Prop. 8 ban on gay marriage’

Take a class on the constitution and ask the professor if you can base your grade on your answer to the question of "Did the LDS church violate the separation between church and state by its role in the Prop 8 Election." He or she will either laugh, or look at with that "how does this person survive on their own" look on their face, then give you an "F".

I'm curious as to how many people, gay or straight, LDS or not, have actually read the church's position (available on their website) on same gender attraction.

It is interesting that gays need a church to be a "catalyst to help focus [their] cause to move forward."

If the right to marry someone of the same sex is so self-evident (i.e. a basic right), then why do you need a church that supports a ban to act as a "catalyst"?

Also, why persecute a church that raised awareness of the issue - the money spent on the campaign did not force anyone to vote a certain way.

You say Sir Elton John doesn't speak for you. Why? I suspect it is because he speaks the truth when he says people are put off by calling civil partnerships a marriage, and that civil partnerships have the same rights as married spouses. I appreciate his words and understanding of other people's point of view.

ok..i'm all for civil unions, etc..and rights for the gay and lesbian folks..but suggesting that marriage falls under the 14th amendment breaks the rubberband..

Marriage is for a man and a woman, period. Maybe we'll protest.

p.s...i'm not a mormon.

The voice of the people have spoken to support Proposition 8.

I laugh when people incorrectly assume that many Church members regret the involvement in prop 8. No way, I even put my yes on 8 bumpersticker in my journal so my posterity will know how I felt about protecting their future. What is really funny is an anti LDS website directed at those who supported prop 8. They state that THREE HUNDRED AND ONE Mormons were against prop 8. Apparently in SLC three hundred and one people signed a petition denouncing the LDS involvement in prop 8 and took it to Church headquarters. They don't seem to realize there are tens of thousands of members in Utah and 13 million members worldwide. Imagine that, over 5.3 million Californians voted to ban gay marriage. That's not quite half of the entire membership of the Church in the whole world. And that number includes children who are too young to vote.

Judging from all the comments here, you should be thankful and grateful for gay people. Holding up their sin, and keeping their unions illegal seems to be the glue holding you together.

Briefly -

I have to say I am thrilled with this new program. Regarding the temple demonstrations, have you ever seen so many inactive Mormons and non-Mormons show up to church?

Not only that, I can tell that many more will likely listen for a prophet's voice in the immediate future. (Oh come on, that was funny! have a sense of humor.)

Definitely an inspired direction for the church.

Churches get to speak on moral issues. Deal with it.

Utah Territory (overwhelmingly Mormon) was the first to give US Women the vote. Mormons are pro-rights people, but marriage is based on biology, not just law. Gay marriage would undermine my marriage, and force churches to condone the prohibited act of homosexuality.

I do not doubt GBLTer's will try again, and may eventually win. If that happens, we may have to leave again. But stop saying we have polygamy...we gave up polygamy over a century ago, and it nearly crushed the church to practice it. Yeah, we know what it's like to be on the wrong side of the law especially on an issue like this.

Kinda sucks, right? Give it up. Change, like we did. Even better, repent.

and these folks arent moving to conn or mass because why ??

they have relief .. take it ..

the majority is pretty pissed for having to pay so much for the minority for so long ... get the hint minority folks .. .

the majority has had a enough ...

pack yourselves up and get back to where you are being accepted .. take advantage just like millions before you who gathered themselves (pick a group, sect, lifestyle etc)

enjoy the trip and quit wasting our time and your time .. we arent watching and we arent listening .. you have a place of relief .. use it

I want gay rights activists to acknowledge and accept my basic right to participate in a democratic process.

Also, why not single out President-Elect Obama? His position regarding same-sex marriage is essential the same as the LDS Church - gay rights ok, gay marriage, no.

I've lived in California all my life, with good friends and neighbors who are members of the LDS church. I'm not gay and I'm not angry at the passage of Prop 8 just...disappointed at the role the Mormons had in its passage. Our nation was founded on a compromise position that there would be no religion in the state for the very fear that one would be used to oppress the others. The church talks about the freedom of choice for its members and voting what is morally correct, but I doubt they'd say the same thing if Sharia Law were placed on the ballot. Further, all churches take advantage of their tax write-off, which is fine but not when it is thrown back into politics directly or indirectly. Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and leave our state constitution alone, for you're inviting a whole slough of problems both for the future California and the future of religions of all types.

Why didn't they title this article, "Millions of Utahns don't Support Anti Prop 8 Rally?" Instead, we give front page press to talk about a "movement" of "hundreds."

Give me a break!

It's quite chilly in here , isn't it? this sounds like a game of "I know you are but what am I" Peace out!

Are you sure your church is for gay rights? Here in Utah, they weren't in 2004 when they heavily endorsed Amendment 3. Due to that, gay couples in Utah have No legal rights. Obama is in favor of Civil Unions for gay couples, not Gay Marriage. Are you sure your church shares the same position?

I don't know what the gays have against Utah. Let's do the math: 12 Million California Residents voted in the 2008 Presidential election. About 52% of voters voted against the legalization of same-sex marriage. This adds up to about 6.25 Million Californians voting against same-sex marriage. 2% of California's popualtion is LDS. This adds up to about 720,000 Million Mormons in California. Plus, if you count kids who aren't old enough to vote and elderly in Rest homes, this is anywhere to 600,000 to 700,000 mormons who could have voted for Propositon 8, but those who have gay children voted against it obviously. The people in California have spoken. Stop bashing the mormons.

When I said that Elton John does not speak for me, if I may, I never gave my voice for Elton John to speak on my behalf.

Do you allow for others to write/express on your behalf? I assume that your views and not those of others --- or is someone else writing down your opinion?

Please explain.

As far as "truth" is concerned --- it is not so much "truth" as it is opinion. You cannot expect for any community to reach a concensus on everything 100% of the time.

Look at the LDS church, it's split down the middle for crying out loud --- some devout LDS members are against Prop 8. The LGBT community has a wide range of views --- and you cannot expect that all members of the community will view this issue with the same lens. My point being, is there one sole person speaking for the entire heterosexual community? And who is that, by the way? If so, perhaps you can give me his/her contact name and I will address him instead of talking to you.

Your opinion made as much sense as someone who does not get out much.

I don't get you fundamental LDS people.

Or for that matter, any person who says "gay marriage" would undermine their marriage.

Really?

Well, in the State of California 18,000 gay marriages were performed already, up until this debacle.

How exactly did those marriages undermine yours?

Your neighbors' marriage has no power to undermine your marriage as YOU have to undermine your own marriage.

Moreover, the argument keeps popping up, "marriage is a tradition."

A lot of things are traditions. Marriage goes back in history.

And so does gay history. It goes wayyyyyy back.

That's a tradition also. I'm using your own logic here.

Here are some things that are possible deterrents to a good marriage:
* divorce --- a big one, maybe ban that. That will preserve marriage in a jiffy.
* domestic abuse --- another big one.
* infidelity --- hmmm ---
* child neglect

I wonder why none of these came up in a Preposition to amend the constitution, if we are going to use the logic of "morality." Clearly the above are immoral, ban those --- and by far, they have a far greater impact to affect your own marriage than your neighbor's.

Re: "Obama and Gay Marriage" --- you raise an excellent point.

Many of the posts on here say that gays already have equal rights.

Point taken. Fine, we'll go with that. Let's make believe for a moment a couple with a domestic partnership in California moves to Utah. By some of these arguments, that gay couple, barring marriage, has all equal rights available to everyone else.

They move to Utah, and boom. Where are those 'assumed equal rights' that you speak of?

Oh? You strip those when they get to Utah?

You have no kind of rights for the LGBT community? Am I understanding this correctly?

By your own assumption, you are saying that gays in California already have equal protection under the law based on the fact that we in California have domestic partships.

Or are equal protection under the law relative? depending on what state you live in?

Let me guess, what will you say? Stay out of Utah politics?

Exactly.

Utah, stay out of California politics.

Obama & Gay Marraige | 4:01 p.m. Nov. 17, 2008

Obama and the LDS Church see eye to eye in relation to same-sex marriage.

I believe you haven't read enough, my friend.

The LDS Church would condone any kind of gay "lifestyle," as you would call it.

Obama would want to extend all rights to LGBT at the federal level that hetero couples enjoy in marriage.

True, while Obama does not call it marriage, I do not believe that the LDS Church would ever endorse all rights to gays at the federal level.