Comments about ‘Backers of same-sex marriage raise issue of LDS support of Prop. 8’

I wouldn't think the Eastern states should be too fearful that "The Mormons are Coming" when the LDS population of those states is about 0.0001 per cent.

I guess first of all we should thank the G/L groups for helping to get the word out. The LDS Church is coming to an area near you. But it isn't going to do the damage to the Church they might intend, not do the good to their cause that they hope. Just another instance of how all things work together to usher in the millennium.

I suspect this will cause millions to investigate the truth about Mormonism and the missionaries will finally start to see some real success in these areas.

Those people who won't investigate the true teachings of the LDS Church because of this will at least say they don't need the LDS Church leading the cause. Others will pick up the slack. No more states buying into their fight against nature. So sorry Charlie. This is the best thing that could happen.

Fred Karger wants us to stay out of the issuue on Gay and Lesbians and stick to helping out when there are hurricanes well, we can't do that!! I know several gay and lesbian people and they are hard working, nice, decent people. I have no problem with them as people and their right to pursue happiness, however, their lifestyle is a very real and dangerous threat to our society and we cannot sit by and say that their lifstyle is ok.

I am thrilled that good people who believe in traditional marriage took a stand in California. I hope that can be done in other states as together we are the vast majority. Maybe there is not a big percentage of Mormons in the East, but there are many good Catholics, Evangelical Christians and others who have the same beliefs about traditional marriage. If we work together, and God is with us, we are many and a great and royal army and will be victorious. The G/L groups then would need to fear and tremble because the "Christian Soldiers" are "marching as to war"against the evils that would destroy this great nation. Those who fight for same sex marriage need to understand that we love and respect them as children of God, but we cannot allow them to try to make us accept a lifestyle known to be destructive to society. We fight back in self defense. We our protecting our freedoms of religion and speech as well. History has shown that we need to do so. Live that way if you think you must, but don't try to make us believe it is just.

I was raised a Mormon and most of the people I know are devout Mormons. This cultural fact is due to where I was born. I know Mormons well. As and adult I have also come to know some very dear homosexual people. The Mormon religion IS a religion that wants to control you--it wants to take your time, money, and energy. This is really no different than thousands of other religions--they all want commitment and devotion to their cause. Obviously the problems crop up when religions try to dominate politics and thus dictate to non-believers about their lives--this is wrong. Mormons should lead their lives and leave others alone. The Mormon attempt to prevent same sex marriage is immoral and indefensible. Their beliefs about what their "God" wants has NO bearing on the rights of other humans. They need to tend their own gardens. . .

RE: mk | 6:49am

Could you please elaborate on how these " hard working, nice, decent people" really pose "a very real and dangerous threat to our society"?

If you wanted to say they were communists, ambitious, cunning, evil, bent on world dominion, harboring nuclear secrets, plotting the economic collapse of the US, then maybe I could see a correlation. But hard-working, nice, decent people don't typically do those things. Where exactly does the threat come from?

Yes, with 2% of the U.S. population being LDS one can see they pose a serious threat to the country. Likewise in California LDS are 2% of the population.
What about other groups in California who supported Proposition 8 - - do they deserve any heat from the wonderful open-minded people who are asking that we need to change the definition of marriage after thousands of years?

RE: BONZAI | 9:17am

Are you proposing actual holy war, or just speaking in violent metaphors? I've seen several posts that call for taking up arms, and I'm trying to reconcile that with your collective claims to being Christian. Are same-sex relationships really more wicked than taking up weapons and shooting unarmed people? Or does God agree with you that the ends justify the means?

One fact I suppose needs pointing out: homosexuality is legal in this country. You can wage all the holy war you like, but you won't undo what's been done. Even when it was illegal everywhere in the country, all those laws accomplished was to drive it underground. I'm not even sure you slowed it down any - homosexuality predates the human race, and will be around long after humans are gone.

On the one hand, the LDS tout free agency, and remind us that men will be punished for their own sins. On the other hand, they talk about taking up arms against their countrymen, while worrying that this sin will be laid to their charge. So which is it? Or do you not believe your own doctrines?

I understand what you're saying, but I think it's unrealistic to expect that, once the Church decided to enter the arena on this issue, the wasn't going to be a political backlash. As one of the largest and most visible organizations involved, of course a lot of the heat will be directed at the church. If you want to avoid being treated like a political organization, then it's best to avoid acting like one.

To the 11:33 commentator,
Christ said "I come not to bring peace, but to bring a sword".
Being Christian does not mean we roll over and play dead whenever anyone opposes us.
You know full well that these are statments about standing for the cause, and working within the political framework.
However, when the Church gets denounced as somehow un-aptriotic for working in the political framework, it is others who have to understand that everyone has an equal right to seek to influence public policy.
The fact that we no longer let the liberal elite write in on their own, but try to imput our notions into it is very distrubing to them.
However, it is Catholics who have been the main leaders in Maine, and it is the Catholic Diocese there that is now being attacked by the homosexual lobby, while in Connecticut there was an attempt to disolve the Catholic Church. Everyone should realize the Mormons are only the first round, and more groups will come under attack as free season on Mormons is more fully entrenched in the culture.

** "You Mormons make me sick. I seek out opportunities to oppose you at every turn. Your cult is dangerous." **

Thank you! I feel greatly honored. I'd thank you in person if you had the nerve to identify yourself. But people who are prejudiced and misinformed (whether in error or on purpose)who deliberately twist words to promote hate often prefer to hide in the shadows of anonymity.

Latter-day Saints need to worry more about living their religion than worry about what other people think about them. I just remember what the Apostle Paul said before King Agrippa. We should follow Paul's example.

go again. The same old song. Blame the Mormons. I'm non Mormon and I supported prop 8. Don't give too much gredit to the Mormons...

Church involvement in this issue will detract from the real mission of the Church. Millions around the world will close their minds to the Church because of a political matter. Not good. To say that this is a moral issue acknowledges then that this is in fact a matter for churches to decide amongst their own, not to impose religious beliefs on others.

RE: JPL | 2:15pm

Y'know, that same quote from Matthew 10 in my head as I was writing my last post. The problem is, I don't know WHAT was intended by that line: it might have been metaphorical, or it might have been literal. I DO know that it has been used to justify any number of holy wars and crusades. I have also seen a couple of posters on this board call for splitting the country, by violent means if necessary, if same-sex marriage becomes legal. Now at least I know how YOU interpret its meaning, but I still don't know what BONZAI meant by his statement.

Regarding your statement about the LDS exercising your right to influence public policy, I detect a whiff of hypocrisy from two fronts: on the one hand, you claim the right, on basis of religious belief, to deprive others of THEIR rights.

I would like to repeat my previous question: are people free to choose their own lives, or not? And do the LDS feel like God will hold them to account for other people's sins, or not?

Sorry, bumped the Send button too soon. The other point I was going to make was that, considering the church's own sordid history regarding marriage, it seems a little disingenuous to say you're only interested in maintaining the purity of thousands of years of tradition.

Incidentally, Mr Lambert, I've seen your posts on other threads, and I appreciate very much your respectful comments. I disagree with you on nearly every issue on these boards, but I admire your ability to post your arguments without the inappropriate, nasty attacks that come from every direction - liberal, conservative, LDS, Christian, and nonbeliever - on this website.

To John Paul Lambert

I think you're talking about the wrong religion, shouldn't you be wearing a towel around your head?

Article quote: "I'm not intending it to harm the religion. I think they do wonderful things. Nicest people," said Fred Karger, a former Republican campaign consultant who established Californians Against Hate. "My single goal is to get them out of the same-sex marriage business and back to helping hurricane victims."

Fred, do you have any idea how ridiculous you are? You think we do "wonderful things" but you'll stab us in the back.

Yeah, those opinions sure are compatible....

I admit I was afraid of gays at first, until I got to know some. I had a gay boss, for example, who was a good, decent man.

When I saw a story on TV about two gay physicians who had adopted some children, and saw what great parents they were, it helped me to see gays as normal people.

Gays, you need to get the word out to the fearful heterosexuals. Keep offering more information and media reports.

Please Remember that it was the Catholic Church of
San Francisco that invited the LDS/Mormons to help with Prop 8. Most of the funding of the commercials and other promotions of the "Traditional Marriage"
group was funded by the Knights of Columbus, which is
a Roman Catholic group!!

The LDS/Mormons are a small percentage of the possible voters. There are Many More Catholics.

And Don't forget the "loud" Evangelicals...

There are many more Catholics and Evangelicals
that there are Mormons/LDS.

So to be really fair, (for all the Negative feelings)
the negativity should be "spread" around to all those
who supported the Prop 8. Tradtional ethnic minorities also supported Prop 8. Why are the Black
and Hispanic communities exempt from all the Negative
feelings and backlash??

Where's the logic and fairness in focusing on only
one small group in this much much bigger picture??