How Far Will Mormons Go to Fight Gay Marriage?

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It seems that Mormons are not allowed to disagree with the concept of gay marriage. If you accept that gay marriage is a basic civil right, then those Mormons are just wrong. However, it cannot be shown that most Americans believe that gay marriage is a right. There are significant non-religious complications to this issue. If two persons of the same sex can be married, is it ok if they are both brothers or both sisters? If not, why not? If that is ok, then can a brother and sister marry? I don't think this is allowed anywhere now because of genetic issues, but what if they don't plan to have children? What if someone wants to marry two or more other persons? The thing those Mormons are trying to protect is their idea of marriage and its relationship to their idea of family. What is an acceptable idea of marriage or family? We ought to sort that out with an honest national debate before we point at one group and cast stones for their beliefs.

Mike Anderson of GA 6:02PM May 29, 2009

Flex, Anderson, and Jay. My only response to your comments is; why don't you then? Why don't you put it on the ballot? Why don't you gather signatures to vote Mormons into 2nd class citizenship?
I'll tell you why, because homosexuals talk the talk but don't walk the walk. Homosexuals can't even mobilize unless it's a vicious riot. Mormons know how to win friends and influence people. Mormons aren't scared of a "political bruising" on their heel while they crush the opposition's skull. It was legal to kill Mormons in the State of Missouri up until 1978 and you think Mormons need bigger shoulders? Mormons make up less than 2% of California. Proposition 8's opponents spent more money. The Hollywood spin machine in all it's glory couldn't sell gay-marriage to liberal California, and you're blaming the Mormons?
Why not go after the African Americans? It was their votes that passes Prop 8. Why not go after Catholics? Opponents of Prop 8 are intentionally singling out Mormons because they know that if they make it a "Mormon" issue, it adds a stigma. They admit this.
Don't be deceived my friends. Gay marriage was wrong for your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. These radical homosexuals are peddling lies and spewing the most vile bigotry toward religious Americans this Country has ever seen.

Roymondo of UT 5:53PM May 29, 2009

Ugh. Mr. Farrell, please think twice before you post mindless garbage on the website of an otherwise respectable publication.
"Opposing gay marriage in Utah...is one thing, but taking a lead public role in a national campaign to deprive a persecuted minority of a right shared by all other Americans is another."
Hyperbolic propaganda, nothing less. Thankfully, tens of millions of Americans opposed to same-sex marriage can see right through this bogus argument. The Mormon Church, as well as Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, African-Americans, Latinos, Whites, Barack Obama, Elton John (shall I continue?) are hardly depriving anyone of their rights, let alone persecuting a minority group. The California Supreme Court said itself that civil unions and domestic partnership laws in the state already grant ALL the same rights to gay couples as marriage to heterosexual couples. The Mormons aren't against granting gays equal rights. They're opposed to redefining marriage. There IS a difference.
"It would be seen as a sign that the days of low-key tactics are over, and that the current Mormon leaders are prepared to give, and get, the political bruising that occurs when religion mixes with politics in America."
Is Farrell saying that religious people/organizations have no right to speak their minds or participate in the political process? Wow. Remember, our government is made up and controlled by the PEOPLE, and the people of America are overwhelmingly religious. You cannot separate the citizens of America and their personal religious views. Hence, our laws are often based on values and traditions molded by the religious experience. I grow weary of the "don't force your way of life on us" argument constantly spewed out by the gay political machine. Religious Americans should stop voting according to their consciences, right? We should all just vote and act like brainless robots and ignore the values, mores and family structures that define and propagate our society?
Like I said, garbage.

FreeThinker of FL 5:36PM May 29, 2009

that there will be a large and growing faction inside the Latter-day Saints Church that will embrace the cause of lobbying against gay marriage even harder in a second round in California and maybe elsewhere too.
Why? Because many of them will see this as their ticket to greater respect from other evangelical denominations. They will see themselves as "leading" something besides their own extra-Biblical-revelation theology and (some of them, anyway) are likely to jump in with renewed fervor for national attention. Some others of them are likely mad at the backlash they've attracted anyway (that they'll see as having come only from "sinners") and want to get even.

Muser of NM 4:57PM May 29, 2009

Religion is a protected class given the highest level of scrutiny according to the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution. Therefore, any clause that discrimates against Mormons would be overturned forthright. Federal government trumps state laws.
On the other hand, gays can NOT legally prove that they were born gay. Therefore, logistically gays can never become a protected class. Your apples and oranges analysis fails on its face.

Natan der Weise of CA 4:46PM May 29, 2009

If the Mormon Church is going to engage in another political battle, pouring tens of millions of dollars into California to ensure that discriminatory language remains in the state's constitution, they'd better have broader shoulders this time around. They should be prepared to endure the well deserved protest and criticism they will bring upon their church through a crusade based on intolerance and lies. They should understand, as most rational people do, that passionate objections (such as this one) from the targets of their mean-spirited campaign do not equate to hate and intolerance against Mormons. They should understand that they are not the oppressed ones and they are certainly not the victims. They are not the ones whose freedoms are being targeted. Although they will claim to be the ones on the defense, make no mistake about it, they are the aggressors. Let's not forget that it's not the LGBT community attempting to insert language into the constitution excluding Mormons from obtaining certain civil rights, it's the other way around. The ethic of reciprocity, commonly known as the "Golden Rule", is a highly regarded concept within the Mormon Church. It's time for them to practice what they preach.

Steve of MA 4:44PM May 29, 2009

I agree with FlexSF. Let's do a proposition 9 that says only non-Mormons may marry in the state of California. I'm sure we can get up the minimum number of signatures to get it on the ballot.

Jay of CA 4:39PM May 29, 2009

According to the California Constitution, Mormons too can be voted into second-class citizenship with a simply 50%-plus-one vote. Suppose we put their tax-exemption up in 2010. Their marriages. Or maybe that's too broad. Suppose we focused on taking away their right to inherit their spouse's (spouses'?) estate? To visit a dying spouse in hospital? To receive civil recognition of marriage contracts entered into in their "religion"?

Anderson of CA 4:35PM May 29, 2009

Do they believe in an eye for an eye? A religious organization that suffers a political bruise is a contradiction itself. The church is doing something that it shouldn't be doing. Now that our rights have been voted away, it would be fair to treat them to their own brand of poison.
We need to put the Mormons on the voter referendum chopping block, and strip them of their marriage rights. Then we'll progress onto proposition 8 supporters marriage rights!
That would be fair and square!

FlexSF of CA 4:13PM May 29, 2009