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Loading ...Mormon church says bishop acting alone in civil union fight
03.05.2009 10:20am EST
(Chicago, Illinois) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says that an Illinois bishop was acting alone in sending an e-mail to members of his ward urging them to oppose a civil union bill before the state legislators.
But the Utah-based denomination has not ruled out becoming involved in the issue in the future.The e-mail, sent to at least one LDS ward in Illinois, was authorized by Bishop Chris Church of the Nauvoo, Illinois, 3rd Ward, and was sent out by that website’s ward administrator.
It urges members of the church to call their local legislators and tell them to oppose the bill. The e-mail claims that civil unions would “empower the public schools to begin teaching this lifestyle to our young children regardless of parental requests otherwise.” It goes on to also claim that “it will also create grounds for rewriting all social mores.”
The e-mail raised the concerns of national LGBT civil rights groups. The Mormon Church was instrumental in the passage of anti-gay measures in a number of states.
It was heavily involved in the Proposition 8 campaign in California, a voter-based initiative that prohibits same-sex marriage in that state, a similar constitutional amendment in Arizona and the defeat this year of a package of LGBT rights bills in Utah called the Common Ground Initiative.
The e-mail prompted the Human Rights Campaign to issue an alert to its members.
“It is irrefutably clear that the LDS Church is fighting an anti-gay crusade throughout the nation, targeting any form of equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community,” said Bruce Bastian, a member of the board of the Human Rights Campaign and former member of the LDS Church. “Church leaders want nothing more than to do their hateful work in secrecy, but the time has come to shine a light on their insidious efforts. If the LDS Church won’t tell the truth, we will.”
But Thursday, the LDS Church’s National Public Affairs Office said the e-mail was not part of a coordinated effort by the Mormon Church but an isolated act. Still, it did not rule out future involvement if the civil union bill appears to gain support in the legislature.
“As is widely known, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes in the sanctity of traditional marriage,” the LDS statement said.
“The Church has not taken a position on any legislation currently being considered by the Illinois State Legislature. The Church did not send an e-mail to its members in regards to House Bill 2234, although a false report to the contrary has been circulated. An e-mail was sent from a local Illinois church leader to his congregation — one of 129 congregations in the state — who was free to express his own views.”
Those Mormons won’t be happy until they have us burning at the stake!
“As is widely known, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes in the sanctity of traditional marriage,” the LDS statement said….really? Is that the traditional 32 wives? Women who are considered less than men? Is that the sanctity of inequity for blacks – oh wait, they finally let blacks join their priesthood in 1978…so guess they are ok there….seriously people, why do we give this hate mongering, polygamy loving, child endangering, bigoted, sacred underwearing church so much air time.
I guess it’s time for them to start paying taxes. This church regularly breaks the election laws and suffers no consequence for it.
Michael, you and your minions are on the wrong side of the battle. What are homosexuals doing to gain support? Let’s see; vandalizing Churches, spewing vulgarities, and attacking peoples right to vote their mind. Napoleon once said, “If your enemy is destroying himself,don’t interfere”. The religious folks said gay activists would shove their agenda down our throats and attack religion….well what do you know? Keep it up Michael. People like you spreading inflammatory lies make us stronger.atory lies make us stronger.
Eddie in LA/ What election laws? Name one election law the Mormons have broken. Just one. Give me one example. I’ll be here waiting…..a long, long, long, time.
Dan, You’re partially right. The Mormons would want nothing more than your bosom burning at the Stake Center. (You’d have to be a Mormon to get the joke)
@Roymondo: I am gay and I am a Christian. I am not religious because the “Christian” God hates religion. You can believe I want to destroy religion because it gets in God’s way.
I want you to show me which churches I have vandalised. Give me proof, or should I sue you for defamation of character? I thought your religion taught you to speak the truth.
You are the one forcing your beliefs down everyone’s throats. You are denying me the right to get married according to my faith. I have not asked you to perform same-sex marriages in your church. I have not asked you to approve of them. I have not asked you to tell your children you support them.
I do not believe a lot that what the Hindus, Zoroastrians, Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists and many other people of many religions and philosophies believe but I will not try to force them to live according to my beliefs as long as they are not hurting other people, including members of their own religion or philosophical school, and as long as they are not being cruel to animals.
Similarly, if something I believe leads me to act with cruelty and malice towards other human beings or animals, I am open-minded enough to examine it in the light of scientific and other evidence, see it for what it is and change my evil ways. Thankfully, the God I worship endorses critical thinking and condemns igorance and closed-mindedness. Ask Him if you dare.
Michael, if you are going to lie and deceive about the facts, don’t be surprise if you are corrected.
1. Mormons don’t have extra wives. Not since 1890. You will be excommunicated if you try.
2. Women are not less than men. Come visit the Relief Society and the individual homes. You will see or yourself.
3. It was the evangelicals who had 4 million members registered with the KKK. They did the lynchings, they kept the blacks out of churches. Mormons baptized them and fellowshiped them. They only withheld an ordination from them.
4. You need to visit the humanitarian center in SLC and the visitor center on temple square (or mormon.org) to full understand just how focused the members are on sustaining the traditional family. You will see they are pro-marriage, not anti-gay.
These American Taliban are polygamyous and have no idea what traditional marriage even means. Furthermore they illegally enjoy tax-free status — therefore the claim that this “bishop” (a.k.a. Grand Wizard) acted alone. Otherwise their tax status is forfeit, which it should because the LDS is mainly a political lobbying group.
Shelly,
“to full understand just how focused the members are on sustaining the traditional family. You will see they are pro-marriage, not anti-gay.”
This bill isn’t about marriage. It is about Civil Unions. A non-religious gov’t based institution that has no bearing on the Mormons or any other religious group’s ability to perform religious marriage.
I will not stand by nor will a growing segment of society, while my rights and responsibilities related to civil marriage be abridged by a religous institution. Contrary to the unfortunate popular belief, we are not a nation of christians and are not bound by any specific religious tennants including the archane definition of religious marriage.
You can keep your religious marriage (and religion for that matter) to yourself, give me my rights and responsibilities currently tied to the institution of marriage.
Raymondo, I love how people like you conflate a little spray paint with out-and-out vandalism. Try googling MCC and firebombs and see what real vandalism is. I guess we can blame you for that the way you’ve blamed all gay people for the paint on your temple’s sanctuary walls.
And vulgarities? Boo-hoo, try having your marriage invalidated and see what you have to say.
Further, tax-exempt status is granted to churches with the understanding that they will not give extensive support to politics. An Episcopal church in Pasadena almost had it’s status revoked for making anti-war statements before the 2004 election. The financial support given to the pro-Prop. H8 movement (the exact amount is still in contention) is being considered as a hugh factor in the move to revoke the LDS exemption.
Shelly, people in glass houses really should NOT throw stones, especially accusing others of lying.
Shelly – so did God change his mind about wives? Joe and Brig did have a few – or were they just making up their own rules so they could get a lot of nookie? Same thing about blacks and the priesthood: “They only withheld an ordination from them.” And in the south they just had to ride in the back of the bus…no big deal, right?
Not anti gay? that explains the re-education camps. (Didn’t Mao use those in the Cultural Revolution?) They/you are pro marriage as long as you can discriminate against and deny it to the “other” so you can feel superior.
You’re OK with serial marriages (Rush has had 3 of them)
You’re OK with child marriages (as long as they come from other countries and then move here)
You’re OK with arranged marriages.
You’re OK with “reality show” marriages.
You’re OK with Brittany’s 24 hour marriage.
You’re OK with polygamy (or is Brigham Young in hell?)
Which of these qualify as the “traditional marriage” you’re defending? I don’t see you trying to outlaw any of them.
@Shelly and Roymondo –
You two are laughable. First let me level-load here. I was raised in a staunch Mormon home, I served a mormon mission in Argentina as well as severed in many “preisthood” callings until I had the courage to be true to myself, my family and God. It was PROP 8 that forced me to withdraw my membership from the church because of the hypocrisy, lies, and hatred. You can try to mask your bigotry anyway you like but lets call a spade a spade shall we…and if you don’t like being called a bigot stop acting like one.
The mormon faith is repugnant. You have no concept of your own teachings or at least that of your prophets who have stated numerous times that the only way into the “Celestial” kingdom is via plural marriage – yet you claim we have the alternative lifestyle? Girl please. So you can try to paint that “oh, we don’t believe in it now BS…but the reality is that you do and you still believe that in heaven, you will practise plural marriage again. You still allow men to be sealed in your nasty temples to multiple women but you don’t allow women to be sealed to more than one man…don’t even try to pull your…”we are the victims here”. The church teaches that they should not be involved in politics yet at ever turn, they have been involved and coersing members to do as they say…and if you question your leaders you are shunned. Please, I know the story all too well. Shelly you claim you are pro-marriage…well I guess we are on the same page because I am pro-marriage and pro-marriage equality. Your church is anything but about equality….your efforts to overturn marriage equality in CA are perfect examples…you try to deny me, my husband, and my children the rights and benefits that go along with that…then your church says they will support equality just not the name marriage…yet we see from the news today that they are against that even.
‘Of all religions the Christian is without doubt the one which should inspire tolerance most, although up to now the Christians have been the most intolerant of all men.’ ~Voltaire
Two words: Church, State. The fact that one of their churches lobbying for laws with their congregation, whether endorsed, supported or authorized by superiors, effectively endangers their non-profit exemption. This was broached when they lobbied and collected the money against Prop 8. You can lobby to “influcene” legislation, but there is a point where that influcene becomes bullying.
Their are clear rules and regulations in place that prohibit any organization that has a 501c3 how they use the money. I would honestly like to see where that money is going. If any of it has gone to individuals in the church for working on this or any other agenda they currently have, they are violating federal tax laws.
Eugene, There are Gay Mormons too. Believe what you want. That’s your freedom of religion. I won’t belittle your religious beliefs and any “Christian” who does is out of line. Nobody is accusing you of personally vandalizing churches, but I do know that Mormon wards have asked members to be vigilant for suspicious activity. My point Eugene is that if you want to win converts to your cause you’re going to need to get your minions to sweeten up and be civil. I’m not paining everyone with a broad brush, but other people are, and that’s just how politics works unfortunately. Is everyone in Compton a hardened gang member?…no, but try and convince the public.
Thomas, your inflammatory “Taliban” remarks further reinforce my initial comment. You know very little of what it’s like to be a Mormon. Why don’t you tell us what “traditional marriage” means. Your bishop/ grand wizard comparison makes absolutly no sense, and is just more gay grenade hurling…that further hurts your cause. Once again to make this clear…The Mormon Church has never jeopardized it’s tax exempt status. If you are going to make that claim, please have a backbone and at least cite an example.
Scott P., I’m not crying about “a little spray paint”. Are you justifying it? Is it ok to vandalize someone’s property just a little bit because they are gay? Once again my point is that Homosexuals are not winning anyone over to their cause. You claim to be victims but you act like spoiled brat children throwing a tantrum. You win hearts and minds by kindness..just some advice.