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Loading ...Mormon Says Church threatens excommunication for supporting gay marriage
09.24.2008 2:50pm EDT
(Hastings, Nebraska) For more than 20 years, Andrew Callahan has been a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–day Saints. But now the Hastings, Nebraska man is being hauled up before a disciplinary hearing that could result in his excommunication from the Mormon faith.
His crime: opposing a call by Mormon leaders to support a proposed constitutional amendment in California to ban same-sex marriage.A letter from Thomas S. Monson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was read from the pulpit in church congregations in June, calling on church members in California to support Proposition 8. Church members in other areas of the country were urged to send money to the effort.
The position rankled Callahan, who set up a Web site to voice opposition.
“Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been taught, ‘We do not believe it just to mingle religious influence with civil government …’” the Web site says.
It urges other Mormons to sign a petition opposing the church’s stand on gay marriage.
This week, Callahan said he has received a letter from his bishop saying “I have participated in conduct unbecoming of a member of the church” and ordering him to a hearing on Friday.
“I believe in standing up for what I believe in and I guess, unfortunately I am not supposed to stand up for what I believe in if I disagree with them and I do,” Callahan told KHAS-television.
The case is being closely watched by other Mormons who oppose the church view on same-sex marriage.
The LDS church has fought same-sex marriage legislation throughout the country since the 1990s.
In 2000, a letter from the pulpit asked members to give time and money in support of Proposition 22, a ballot measure prohibiting California from legally recognizing gay marriages performed outside the state. It passed but was later struck down by the courts.
In May, the California Supreme court ruled it was unconstitutional to bar same-sex couples from marrying. In 2006, church leaders sent a letter to Congress seeking an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would define marriage as being between a man and a woman.
For gay Mormons, the church position is particularly troubling.
Affirmation, an organization for gay Mormons, has been seeking a meeting with church leaders for several years.
LDS President Thomas S. Monson agreed to the meeting in April and asked Fred Riley, commissioner of Family Services for the LDS, and Harold C. Brown, the agency’s past commissioner to arrange it.
It was to have taken place August 11, but at the last minute Riley postponed it, saying he was preparing to leave his position and that the meeting would best be handled by his successor who has not yet been named.
It is estimated that as much as 40 percent of the money raised to support the California amendment has come from Mormons.
The Mormon Church can collectively kiss my [BUTT]! Weird bunch of creepy people living in some mythological time period from 2000 years ago that bears almost NO resemblance to the real world and carrying on as if they have some special connection to GOD? Go [screw] yourselves.
Huddling in our respective trenches and lobbing grenades at one another isn’t going to accomplish anything. Yanking politically-active “religious” organizations’ donor-deductible tax-exempt status will; and in the case of the Mormons, exposing them as a dangerous mind-control cult, very similar to one that starts with S, but I don’t have the $$$ to defend myself in a lawsuit by THEM . Hitler held many of the same beliefs about family values and morality as the Mormons and other Konservative Kristianist Krazy Kultists. While the Dominionists will throw the Roman Catholics and Mormons overboard in a HEARTBEAT if they ever seize power, their objective remains TO IMPRISON AND KILL GLBT PEOPLE. Google “Dominionist” and compare their manifesto with the Republican platform.
Cheers,
Bud Clark
San Diego CA USA
Were I a Mormon, I would be PROUD to be excommunicated from such an evil, self-serving and controlling group.
It seems they think it is OK to brainwash and then rape young, underaged girls, but allowing someone to marry is evil. What a weird and screwed-up brain and philosophy they possess. Yes, they are obviuosly POSSESSED by the same evil they rail against.
The LDS Church is pushing the boundaries of religious political activism. Tax exempt religious organizations have an unfair advantage against their opponents and should be equally taxed for funds raised to support secular political activities. Tax exemption for churches/religious organizations should only be for religious non secular activities. Mormons are not being asked to support the ban on marriage, they are being told how much to contribute, many as much as $5,000-$10,000 per family in addition to their normal tithe or face disciplinary action by the Church. Not only should their tax exempt status be revoked for secular political activities, but also investigated for extortion.
According to the Mormon Church they have raised $6,727,964.43 to support California Prop. 8. (Of donations tracked over $1,000)
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pe2023SzWXxE8wYX5qWeoIw
“”So, the Yes campaign, rather than purchasing some good old fashioned union made in America lawn signs, they went to some cut rate producer in China who blew the delivery date by at least three weeks. What, they couldn’t afford traditional American signs?
That seems to have worked out well. Why does the Yes on 8 campaign hate America?
Outsourcing jobs to China seems like a very strange way to “protect families” in America.”"
Read more here: http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/category/families/marriage
Guy in SF said:
“According to the Mormon Church they have raised $6,727,964.43 to support California Prop. 8. (Of donations tracked over $1,000)”.
It seems, in today’s dire financial climate, using these funds to help the poor and the informed would be a better use of the money.
I am sure Jesus (whether divine or not) would have thought the current use to further bigoted political ideals was an IMPROPER use such a large amount of money — of any money for that matter.
Were we to marry, I am sure our relationship would have absolutely no effect on the Mormons, or Catholics, or Evangelicals, or Muslims, or any other group who believes in 2000 year-old fairy tales.
Please, let the US take away the tax-free status of any group who dabbles in politics. If their aim is to get into a fictional heaven, then they need to limit their religion to their own souls.
They made a choice to be religious, and that does NOT give them a monopoly on moral authority. One does not need religion to be moral and kind and decent. How dare they even think their claim is any superior to mine!
Churches violate PAC laws and are still tax exempt. Weathy financiers screw up the mortgage and banking industry and get bailed out by the government. I think its way past time to start wearing toilet paper clothing because the American taxpayer is certainly getting S&^t on. Maybe we need to dump some tea into Boston harbor.
Great comments, let me add: The IRS has a hotline to report tax abuse. CALL THEM. I do..I reported the Boston Bishop for his illegal politicking in the fight we had..and won. May not get the result we want but it will force the IRS to look into the issue of church tax exemption more and may eventually create some support to end it.
Churches…all of them…are evil. Your church might seem normal to you, but it is not. They want you to tithe so the elite class (male usually, and closeted) doesn’t have to work. They scare you with “hell” and tempt you with “heaven” so you won’t worry about this world, just how much you’ve given to get into the next.
It is a ponzi scheme at best, abuse at worse.
I question why the above referenced Mormon is a member of that club? Can’t you just stop going. Shame on him if he goes to the “trial”. They aren’t the law!
Kill religion, its the only way our race will survive. If we keep working towards a fake other world, how can we expect to fix this one?
For people that try to speak out in their church and support us, I’m grateful..I’d be more grateful and feel less sorry for them if they would simply quit. Noiseily if possible, but quit.
Religion is the root of all evil.
WHEN IS THE IRS GOING TO FINALLY STAND UP AND REVOKE THESE CHURCH’S TAX FREE STATUS WHENEVER THEY START ADVOCATING DIRECTLY FROM THE PULPIT? IT’S ABOUT TIME THESE FUNDAMENTALISTS START READING THE CONSTITUTION ABOUT SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE. WE ARE ASKING FOR CIVIL RIGHTS, NOT RELIGIOUS RITES.
CAN YOU IMAGINE THE UPROAR IF SOME GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL STARTED POSTING STATE POSITIONS AGAINST SELECTED RELIGIONS? {HOMELAND/DER VATERLAND SECURITY’S POSITION ON MOSLEM’S NOTWITHSTANDING}
WHEN IS THE IRS GOING TO FINALLY STAND UP AND REVOKE THESE CHURCHS’ TAX FREE STATUS WHENEVER THEY START ADVOCATING DIRECTLY FROM THE PULPIT? IT’S ABOUT TIME THESE FUNDAMENTALISTS START READING THE CONSTITUTION ABOUT SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE. WE ARE ASKING FOR CIVIL RIGHTS, NOT RELIGIOUS RITES.
CAN YOU IMAGINE THE UPROAR IF SOME GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL STARTED POSTING STATE POSITIONS AGAINST SELECTED RELIGIONS? {HOMELAND/DER VATERLAND SECURITY’S POSITION ON MOSLEM’S NOTWITHSTANDING}
It is always troubling to me to see people on the edge (left and right) try to CONTROL people whom they cannot persuade with factual arguments. That is why James Withers makes more sense to me right now than does Wayne Besen.
Everyone knows Mormons are the most backward ass people ever. They can take any saying or belief and twist it into some God almighty claim that we are all a bunch of devil worshipers. Well to hell with them…….I am not a religious person, but I am a good person. I help those in need, I try to stay positive, treat others as I would want to be treated and I try to lead by example and the example they have left me is to donate money to a cause….I am going to the HRC website now to make a donation of my own.
Snatch their tax-frree status right now, and send in the IRS auditors by the busload.