As many of you are probably aware, California had a very important piece of legislation passed with the recent elections. Proposition eight reverses the decision that activist Judges passed into law on May 15th of this year. These judges imposed homosexual marriage not only on Californians, but also on the rest of the Country because there is no residency requirement. This means that people could travel to California, get married and then expect to have their “marriage” accepted by their State of residency. (Source document here) To see the importance of proposition eight, watch this short YouTube video.
One of the major players in passing proposition eight was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Yes folks, that’s the Mormons. The online LDS journal Meridian Magazine details some of the activities of Mormons in helping pass this legislation. On June 29th, the leaders of the LDS Church asked their members to do all they can to support proposition eight. This angered the homosexual community. So much so that they created this piece of propaganda to attack the LDS Church.
Holey buckets! I’ve never seen anything quite like this. Mormon misisonaries are depicted like home invading gustapo whose sole reason for visiting is to tear up the homeowner’s marriage certificate. While I’ve had interesting experiences with some immature, cocky Mormon missionaries, I’ve never met one who would act anything like the guys depicted in this commercial. I pray for the safety of Mormon missionaries in California and particularly in San Francisco.
While I support the rights of Mormons to disagree with, organize, publically voice their opinions and vote against homosexuality, I find it interesting that the LDS Church is getting a taste of their own medicine. The homosexual community will not allow anyone, and now especially the Mormons, to disagree with their position without labeling them as hateful, bigoted and intolerant.
How have Mormons been hateful? By disagreeing with someone? Give me a break. Let me remind the reader that one can only be tolerant of something with which they disagree. If the homosexual community really wanted us to be tolerant, then they would allow us the freedom to disagree. I do not tolerate something I agree with because, well, I agree with it! The truth of the matter is, they don’t want our tolerance, they want our acceptance and that is a completely different matter.
The same argument holds true with Mormonism’s quest for acceptance within the Christian world. Because Christians disagree with Mormonism, organize our efforts to educate others about it’s real nature and publicly voice our opinions, we have been labeled, ironically enough by the LDS Church, as hateful, bigoted and intolerant. Does this sound familiar? Mormons do not want our tolerance, they want our acceptance.
I have years of experience in public evangelism at Mormon events. I have been called all kinds of nasty names and was once even told that the reason I was there was because I must drink my own bath water. Where is the tolerance on the part of the LDS Church? Do I not have the right to disagree with Mormonism without being labeled an anti-Mormon? Are Mormons now anti-gay?
One of my other favorite terms of endearment is “protester.” If I show up at a Mormon temple opening, I must be protesting it. Nothing could be further from the truth. Mormons, if you are reading this, and I know you are, THIS is a protest.
As you can see, there are plenty of angry folks at a Mormon temple protesting the Mormon Church’s involvement with the passing of proposition eight. They are marching in the streets, chanting slogans, and stopping traffic. Again, THIS is a protest.
This is not.
The above depicts Christians, peacefully talking with Mormons. Instead of chants, there is worship. No marching, just preaching.
I truly am sorry that the LDS Church has been the target of unfair criticism to the point of unruly protest. On the other hand, maybe now they can see a difference in what critics of the LDS Church do vs. what is happening in California now that they have experienced a REAL protest. I am curious to see how the LDS Church responds to the unfounded accusations of hate, bigotry and intolerance. If the LDS Church wants to know which answers work best, all they have to do is recall what Christians have been telling Mormons for years. It is the same argument.
Thanks, Evidence Ministries. I am a Mormon, and I appreciate your comments. I was a missionary for 2 years. I served with other missionaries who were quite confrontational. Having a decent religious “debate” with a spirit of love and respect is one thing. I found that argument and confrontation is not only ineffective, it’s un-Christlike. Back to Prop 8, though, and similar laws. I don’t care if you’re Evangelical, Catholic or Hindu. Let’s work together to make the laws stick.
It’s nice that a lot of Christians take the “nice talk in the park” approach. I belief that many of them do.But this is not the image Mormons have of you guys.If you want the image that most Mormons have of Evangelical ministries, go to YouTube and type in “Mormon temple street preachers.”That’s the image Mormons have of Evangelical ministries – screaming, unhinged loonies with sets of Mormon undergarments hanging from their belts.I know that’s not true of all Evangelical ministries, but there you are.
Hi,This is a true story: I made an effort to support gay marriage. I contacted their website and wanted to get their views on marriage to make my decision. I sent an email asking them whether they support polygamy and incest in the case of marriage also. The response: “We do not.” I responded that they are no better than heterosexuals who do not support gay marriage then, and therefore do not have my support. Puzzled, they responded “This is not about those issues” Really??? How do they figure that? By their own admission they discriminate against others who would like to marry as a civil right. Why should a brother not be able to marry his sister in Kansas? It doesn’t hurt anyone? Why not allow them to do what they want? Or how about the Mormons. If they want to practice polygamy, why shouldn’t they be allowed? It doesn’t hurt anybody. Yet the gay groups won’t support it. Did anyone ever consider whether its someone’s civil right to decide where they stand on issues such as marriage? The gay groups have tried to tell us we don’t have a choice. Huh??Sorry, but talk about hypocritical. This one has taken the cake! You won’t see that on the 5 o’clock news.
Thanks for your comments guys. I appreciate that you are able to see a difference in what I do vs. some of the more rowdy type of preachers.As for Mormons believing all of the hype about Christian evangelists, from my experience, even if you don’t scream or do rude things, I am still characterized that way. It is a nice convenient way to try to dismiss me. It just shows how some Mormons have a really shallow faith.Here is an example of what I’m talking about.http://www.topix.net/forum/religion/latter-day-saints/TNDE5D82NVJPR7MMH/post83
Some.That’s true of any body of worshipers Keith. Takes all kinds.
Good coverage of the event, Keith. And I’m even proud of you for the props you’ve given us Mormon folks. However, there’s a few things I’d like clarified.You state: While I support the rights of Mormons to disagree with, organize, publically voice their opinions and vote against homosexuality, I find it interesting that the LDS Church is getting a taste of their own medicine. The homosexual community will not allow anyone, and now especially the Mormons, to disagree with their position without labeling them as hateful, bigoted and intolereant. I know this was likely just a result of summarizing on your part, Keith, and therefore a rather trite matter perhaps, but still, I feel a need to clarify that the Mormon Church did NOT “vote against homosexuality.” In recent years, “homosexuality,” or “same-gender attraction,” has been increasingly recognized by the LDS leadership as a legitimate human condition of a minority. A condition that’s to be met by the Church with better sympathy and honesty than it has been in the past. The Mormon Church’s involvement in Proposition 8 was a vote against the increasingly popular homosexual subculture, and its efforts to influence society into accepting– not homosexuality as a legitimate condition of a few–but of homosexual lifestyle as a legitimate alternative to heterosexual lifestyle; to be fully and openly sanctioned and proliferated by the US government (and our tax dollars). It was about protecting the integrity of marriage and family, which is becoming increasingly fragile denigrated in our ever mercurial society.As for your analogue drawn between the Mormon reservations to the pointed ethnic reprisal they're receiving at the hands of Gays in Cali VERSUS your reservations as an Evangelical proselytizer to the ethnic reprisals you face by Mormons–well, Keith, I think you're really stretching here.How often do you have Mormons confront you in your daily life to voice their disagreement to what they deem to be your subversive statements of their faith? My guess is that it very rarely happens outside of the immediate context of your proselytizing activities. If I recall you right, Keith, you've gone on record as saying that your biggest challenge in proselytizing Mormons isn't open disgruntlement and opposition to your message, but decided ambivalence and reticence to your message. As you pointed out in your contrast videos, perhaps your fault is you're being a little too nice. (I've certainly met my share of Evangelical preachers and laity that'd agree. So thank you for being who you are, Keith.)As one Mormon, while I've seen my share of Evangelical demonstrations against Mormons that I cannot deny as blatantly bigoted, deceitful, and mean-spirited (and I'm sorry if some of my fellows have mis-categorized you as such, Keith), I agree with you that have seen very little Evangelical opposition that approaches that of the Gay/Lesbian community's spiteful attack following Prop 8's bare passage. And I have never in the life of me seen–nor heard of–any organized reprisal campaign by Mormons in response to Evangelical proselytizing that in any way, shape, or form REMOTELY approaches the sort of campaign levied against the Mormons right now by Cali's Gay community & its sympathizers. In fact, as you're well aware, the LDS Church steers clear of reprisal campaigns. Considering the popular opposition that's levied against us constantly, it's certainly wise that our leadership stick to that formula.But I hope you were wise enough to notice, Keith, that in some of their media attacks against the Mormon Church, the Gay/Les community used some of the same ideological, imagery, and caricature attacks used by our Evangelical opponents for generations. It was rather easy for them to plug into those prejudices and subversion strategies that were already long in place–and tinker with them to serve their own purposes.Dirty laundry is always easily worn again–and re-worn by others. As long as everyone's agreeable with the dirt. Your brother,Sincere.
Why does your hosting company say your web site is “suspended”?!?
hello Keith, I'm kittywaymo. I'm usually out there by T Square as an active LDS Temple going Mormon…:)I converted from a Jewish NY background at age 12. I'm a retired CNN journalist and currently an actress, voice over talent etc. I like your site and you seem so much more intelligent and kind that Lonnie Pursival and others I have met. Lonnie once called me a "whore" and pointed his finger at me and said disgusting sexual things to me and asked if I did those things. I found him utterly distasteful and unchristian like. I hope we as Christians (yes, I am a Christian, I love John 3:16 and always preach my Savior Jesus Christ who is the Savior of ALL mankind and womankind, not a select few. ) I hope we can speak in a loving tone and humble tone and respectful tone to one another. The Holy Ghost will abide no other way. Love and friendship, Kitty
Christians are arrogant enough to think that a basic defense of someone elses family, against Christian attackers, is just some self-motivated anti-Christian ploy.
Sorry, David. This is my platform, not yours.
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