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.