The Mormon church won't drop its opposition to gay marriage

[muriel_volestrangler]

Now that Romney is not a factor anymore, the Mormon church is back fighting same-sex marriage. Hawaii was a good example

...
While the church's image suffered badly, the other reason the Mormon church was sitting out last year's gay marriage debates was so that it would not jeopardize in any way shape or form what was deemed the "Mormon moment". That was their long-held desire to elect the first Mormon US president, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. That plan went up in smoke after he lost badly to President Obama a year ago.

Now that Romney is not a factor anymore, the Mormon church is back fighting same-sex marriage. We discovered two letters that were read to all Mormon church members in Hawaii as the state was considering whether to legalize same sex marriage. The letters signed by high-ranking Mormon leaders asked church members to give of their "time and means" in order to defeat a bill. Fortunately, Hawaii didn't listen to the Mormon church. It passed the bill earlier this month, becoming the 15th US state to allow gay marriage.

People are, of course, allowed to have their own views on same sex marriage or any other issue. But it gets complicated when an official religious organization meddles and lobbies so prominently in politics. I sent a letter to the Hawaii Ethics Commission asking them to investigate whether there were Mormon church employees who had worked over five hours in a month to defeat the bill, or if the church had spent more than $750 on lobbying expenses. If the church met either threshold, they would be required to register more of their employees as lobbyists. We are awaiting the results of that investigation.
...
The recently released official Mormon church documents published by Mother Jones, show that church has been acting more like Exxon-Mobil or AT&T than a religion. They have had up to 23 lobbyists in 23 states all over the country working to pass laws and constitutional amendments banning gay marriage and opposing each and every marriage equality bill.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/29/mormon-church-gay-marriage-lobbying

[Th1onein]

1. This, from people who, if they could, would still practice polygamy?

Unbelievable.

[Leontius]

3. Do you support their right to do so?

[Th1onein]

4. Love is love. The more of it, the better.

As long as they are consensual adults, it's none of my business who they choose to marry, or how many. It's the height of hypocrisy, though, that they would practice polygamy, if they could, but try to bar same sex couples from marrying.

[libodem]

2. They are

Ridged-ly (I made up a word here) inflexible about tradition. Women are the lesser creatures and men are their bosses. I seriously think they may believe that humans a basically bisexual from birth and at adolescence you make a choice to leave the circle jerk behind and take a woman whether you really want to or not. And that is the only 'right choice'. I think lots of Mormon men made the only 'right choice' so they think everyone can and should.

I have a friend who "turned hippie", after graduating from BYU, in the 70's. (Remember the bathroom stings of that era on that campus?)

Anyway she would look at me and say, "Go to BYU. Where the girls are girls......and the boys are, too."


They are raised to be goodie-two shoes, mama's boys and their wives are just a convenient mother substitute, to propagate, their future planet. Lots of repression out of guilt and pressure to conform by the family values, they are indoctrinated with from infancy.

[jeepnstein]

5. Mormon theology...

being what it is, can't really embrace same sex marriages. That just wouldn't work. They really have no choice but to fight it.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. They don't have to fight it - they could just ignore it

The Catholic church doesn't support divorce, but it doesn't try to make it illegal for non-Catholics. The Mormons are actively lobbying against same sex marriage.

[dimbear]

6. Are the big Mormon businesses following the party line? Doubtful, after the way

Marriott's got burned.

That might well explain why the Hawaii bill passed. If big Mormon businesses respond with a tip of the hat and a closed checkbook, then progress goes on.

And, if I can respond to the Mormon Church for my fellow Californians, we ain't forgetting.

[pinto]

8. Their lobbying for Prop 8 here in CA was blatant. Financially and otherwise.

I see the IRS is taking a second look at covert "charitable non-profits" for political lobbying. I hope they include religious organizations as well.