PZ Myers on the irony of the Mormons' meddling in Prop 8

[pokerfan]

It's bizarre that a religion known for being out of step with the rest of the country on the issue of marriage, a place populated with polygamists and young girls treated as chattel and coaxed into child marriages, now wants to "preserve the sacred institution of marriage".

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/11/mormon_meddlers.php">Mormon meddlers

[Radical Activist]

1. More bigotry is not the way to respond to bigotry.

He wrote: "Hey, does anyone know what a Mormon would find heretical? Send me something they find sacred."

There are better ways to respond.

[TlalocW]

4. So I guess I shouldn't send him my pair of magic underwear

Which a friend of mine picked up while convincing locals that she was Mormon while visiting Utah?

TlalocW

[Radical Activist]

5. Nope. I would remind them of how Joseph Smith was killed by a mob

incited by bigotry. Then point out how Prop 8 spreads the same kind of prejudice and bigotry that lead to the murder of their founding leader. Then ask if they really want to be part of spreading that kind of hate and if that's what they think Jesus and Joseph Smith preached.

That might actually get a Moron thinking something other than "what kind of childish jerk makes fun of a persons underwear?"

[pokerfan]

6. It's been my experience

that fundamentalists of any stripe are not often swayed by reason. They see the world in black and white terms, good and evil, 'us' and 'them.'

[Radical Activist]

8. Ridiculing a historically persecuted group like Mormons

increases the "us v them" mindset and is more likely to make them think that gays are all "them." It will make them more determined and sure of their rightness. All the mocking, ridicule and harassment will accomplish nothing but making them more determined.

Showing how the historical persecution of their group has much in common with the persecution of gays is at least something they might think about.

[jberryhill]

10. "Incited by bigotry"?

Try again.

The mob was incited by violent action taken by Smith's mob against the local newspaper.

[Radical Activist]

11. Oh come on.

Don't take the easy one-sided version of the history. Do you have any idea how many printing presses were thrown into rivers in that time period? Many. Do you know how many times someone was killed for doing so? None. It was a minor issue.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. You can't compare ridiculing a bit of supernatural doctrine to depriving people of human rights

Taking the piss out of something found sacred may be rude; but spending millions to deny gay people their rights is bigoted and authoritarian. It's part of the real world, not just some idea.

[Radical Activist]

12. I don't believe I equated the two

and its really beside the point. I don't approve of prejudice in any case.

[ColbertWatcher]

2. I love PZ! Thank you for posting this! n/t

[Idealism]

3. nothing like

telling people about the sanctity of marriage, then going home to your 5 teenage wives?

[pokerfan]

7. They believe

that marriage is meant to be a sacred institution between a man and a dozen unwilling preteen girls.