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SSM - where did the Church go?
Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 5:24 am
by _Drifting
Maryland activists working to overturn same-sex marriage have had to get used to one surprising absence from their religious coalition: Mormons.
A huge amount of Mormon money and foot soldiers and the support of church leadership were credited with an epic win for traditional marriage in 2008 when California voters approved Proposition 8, which said that only marriage between a man and woman would be recognized in the state. And the D.C. region has one of the largest communities of Mormons outside the West.
But Mormon leaders in Maryland have been silent on the ballot measure to affirm or toss the state’s new same-sex marriage law. Activists in other states voting next month on the issue (Maine, Minnesota and Washington) say they see the same thing. The dramatic turnaround from 2008 reflects the tightrope the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is walking as it tries to maintain a generally apolitical church culture while in the global spotlight of a presidential campaign.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/mor ... story.html
Re: SSM - where did the Church go?
Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 5:50 am
by _brade
Drifting wrote:Maryland activists working to overturn same-sex marriage have had to get used to one surprising absence from their religious coalition: Mormons.
A huge amount of Mormon money and foot soldiers and the support of church leadership were credited with an epic win for traditional marriage in 2008 when California voters approved Proposition 8, which said that only marriage between a man and woman would be recognized in the state. And the D.C. region has one of the largest communities of Mormons outside the West.
But Mormon leaders in Maryland have been silent on the ballot measure to affirm or toss the state’s new same-sex marriage law. Activists in other states voting next month on the issue (Maine, Minnesota and Washington) say they see the same thing. The dramatic turnaround from 2008 reflects the tightrope the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is walking as it tries to maintain a generally apolitical church culture while in the global spotlight of a presidential campaign.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/mor ... story.html
Jesus is no dummy.
Re: SSM - where did the Church go?
Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 5:54 am
by _palerobber
now that NOM's lawsuit to avoid having to follow Maine election law has
failed, we should get at least a bit more information on the amount of LDS money flowing to the anti-marriage movement post-Prop8.
Re: SSM - where did the Church go?
Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 6:20 am
by _Stormy Waters
I wonder what it's like to be a Californian Mormon and see this. After all the work that was put into prop 8 and the pressures to donate. Now the church just rolls over on gay marriage.
Perhaps they can see the writing on the wall. Gay marriage will become legal and there is nothing that they can do to stop it. Maybe if they strain themselves they can slow it down a little. But when gay marriage gains wide acceptance all they will be left with is their silly apologetic explanations as to why they yet again found themselves on the wrong side of history.
Re: SSM - where did the Church go?
Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 7:57 am
by _3sheets2thewind
Before prop 8, the Church held combined meetings in Texas. The purpose of the meetings were to encourage Texas members to contact their legislatures to support a "one man one woman" definition of marriage.
Not long after prop 8, the Church announced it would become involved with a ssm issue in another Country - If I recall correctly the reason given was to not give the appearance of influencing a sovereign country political process.
Re: SSM - where did the Church go?
Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:13 pm
by _Fence Sitter
palerobber wrote:now that NOM's lawsuit to avoid having to follow Maine election law has
failed, we should get at least a bit more information on the amount of LDS money flowing to the anti-marriage movement post-Prop8.
Lol I was thinking 'NOM' meant New Order Mormon.
I live in So Cal and I know quite a few LDS people that contributed to Prop 8. Many were upset that their names were made public along with how much they gave, something they did not know would happen going into the election. I would expect, if the same sort of campaign were to be held today, knowing that their names were going to be made public would greatly diminish their contributions to fight gay marriage. Its funny, but you would think most people would be proud of the fact they gave money to fight such a worthless . . . errr worthy cause.
Re: SSM - where did the Church go?
Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:18 pm
by _harmony
As California goes, so goes the nation. Either that, or they're too old and tired to care anymore.
Re: SSM - where did the Church go?
Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:29 pm
by _Equality
I guess Monson and the other apostles like Ballard and Oaks, who said the church was involved in Prop 8 not because it was a political issue but because it was an important moral issue on which Mormons could not in good conscience remain silent and uninvolved, were lying in 2008. If remaining on the sidelines in 2008 would have been an abdication of their moral responsibility (as they argued), then why is not today as well? It's not like they have claimed any kind of 1978-esque revelation in which God changes his mind about gay people.
Re: SSM - where did the Church go?
Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:30 pm
by _harmony
Equality wrote:I guess Monson and the other apostles like Ballard and Oaks, who said the church was involved in Prop 8 not because it was a political issue but because it was an important moral issue on which Mormons could not in good conscience remain silent and uninvolved, were lying in 2008. If remaining on the sidelines in 2008 would have been an abdication of their moral responsibility (as they argued), then why is not today as well? It's not like they have claimed any kind of 1978-esque revelation in which God changes his mind about gay people.
How many Mormons actually are in Maryland? and how many in California? Is it really worth the effort?
Re: SSM - where did the Church go?
Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 4:24 pm
by _Rollo Tomasi
Drifting wrote:http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/mormon-church-is-conspicuously-absent-in-md-same-sex-marriage-referendum/2012/10/28/65d1eb16-1dfc-11e2-9cd5-b55c38388962_story.html
I'm sure the Romney thing has something to do with this, but I think the primary reason was the unexpected backlash from the Prop. H8 campaign. I don't think the Brethren (with all their powers of "discernment") had any idea that the LDS Church's role with Prop. H8 would be so devastating. Hopefully they have learned their lesson and such stupidity will not be repeated.