The local Mormon community did not seem to be the target of gay-marriage advocates who marched in downtown Chicago Saturday (photos here), joining in nationwide protests against laws banning same-sex marriages.
On the West Coast, some activists have directed their protests against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), which campaigned for Proposition 8, the measure passed earlier this month to reverse California’s legalization of gay marriage. The church in California and in neighboring states like Utah has since experienced vandalism, protests outside temples and threats from Prop 8 opponents.
Mormons in Chicago have not seen this backlash – both the temple in Glenview and the church’s Chicago North Mission in Arlington Heights say they’ve not heard of any protests or anti-Mormon sentiments directed at local groups. The mission, one of four representing the 54,000 Mormons in the state, isn’t aware of any angry phone calls, lettersor vandalism taking place, said Sister Hicken, the mission’s administrative assistant.
A statement on the church’s Web site describes its position and urges opponents to engage in respectful dialogue over this“emotionally charged issue.”
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Kate Shellnutt
I’m a freelance religion reporter and blogger for the Little Things. I majored in religion and journalism as an undergrad, and I'm now completing my master's in journalism at Medill.
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This is where the separation of the religion and the state happens to be problematic. As simple as it should be, the religious sector should not meddle in government affairs. Let the local government do their job. And then, there's also what we call democracy. We all know that.
I couldn't agree more than with the Doctor. It's necessary to keep church and state separated, it is really as simple as that. I'm curious to see what happens with this over the course of time.
The vandalism of the Mormon churches is wrong, just as the blackmailing of some Prop 8 opponents was. It's true that the Mormons helped finance the support for Prop 8, but it was the people of California that went to the voting booths and passed it. The people of California deserve just as much blame.
That said, if you want to boycott Mormon-led businesses because of the church's support for Prop 8, that's fine. To suggest that that's a "hate crime" is silly. I know people who won't buy Heinz products because they don't like John Kerry (or his wife) and won't buy gas at Citgo because it's a Venezuelan-run company. And if Mormons want to boycott gay-run businesses, that's their business, too.
In the long run, I think gay marriage will be made legal, and in 50 years from now we'll be wondering what the big freaking deal was.
By the way, "gay-run" is a weird hyphenated word.
Boycott all that is Mormon. Tax exempt status should be taken away because the "church" through its leaders sent a letter to be read AT "church" directing its members to donate. Other facts are coming out as well as to the depths of the "church" spending in a political and secular election. Mormons can and should practice their religion as they see fit and should stay out of my business and we'll be just fine.
The People of california have spoken, and the laws are made by the people. Now the gays turn to force their ideas upon us. The people voted and now the gays use intimidation. Mobs turned against the mormons in the early days of the church. Will we allow mob rule again? By the way JT, we are practicing our religion, being involved in the community, including voting on important issues regarding our beliefs on the family, is paramount in our religion to promote peace and the well being of society. That is our business. What are you promoting? Go ahead and speak out if you think gay marriage is good for society, we do not think it is so we will speak out too, in the democratic process in this great country.
Sister Hicken? I wonder if she's related to Joseph Hicken, my Wilmette-based childhood orthodontist who I just discovered donated $8,000 to Protect Marriage. I'm glad that my parents paid for contributions to fund Proposition 8 because I got braces fifteen years ago. Thanks a lot!
Why are Mormons from Illinois contributing thousands of dollars to help California voters strip citizens of their rights?
Perhaps a boycott of Hicken's orthodontics practice AND a picket in front of Illinois Mormon temples is in order after all?
Oh, and by the way, my teeth moved back to where they were so much that my adult dentist asked me if I ever had orthodontic work done. Great job, Dr. Hicken!
Mr. Mary, If I understand you correctly you are stating that people should boycott an Orthodontist because he is Pro-Traditional Marriage? How would you feel if someone boycotted an Orthodontist because he was gay? Hate crime perhaps? At this point I can agree to disagree with you on gay marriage. Let me give you one nuggett of advice you seemed to have missed in this whole ordeal. If you want people to tolerate you, you had better learn to tolerate others. The gay temper tantrum we've seen in the last few weeks has set your cause back 20 years. Every fear of Prop 8 supporters has been affirmed loud and clear. The vicious language, vandalism, and terroristic threats are appalling. Myself and many others I have spoken with sympathized with gay marriage up until the vote. After the vote we have witnessed the most hypocritical, bigotted, reaction by the anti-prop8 crowd. Thank you again for confirming to us fence sitters where the real bigots are to be found.
Boycotting Utah will be boycotting the LDS church, Salt Lake City will always be the heart of the Church of Latter-Day Saints, as Mecca is for Muslims or the Vatican is for Catholics. I was raised by a Mormon mother who converted to my father's faith when I was 4 yo.
We traveled every year back to enjoy our Mormon relatives in SLC, who all love me as an openly gay man. Individual Mormons and various Mormon houses of worship aren't my enemies, the LDS elders are.
Regardless of what CA Supreme Court rules on Prop 8, the Boycott of Utah will proceed, because they ATTACKED OUR (LGBTs) FAMILIES.
WE aren't in the Forgiveness Business, that's supposedly your schtick.
From the Mormon link above:
"The Church’s opposition to same-sex marriage neither constitutes nor condones any kind of hostility towards homosexual men and women. Protecting marriage between a man and a woman does not affect Church members’ Christian obligations of love, kindness and humanity toward all people. "
The actions of 4 Yes on prop 8 supporters who sent out BLACKMAIL letters demanding $10,000.00 from No on Prop 8 supporters or they would publish names of those donors against Prop 8 included a HIGH ranking LDS lawyer. EACH of those letters is a FELONY, which carries a 4 yr prison term, and thousands in fines PER LETTER. Those four men will serve EVERY day they are sentenced to, and pay EVERY dime of fines...BANK ON IT!
here are links to the BLACKMAIL yes on Prop 8 backers engaged in.
http://crooksandliars.com/julia-rosen/mormons-and-prop-8-lies-and-blackm...
and
http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2008/10/same-sex-marria.html
and "
Threatening Letters Spark New Prop 8 Controversy
Last Updated: 10-23-08 at 1:43PM
A threatening letter has sparked a new controversy here in San Diego surrounding the gay marriage debate. Donors who gave money to the No on Prop 8 campaign say they received blackmail letters demanding money, and the Yes on 8 campaign now says the letters were sent by their employees."
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=57833A1AA714CED481...
OWN IT!
All this talk about removing the tax-exempt status of the Mormons for their involvement in prop 8 is non-sense. Mormons have every right to stand up for their moral beliefs. They along with Catholic, Evangelicals, Jews & many others encouraged their membership to be involved with the protectmarriage.com coalition and donate time and money.
Individual members of the Mormon faith responded with more time and money than other faiths, but it wasn't the church that donated, it was the individual members. These weren't tax exempt funds that were donated. They were individual "after tax" dollars the individuals earned themselves. Mormon members didn't donate to the mormon church, get a charitable donation tax deduction and then have the mormon church contribute to Prop 8.
The mormon church uses its tithes for charitable work. Since 1985, they've given about $260 million in cash and $750 million in material assistance to humanitarian causes. They have the ability to use funds for these causes more than other religions because they don't have paid clergy. Mormon priests, bishops & other leaders have full time jobs and donate their time as lay clergy. The mormons are usually the first ones there in a crisis to help. Just ask anyone who was in New Orleans during Katrina or in Mexico in a big earthquake, or Florida in a flood or hurrican.
Let them investigate the mormon church. They will find all above board. No dirt to find there.
Roymondo,
In response to your question "How would you feel if someone boycotted an Orthodontist because he was gay?" it would be fine with me, since I believe that people have a right to choose their own doctors.
Thanks,
Mister Mary
Mormon bigotry is disgusting. They try to impose their particular religious beliefs on all of us. We are not living in a theocracy and one groups particular religious beliefs should not be a basis for civil law. How would they like it if another religion bullied through a law that negatively affects Mormons. You don't have to like gays,and can even believe that they are sinners, but you don't have a right to make civil laws that discriminate against them. Whatever happened to the golden rule? Shame on Mormons!
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