BOYCOTT THE MORMONS!
- By Chad
So the “BOYCOTT UTAH” cries have begun. The protests against the LDS church are raging. This is laughably ineffective, and it’s such a waste of time – unless you’re trying to make fools of yourselves and counter-productivity is your goal. Here is what I take issue with:
1. I don’t like protesters, in general. I mean, there’s decent protests and then there are silly, time wasting, angry, counter-productive protests like the one I’m seeing in the news. There’s a right way to go about making changes, and there are wrong ways – this shows their true rainbow of colors and it’s not that pretty. So, you didn’t like the outcome of a democratic vote in favor for the opposite of what you wanted, all this vote means is that you have a ways to go to gain mainstream acceptance to the point, when the time comes, you can raise enough counter money to push your own ballot measure to have the amendment changed or removed through another democratic vote.
Here’s a free tip to the protesters: When the day comes that you would like to use democracy (instead of throwing fits) to get what you want, you REALLY want the indifference of those who opposed you to increase – and these protests… not so helpful.
2. So why the LDS church? They weren’t the only donors. There aren’t the only people who voted (there are not 5 million Mormons in California), 70% of African Americans also opposed you – so why the Mormons specifically? First off, we’re an easy target. Not too many other religions will jump to support the LDS Church, and I don’t think gays will take their protests to the inner-cities (just a hunch). Correct me if I err, but I never realized the LDS church had that much influence on the African American community. Since that last sentence was sarcasm, I honestly don’t believe the LDS church does have the influence on the African American communities to cause 70% of them to vote in favor of Prop 8. You may want to consider that two separate groups, and if you think you’re being effective protesting at the Mormon temples, you’ll probably be just as effective in the inner-cities and should plan some protests there. Unless black people scare you more than Mormons, which, then, you are racists. See what I did there?
A major reason the LDS Church is targeted is that the Mormons were the biggest donors to the pro-prop8 cause – not the Church itself, but by-golly, you get some Mormons behind a cause and they run with it.
So the Mormons donated a ton of money, and because of that, Proposition 8 passed, right? Here’s some problems then:
A) I guess that means that the Mormons care more about you not getting married than you do about getting married, if the gays didn’t raise as much money. You may just need to care more about it.
B) If the gays did raise that much money, then it was a fair battle and the amount of donations really should cancel each other out as far as a level playing field. Then you only have to fault your own marketing strategy which would require you to protest at the anti-prop8 headquarters for doing a lousy job.
To sum up: Either You don’t care as much about marriage as the Mormons, or, you just weren’t as effective in arguing your case. Either way, you only have yourselves to blame for dropping that ball and not making it significant enough.
Nobody likes a sore loser.
It’s kind of sad, really. The worst part about it?: The bulk of the anger and protests are directed at the Mormons. Not because it somehow hurts the Mormons, but it’s a very ineffective people to protest to. Have you seen that commercial where the referee was being screamed at by a coach on the sideline, yet the ref had a deadpan face and all that screaming didn’t phase him? The Mormon church is pretty much like that ref. The LDS Church is used to the protests, the bashing, the mud slings, the smears – have you ever been to an LDS General Conference? Protesters are nothing new to them – you’re not going to make a dent.
Which brings up another good point: Fighting fire with fire is probably not effective in this case. I have yet to hear a homosexual behind a microphone saying, “I have a dream that, one day, Mormons and homosexuals will sit down at a table together…” – That’s not the kind of protests I’m seeing. It makes me sick, and should make African Americans everywhere sick, to compare their plight to that of the blacks. I think it would be wise to drop that comparison if you want the indifference of the 70% of African American supporters to increase, too.
The other comparison that is pretty stupid? The comparison to the anti-polygamy movement the Mormons had to face.
A) “Non-Traditional” Marriage: To compare your battle with that of the Mormon’s battle with the government over polygamy as both being “Non-Traditional marriages”, is a loose and bogus comparison. Do you think, in some countries, that muslims who are legally allowed to marry 12 year old girls is wrong, or is it nothing more than a “Non-tradional marriage”? What about Hillbillies that marry their first cousins? That sounds like “Non-Traditional marriage” – “Non-Traditional marriage” is a loose term and carries no weight, let alone any vague comparison to other forms of “Non-Traditional” marriages. I don’t think you want to compare yourselves to some of those “non-traditional” marriages. In fact, there probably is nothing MORE traditional than polygamy. Have you read the bible? Have you studied the histories of ancient, even some modern, societies? Polygamy wasn’t unusual.
B) There was never a vote to strip polygamy or not. The Mormons had no choice. The government intervened and told them, “Stop polygamy or else…”. No democratic vote was ever introduced to allow Mormons the opportunity to democratically oppose it. It was a case where the government, not the people, chose to interfere with religious freedom, which is also what the homosexuals are trying to do – without the success of a democratic election to back them up, they are trying to remove religion’s right to declare that homosexuality is sin and not allowed in their definition of marriage. If you don’t like it, do it the democratic way this country set up, don’t just try to FORCE the issue. You lost. Pick yourselves up, wipe of the dust, and try again.
C) Religiously speaking, Incest was once necessary, right? Otherwise, how did Adam and Eve’s kids multiply? At one point in time the Lord said that it was no longer necessary and a sin if you did it. So that was over. Over the centuries after, polygamy was introduced and sometimes commanded. This continued to move the purposes of God forward – the first big commandment of “Multiply and replenish the earth”. Not to get into too much detail, you are free to look it up in a sex education book, but this commandment required a man and a woman, or a man and many woman would work, and work much faster. When polygamy was introduced by Joseph Smith, it was unpopular and unwanted. Sure, to those who think marriage is all about sex, it may sound fun – but I assure you, there are other reasons for getting married and easier ways to just have sex with multiple women. There was responsibility and care given to those families, widowed women who needed land, and to “multiply and replenish” as well. Often times, natural and external circumstances will be methods God uses as revelation. When polygamy was done, it was made known. It is now a sin because it is no longer necessary. To compare homosexuality to polygamy is absurd.
There are many people who love each other and don’t get married. MANY people. So what’s the problem? Why do you want it so bad? Marriage used to be primarily a responsibility – love only made it easier, but it wasn’t “first comes love, then comes marriage”, usually it was “First comes marriage, then comes love, if you’re lucky”. That got lost in the clouds over time. So, don’t tell me you have the right to marry just because you “love” each other. Love is not the root of “traditional” marriage, either. If it’s simply to further your cause for mainstream acceptance, you need to go about it in a better way than throwing fits. That’s counter-productive. You can’t FORCE acceptance. There are better forms of persuasion, but it’s not going to happen by somehow forcing religions to change their core morals. You can’t do that because they believe their morals are dictated by God, not by homosexuals. You have to find a civil compromise, or you have to keep trying the right way, not by balking at and stomping on the democratic voice of 5 million people. The first time this issue came up in 2000, it was voted in favor of marriage between a man and a woman by 61%. This time it was 52%. At this rate, you may succeed – But don’t expect those who believe opposite not to fight you on it. And remember: You only solidify, even increase, the feelings against it by you behavior when you lose.
Awesome article, sound opinions on the problems going on in California right now. You should send this to a major newspaper or something….
I completely agree! And you really should submit it to some newspapers. I work with tantrum throwing 3 and 4 year olds all day long, and what they’re doing, isn’t too far off. And as you added in an earlier article (why I haven’t voted). Celebrities screaming doesn’t help influence most of us for good, it does the opposite.
You’re right on, that they need to accept that democracy has spoken, or do they want us to throw the presidential election results out too???
Chad,
It honestly frightens me how much you and I think alike. I think I picked out more than 15 phrases or sentences that I have said word for word over the last few years. Really man, I’m sincerely shaking in my boots here wanting to question my parents if they ever gave a boy up for adoption.
I chatted with one of my African American friends from California today about this very subject. She gets extremley fired up when she hears comparisons being made to this and the civil rights movement. I find it ironic how one of the main arguments of those who are opposed to Prop 8 is “Love” and “Tolerance.” Yet, their cute little temper tantrums…I mean protests present anything but LOVE and TOLERANCE. Just because the Constitution of the United States did not work in your favor this time, as it didn’t 8 years ago, does not validate your reasoning for creating a protest full of HATE and CONTENTION.
Great article!
I love it!