Thursday, October 23, 2008

Mormons and Prop 8 in CA



I'd take it a step further. Someone should make an ad that says "Who has come in to California to try to influence our election? 40% of the advertising money in favor of Prop 8 has come from the Mormon church. Will Californians allow a small and questionable religious minority to dictate their values to the rest of us? Please support the right to determine your own personal morals without having them dictated to you by those who think Joseph Smith was a personal confidant of God. Vote No on 8".

The beauty of this ad is that most fundamentalist Christians hate the Mormons and think they are a Christian cult (yeah, the old pot and kettle, but let's play them on each other)! The ad doesn't mention homosexuality, so any bigots who are ill-informed about the initiative will only have bad feelings about it. Many people would vote against it, just knowing that the Mormons are trying to ram it down their throats... so to speak.

Obama has been projected by polling data as having a huge lead in California (up to 23% in the most recent one I read). Hopefully this will have an impact in getting this piece of hate legislation beat.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

They've also been sending out mailers filled with absolute lies and outrageous, outlandish claims, just because they know they cannot be held accountable for it. What I really wish is that the anti-8 people would really go after the pro-8 idiots hard, calling them frauds and liars and a religious hate-group, that's exactly what they are and what people need to hear. Plus, as you say, pointing out that it's the Mormons that are pushing for 8 should go a long way toward persuading other Christian groups to oppose it.

John Evo said...

The problem with the left is that in the name of "inclusiveness" they are even reluctant to call a spade a spade. They don't condone ANY group ever being attacked, so it's kind of tough when a group genuinely deserves ridicule.

I have no such compunctions. Being "fair" does not require me to overlook the truth concerning a negative entity like a hateful religious organization.

voiceofreason said...

Just a significant clarification: The Mormon Church has not contributed a dime toward Prop. 8--members of the church are contributing their own personal funds, certainly with the church's encouragement. Like it or not, agree or not agree, this is democracy in action when individuals act upon their convictions regardless of which side of the issue they support. Does anyone for or against Prop. 8 really want to have this freedom of expression taken away?

John Evo said...

Does anyone for or against Prop. 8 really want to have this freedom of expression taken away?

No. And that is not the argument here. Just as it is acceptable in a democracy to express ones views, it is to be expected that others will rigorously deconstruct those views (if possible) and one of the methods of deconstruction is to point out the "values" held by the person or group.

Honestly, I don't know if The Young Turks are right or you are right. But I will point out that if it is "individuals" they are still acting in concert with their group - enough that it has become known that Mormons are involved.

John Evo said...

UPDATE:

After READING THIS I'm convinced that my idea for a political ad is fair.

DB said...

And Mormons wonder why their reputation is so poor outside their Utah stronghold. I know some cool Mormons, but as a whole the Church seems quite intolerant. I hope this fails and causes a domino effect everywhere else.

John Evo said...

DB - I grew up as a Mormon, left the church at 17 and was pretty much an atheist soon after. I actually still know a couple of the ones I knew back then. Very nice people in most aspects (as I think MOST religious people are). The problem is the areas where they are not so nice - intolerance of others who don't believe what they do about sexuality.