DISQUS

1withFred · 4 months ago

I see they have an 877 number, doesn't that cost them like a dollar a call? That could get really expensive for them.

RonNYC · 4 months ago

I know we can count on our fierce defender to come out against this referendum. Yes?

nicho · 4 months ago

But, but, but, we have to respect them because of their religious beliefs.

Yeah, and the Southern Baptists believed that buying and selling human beings was god's will too.

Fuck them and fuck their "religious beliefs."

RitornaVincitor · 4 months ago

Mormons believe Jesus lives on another planet, and the skin of black people will lighten if they lead righteous lives.

DBTE2 · 4 months ago

You'd think that Michael Jackson would have convinced them that was a misguided belief........

RitornaVincitor · 4 months ago

ROTF!!

samiinh · 4 months ago

They also believe in plural marriage still today, even main-stream Mormons, and they believe that one day the males will be the masters of their own planets, and the women will be breeding day and night.

RitornaVincitor · 4 months ago

Which is pretty much the way it is right now.

Soundboy_jeff_meanie · 4 months ago

however... what they DON'T know is that God will make them take their true form, rabbits.

KerrynowCampau · 4 months ago

Micheal Jackson was a mormon? Why didn't he just say so!

annieWash · 4 months ago

One phase should be to Trash the Catholic church.

devlzadvocate · 4 months ago

Okay, the Trasholic Church.

scottinsf · 4 months ago

It won't be easy Joe. Rest assured you have at least 18,000 couples in California that are going to try their hardest to help gay and lesbian Mainers keep from getting those special rights we gay couples that married here last year got (via our Supreme Court).

BTW, put that ActBlue link front and center.

offspring · 4 months ago

off the subject, anytime i hear anyone from the catholic side say a damn thing about morales or protecting marriage or family i want to puke, they follow the leaders that hid child rapist, they are full of molesters and are a business, people still follow them they forgive and forget it, just because of religon. They say gays are bad, but their leaders and priest are great, it is sick period. It is great that a group whose business which is the church that makes billions in tax exempt money can even have the right to tell any tax payer what to do, they invest in stocks buy property hide, have secrets, and they claim others are bad for america, all because of their choice of faith.

RainbowPhoenix · 4 months ago

There's still a decent chance many of those signatures will be ruled invalid.

uwyoalum · 4 months ago

Does the catholic church in Maine risk their tax exempt status by so aggressively promoting this?

otchmoson · 4 months ago

This was my first thought. Anyone know a sympathetic IRS investigator?

devlzadvocate · 4 months ago

No but the pope is a sympathic nazi.

scottinsf · 4 months ago

No. Not under current laws.

Large cults are using those same exemption laws now. The mormons and scientologists for example.

KarenMrsLloydRichards · 4 months ago

How about the President vocally and enthusiastically using the power of his Office to endorse Maine Freedom to Marry and the civil rights of ALL Americans to marry?

Nah. He's too busy playing with the dog, shooting hoops with his bodyguard, etc.

devlzadvocate · 4 months ago

He just met with Pope RATzinger. I don't think he will be gaying it up with anybody.

dcinsider · 4 months ago

As someone who until recently lived in Maine, I would hesitate to call this a national referundum. Maine is a conservative state, and the northern half of the state is fundamentalist christians. Maine just recently survived a vote on a non-discrimination law, and it was close. Same-sex marriage on the ballot is going to be an uphill battle for us. Let's get expectations in line. I mean a REAL UPHILL battle. I mean its a longshot on the very best day. That is not to say we should not fight this battle with every ounce and dollar at our disposal, but I don't want everyone to collapse into grief if we are not successful. We got the legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, a same sex marriage bill. That is an extraordinary accomplishment. We will do it again if this loses in November. This issue, and this battle, is not a one time winner take all. It is going to be a grind for the next decade or more, and there will be setbacks along the way. I'm not tossing in the towel, but I am tossing a bunch of nice cold Maine seawater on the expectations of our frineds from outside New England. This one is going to be VERY VERY hard.

Asterix · 4 months ago

What hateful people--and hating in the name of Jesus, yet.

devlzadvocate · 4 months ago

Asterix · 4 months ago

They're dated all right--July 22, 1209.

dula · 4 months ago

This is why we need to take Gay Marriage to the US Supreme Court. This state by state strategy is a waste of time when bigots can put minority rights up for a popular vote. Until we are protected under the US Constitution, these Jim Crow-like laws against Gay rights will just continue.

Bostonian_Queer_in_Dallas · 4 months ago

I totally agree with this. The only way civil rights can be given to all is via the SCOTUS.

judybrowni · 4 months ago

THIS scotus?

This ideological-driven Scotus?

Yes, a SCOTUS that hadn't been poisoned by ideologes, yes, we might get a sane ruling -- but with a SCOTUS heavy with those chosen for their ability to overlook law for ideology, sigh...

Soundboy_jeff_meanie · 4 months ago

there is already a case in the Supreme Court to overturn DOMA based on one couple married in Massachusettes. One of them works for the government and isn't allowed to add her spouse to her insurance because of DOMA.

If the Supreme Court overturns DOMA... watch how fast we're given equal rights... Federally recognized marriage would be a part of that.

RitornaVincitor · 4 months ago

Wish I had faith in the Supreme Court, but don't forget. Just six years ago Scalia and Thomas voted to uphold the Texas anti-sodomy law and send a long-time Texas gay couple to jail for having consensual sex in the privacy of their own bedroom. And now we've got Roberts and Alito.

dula · 4 months ago

At least we would know where we stand in this filthy land. The Court is not gonna change for a long time. Let's not pretend then, that things are gonna get better for us. Let them deny a minority their Rights, once and for all, and show the world that we are merely a facade of freedom and liberty. It won't be just GLBTs that will suffer the consequences.

RitornaVincitor · 4 months ago

Hmmm.... I don't know. I'd rather just wait until Obama has had a chance to stack the Court with a few progressives who hopefully have a more liberated view on gay rights than Obama apparently has.

dula · 4 months ago

But that was my point. Besides Souter, who else do you think will be leaving in the next 10 years?

RainbowPhoenix · 4 months ago

If we're lucky, Scalia might not have a choice in the matter.

RitornaVincitor · 4 months ago

Well, Alito clearly doesn't eat anything with fiber in it, Thomas doesn't watch his diet either, and Scala is extremely excitable, often chasing people down in the street to argue. Plus Scalia likes to go hunting with Dick Cheney whenever he's hearing a case Cheney is involved in. Anything could happen.

RitornaVincitor · 4 months ago

And if Scalia's home State of New Jersey passes gay marriage, he'd likely throw an embolism.

RainbowPhoenix · 4 months ago

If that happens as a result of marriage equality coming to my grandmother's home state, I will laugh for three consecutive weeks.

RitornaVincitor · 4 months ago

Sounds fun, but carry a paper bag.

I hear the Pope just lectured Obama on abortion, and gave him a book on bio-ethics. I wonder if Obama also got to meet Papal consort Georg Gänswein.

dula · 4 months ago

Yes, if there was a God but Right Wing trash like that usually die peacefully in their sleep at 93 like McNamara.

samiinh · 4 months ago

With six members of the SCOTUS being Roman Catholics, one wonders what chance any progressive group will have. That assume Sotomayor is seated.

RainbowPhoenix · 4 months ago

That may not be as big an obstacle as people think. It seems that lay catholics tend to be slightly more liberal then the general population.

RitornaVincitor · 4 months ago

Well, as we know, with the Supreme Court it is not about liberal vs. conservative, nor religious vs. non-religious. It's all about a technical review and interpretation of the law. It has absolutely nothing to do with the private attitudes of the Justices. They rule strictly on the facts as applied to the case before them. That's why I'm putting my hope in a fresh batch of younger Justices. They will have seen more gay people on TV. Therefore if the gay people arguing the cases before them remind the Justices of Will and Grace, we'll win.

RainbowPhoenix · 4 months ago

That's a large part of why we're in the current mess. Two presidents jumped on the chance to appoint relatively young ideolouges that appointed a third one willing to do the same.

Ultimately, it has a great deal to do with the attitudes of the justices. Their attitude is what determines whether they'll stick to their ideology come hell or high water, or whether they'll judge the law by its merits as they're supposed to. Right now we have to many who will do the former.

RitornaVincitor · 4 months ago

Yep. Justice depends on who is dispensing it. What we need as far as gay rights is concerned are a few Justices who worry how they will look in 25 years.

RitornaVincitor · 4 months ago

Come to think of it, I can kind of understand the appeal law has to Catholics. I remember from theology classes learning to split hairs and come to the most outlandish conclusions that, despite being ridiculous, were absolutely supported by the weight of Canon Law. Plus those robes are just one step away from cassocks.

KerrynowCampau · 4 months ago

G Damn it!!! They use all that $$ to fight two consenting adults from marrying when the economy is so bad and maybe some of their parishioners could use some help? when the US is killing innocent people in the middle east? The world is going to hell in a hand basket and what do they choose to fight? Gay Marriage? F*cking a holes!!

Soundboy_jeff_meanie · 4 months ago

correction... all that "tax free" $$.

not to mention, politically motivated... which should be enough to end their tax exempt status... if there was any justice in the world.

KerrynowCampau · 4 months ago

Tax free....I forgot about that. Now I'm more pissed off. Good thing it's Taco Friday. Margaritas!!

Webster · 4 months ago

That whole "love your neighbor" thing--and those bits about "clothing the naked and feeding the hungry" are somehow not important in the face of this terrible, terrible threat.

eclare · 4 months ago

Hey...they're just trying to contribute to the local economy!
/snark

Bostonian_Queer_in_Dallas · 4 months ago

And just when is our government going to stop this shit because they are not allowed to do this as non profit corporations.

Soundboy_jeff_meanie · 4 months ago

And, just to reinforce how aggressively the Catholic Church in Maine is engaging in this battle, check out the website of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland.
---

umm... does the IRS have an email address for potential audit candidates?

RitornaVincitor · 4 months ago

Well, Mary may not have really been immaculate. True, the Immaculate Conception was infallibly declared in 1854 by Pope Pius IX, but the Doctrine of Papal Infallibility wasn't itself declared until 1870. And the Doctrine of Papal Infallibility itself was never considered to be an infallible doctrine. So Mary could have been.... I don't know. What's the opposite of immaculate? Maculate?

Soundboy_jeff_meanie · 4 months ago

but... where did the practice of buying indulgences fit into this scheme.

katymine · 4 months ago

In AZ when we had the gay marriage ballot measure when Prop 8 was voted on CA. We tried but did not have enough money and man power to go through the signatures to validate them.

As your raising money, see about organizing signature validation groups. We were working on another measure that would of devastated our state (gay marriage is already not allowed per the constitution).

Arizonians prevented the ballot measure from getting on the ballot by working hard as we could to throw out most of the signatures. The signature gathering groups used labor that were not legal in AZ, they did not fill the forms out correctly and then there were the same persons name on every page. These were all thrown out.

RitornaVincitor · 4 months ago

At least Maine is a long way for Mormons to travel by bus. God, can you imagine a busload of Mormons? Booooooooooring!!

Indigo · 4 months ago

The Coalition to Prevent Equal Rights is busy. With the Theologian in Chief listening humbly to their every wheezy demand, they'll most likely sweep the nation with their trash-talking. Fortunately, there's Brüno the enabler to help with the comic relief.

RitornaVincitor · 4 months ago

Lol. Brüno is sooo lucky his term is expiring. Otherwise he could face a serious recall challenge from the guy he recalled. If I've got the right Brüno, that is.

Edit: Oh, BRŰNO. Duh. I get it now. Geez, saw the previews and thought I might just skip it.

Mike_in_the_Tundra · 4 months ago

There have been a lot of us saying we would make no more contributions to the DNC. Looks to me that we have something to do with that money.

jackandace · 4 months ago

We cannot loose this one. I lost my last job because I wanted to take my partner on a company retreat. They said partners were welcomed. Two days before we left, I was "laid off." It is an Atlanta based consulting company and I haven't worked steadily in two years. Next time I want to be married "legally" so let's all stop bitching and donate to Maine Freedom to Marry, today. If I can do it all can do it. Here is my "Transaction ID: 11086035"

jamesnimmo · 4 months ago

No religious belief need be respected if it is advocating that certain citizens who have broken no law must be separated from their civil rights. Just because the religion has a dogmatic dissagreement with other people who are NOT members of that religion is no reason gays/lesbians must be subjected to religious oprobrium.