DISQUS

anonymous · 2 months ago

Sure! Exactly like the 60s!
Everywhere you look "Mormon only" water fountains, waiting rooms, building entrances. "No Mormon allowed" parks, hotels, communities.
Mormons hanging from neighborhood treelimbs. Mormon churches being firebombed in the night.
Yeah! Right! Just like the 60s.

hrh · 2 months ago

Sounds good to me.

jlgreenlee · 2 months ago

One of the most aggrevating truisms in American life right now, is that religion gets to be its own separate category of thought, nearly untouchable no matter what it promotes or rails against. Religion needs no proof, no consistancy, no evidence, no logic, and yet we're expected to "respect" it.

The whole argument against hate crimes legislation is that it would take away the religious right's "right" to openly discriminate, for merely following their religion as they see it. I heard a local Las Vegas radio host say this morning that "there is no such thing as separation of church and state."

This riles me up so much, particularly after reading "The End of Faith" by Sam Harris. Which I'd recommend, but it leaves you angry and depressed!

caphillprof · 2 months ago

The religious persecution complex is at it's heart a projection of the religion's persecution of others.

In the past violence has usually brought the Latter Day Saints into line. Perhaps constant criticism and shunning can work as well nowadays.

It's not just Mormons, the Catholics too, and the fundamentalists. They've all been itching for another 30 years war.

the crustybastard · 2 months ago

It's also worth noting that in the early days of the Roman Empire, Christians were banned from serving openly in the military and had lesser civil rights.

When the state was discriminating against Christians, they thought it was a persecution.

Isn't that shocking?

cowboyneok · 2 months ago

G-d I'm so tired of Talibangelicals and Mormon's claiming their inability to be intolerant and discriminate against others, outside the walls of the church, is infringing on their civil rights! They would SO love to turn this nation into an ignorant fascist theocracy. They have such a martyr complex.

BrooklynRider · 2 months ago

You know, if we are going to keep looking backwards at the history of this country to inform how we move forward, the LDS Church might want to consider the ttacks and slaughter of its members. No one liked them back in the days when the schizophrenic John Smith was talking to voices in his head - claiming it was god. No one liked Brigham Young much either. They got run out of state after state by righteous Americans that would have none of their crap.

Maybe we need to get back to those traditional American values.

Soundboy_jeff_meanie · 2 months ago

exactly! if they're going to refer to themselves as the victims... I think they should go even further back in history and liken themselves to the victims of the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

wait, I guess they can't really do that.

Gridlock · 2 months ago

"You're intolerant of our beliefs!"

"Uh yeah, because your beliefs are abusive, harmful, and would see me and those like me relegated to second class citizen status, brutalized, criminalized, murdered or in re-education camps despite us never having done a single thing to YOU. All SANE people are intolerant of that."

LosGatosCA · 2 months ago

But aren't they allowed to pursue their happiness that comes from making other people miserable?

When the Mormon god gave Thomas Jefferson the Declaration of Independence at the Sermon on the Mount Mormon, he said 'Of course I don't have to tell you this only applies to Mormons, do I?'

pender · 2 months ago

When you think about it, Mormons are really like the Jews during the Holocaust, with the homofascists rounding them up into Equality Camps and mercilessly shoving their right to abuse gay people head-first into the crematorium.

Right?

Eeeeevil Mormon · 2 months ago

The trials that Mormons went through cannot ever compare to what Jews and African Americans have suffered. That being said, simply on the basis of their religion many Mormons were killed, raped, had their homes destroyed and property confiscated, were driven from state to state, and had a state issue an extermination order against them. Bigotry is bigotry, and should not be tolerated, whether based on race, religion, or sexual preference. And inconvenient as it may be, Mormons DO fit in the discriminated against category.

And not all Mormons are as close-minded as you are painting them; quite a few are, sure, but not all. Quite a few Mormons like myself have been shocked by how vocal some of our leaders were in supporting Prop 8, and wish it weren't the case. My sister and best friend is gay and I adore and support her. My great uncle and his partner (of 40+years) got married last year, and I happily attended the ceremony. My roommate is gay, and we discuss relationships and dating all the time. But instead of befriending Mormons like me, most gay groups and blogs would rather just paint all of us with the same homophobe brush, apparently. It seems like a stupid plan to me, to bash and alienate potential allies to your cause, but what do I know, I'm just a hateful, Christ-loving, backwards Mormon; I know I should be tarred and feathered for that, but I forgot to add my name to the blasted Evil Mormons Who Must Be Destroyed sign-up sheet. Again. Silly me, I’ll get right on that.

hrh · 2 months ago

Something smells here. Go wash out yer magic underwear.

And cut back on the Kool-Aid.

And repeat "Mountain Meadows" five hundred times.

hrh · 2 months ago

And repeat "Mountain Meadows" five hundred times.

pender · 2 months ago

That being said, simply on the basis of their religion many Mormons were killed, raped, had their homes destroyed and property confiscated, were driven from state to state, and had a state issue an extermination order against them.

Yeah, like a hundred fucking years ago, let's remember that the Mormons perpetuated a cold-blooded massacre of their very own around the same time. Ever since then, it seems to me the dynamic has gone in the direction of Mormons and the LDS Church hierarchy enthusiastically abusing every minority they could find as hard as they could for no fucking reason in the world. Women got it (derailing the Equal Rights Amendment, still not allowing them into the priesthood, tacitly supporting their subjugation in ways almost too numerous to count), blacks got it (the Negro Doctrine), and now gays are getting it: a double-barreled shotgun blast of Mormon doing-unto-others right in the face.

You might be a nice guy -- there are a very few Mormons who don't buy into the minority-bashing, albeit surprisingly few -- but your church is a rotten, festering cancer on America and on humanity. If I can ever play a (legal) role in lancing that disgusting tumor from humankind, I will participate to the fullest of my abilities and if necessary notwithstanding substantial personal sacrifice, and you can believe that the more helpless minorities the LDS Church decides to subjugate and torture for no fucking reason, the number of people who share my rage is only going to grow.

wmforr · 2 months ago

Well, don't blame the gays for their attitude. Blame your church for the attacks against civil rights which have brought this attention on them. Have you tried to influence the church elders to abandon this stand? Have you openly stated your support of your gay friends and relatives to other church members? Or would doing so jeopardize your standing in the church?

Just curious. One so seldom hears of a Mormon supporting gay rights that I wonder if there is a gog order.

Indigo · 2 months ago

Last time I checked, the Mormons hadn't yet succeeded in repealing the US Constitution."
I'm not so confident. The Mormon-Catholic anti-gay coalition is easily recognized. Look at the 6 Catholics on the Supreme Court and tremble. The Hapsburg Restoration is doing well; the Constitution, not so much.

pender · 2 months ago

First they came for the right to oppress women, and I did not speak out—because I was not a misogynist;
Then they came for the right to oppress black people, and I did not speak out—because I was not a racist;
Then they came for the right to oppress gay people, and I did not speak out—because I was not a homophobe;
Then they came for the right to oppress me—and there were no bigots left to speak out.

*lights single candle in the night, sheds tear*

Steve_in_CNJ · 2 months ago

i'll try to find time this week to feel sorry for mormons. but it might have to wait.

Soundboy_jeff_meanie · 2 months ago

maybe somewhere between clipping my toenails and cleaning the hairball out of the shower drain.

nah, those are too important... maybe next week?

AdmNaismith · 2 months ago

No one plays the victim better then over-priviledged white bigots.

This is why CA cannot wait unti 2012 ro repeal Prop 8.
This shit from the Mormons is just going to get worse unless we vote on this ASAP.

Soundboy_jeff_meanie · 2 months ago

The anti-Mormon backlash after California voters overturned gay marriage last fall is similar to the intimidation of Southern blacks during the civil rights movement, a high-ranking Mormon says in a speech to be delivered Tuesday
---

interesting, I don't remember Southern Black people raising millions of dollars solely to deny civil rights to another minority. I must've missed that somehow.

/snark

Soundboy_jeff_meanie · 2 months ago

seriously? we need to start a GLBT religion.

everyone, upon coming out of the closet, is a member of that religion... once its recognized, civil rights would be forthcoming.

hey, if mormonism and scientology can be recognized as a religion... why not GLBT?

the crustybastard · 2 months ago

I propose we organize as The First Church of Costco. It's the only thing I do religiously every weekend.

After enjoying a communion of samples, the faithful will regroup elsewhere for FCC game tournaments, wherein one congregant might wager his excess paper towels against her excess lunch meat.

Hail salmon!

RichardS · 2 months ago

The strange cult of Mormonism isn't much different from the rest of the religious screwballs in the U.S. trying to impose their superstitious beliefs on all Americans. These christianistas would love to destroy our Constituation and replace it with a theocracy....... just take a look at Iran and see how swell that system works for the people...... God..if there is one...... help us!

cereal · 2 months ago

Exactly.

"It really is the height of arrogance, and rather un-American to boot, for the Mormons to spend their money freely, in state after state, in an effort to force Americans to live under Mormon law, and then suggest that no one in America is permitted to even disagree with what the Mormons are doing, lest we oppress their efforts to oppress."

No. It's actually quite American to do this. It's exactly what millions of conservative evangelicals and their Republican congressfolk and talking heads do every day.

pender · 2 months ago

The Catholics and Mormons are MUCH different from the rest of the religious screwballs in the U.S. Name ONE other hierarchical mainstream denomination that has done as much to hurt gay people as those two would-be theocracies. Presbyterians? Methodists? Lutherans? Nope, nope and nope.

BWL · 2 months ago

I haven't seen my family who live in Utah for 3 years and was contemplating a visit for Thanksgiving before my parents leave on their second mission in the past three years.
This recent announcement makes me absolutely sick. I really don't think I can spend a day in that viper pit.

wmforr · 2 months ago

I feel for the Mormons, I really do. Why, this is worse than the discrimination suffered by Southern bigots in the sixties--just because of their beliefs. It's worse than the vile way the slave-owners were treated by the abolitionists.

wmforr · 2 months ago

Last Christmas, I got a card from a cousin I hadn't heard from in at least thirty years. Enclosed was a newsletter all about her latest mission and her activity in the Mormon Church.

Well, I had to rush one back to her--in the name of BOTH me and my partner. I hastily revised my "Dear Friends and Relatives" letter to include a long passage on Prop. 8 and the Mormon involvement.

Haven't heard.

Curious as to whether I'll be off her Christmas-card list this December.

zps285 · 2 months ago

Not all mormons are against gay marriage. To summarize and assume them all like that is just plain wrong. Every person has their own opinion. They are just supporting a cause they believe, no matter their reason. You think its wrong to not allow gays to have their rights, well mormons think it affects the sanctity of marriage. They have may done a wrong thing on their part, but to have people scare and strike our in front of their worship places in my eyes is twice as worse. The people that were harassing and threatening mormon members while they were performing their religious acts are no better then the mormons that were completely opposed to gay marriage.

torrievenus · 1 month ago

...and it all started in lovely Missourri where Jesus came from....