Seriously, give me a break!

I don't know how many of you are aware of Prop 8 that was just passed in California. It amended the state constitution to state that marriage was to be between a man and a woman.

Since it passed the gay community has been outraged. Not only that but they have directed their outrage towards the Mormon church. Yesterday protesters flooded the streets of LA directly in front of the temple. The effectively stopped traffic flow and covered the temple gates in posters of all kinds. They say that the Mormons must pay and that they must know that they cannot get away with forcing their religious beliefs on the rest of the world. They say the Mormons bought the ballot.

As I read the articles expressing the fury of the gay community, I find it interesting that the facts of the passing of prop 8 are often wrong. The first day, they were saying the Mormon church was horrible because they donated $40 million dollars to the prop 8 cause. Today they are saying they were terrible because they donated (only) $12 million. The gay community had $43 million to work with plus, Ellen Degeneress.

Also an interesting fact. Prop 8 passed with 52.5%. The Mormon community of CA makes up 2%. Even if every single Mormon voted "yes" (and we know that some voted no -ie: Steve Young's family) they would have still needed 50.5% of the population to also vote yes.

Also a fact: Huge supporters of the yes on 8 was the religious black community. Fact: no one is protesting in their neighborhood. Thank goodness Compton is safe!

Fact: Prop 22 was essentially the same thing - marriage between a man and a woman - That passed a couple of years ago (I think 2001). Could it be that California has spoken about how they feel about marriage and about whom it should be between?

Fact: 4 liberal judges overturned the vote of the people on prop 22. If 4 judges take it upon themselves to ignore the will of the people and create a law regardless - how scary is that? What other laws that we vote on won't matter if judges think that the government of the people and for the people don't matter as much as they do? If nothing else, we should have all voted yes to let the judges know that they are not rulers set above the people, but rather they are there to serve the people.

Fact: Domestic partners are promised all rights and benefits that married partners are promised under California family law.

Fact: this has been an battle of semantics and not benefits.



One news paper article I just read shot an attack at the Mormon church saying that all the Mormons have done in this battle is turned the children of same sex couples into bastards. Huh? Explain that one to me please because I am pretty sure that same sex couples cannot reproduce a child that has DNA from both parents.



Fact: One gay blogger is calling for a ban on Utah. They want to hit the church "where it hurts" to send them a message. They have called for a ban on the Sundance Film Festival as well as skiing in the state. Now, that will really teach those California Mormons! How will Utah survive?! They are also trying to revoke their tax free status because of the huge $12 million dollar donation that they made. Oh wait, the church didn't make a donation at all, they asked members to donate of their means and their time.



It is sad that they gay community has chosen to target the church simply because they are the most organized party that they can put a face on. They have also started up a fund for people to donate money to rebuild and continue the fight for gay marriage. For every $5 donated they will send a strongly worded postcard to President Monson at the Slat Lake Temple. I think they think the temple is like the white house and that it is the presidents residence.



The church has issued a statement regarding this uproar:
"It is important to understand that this issue for the church has always been about the sacred and divine institution of marriage -- a union between a man and a woman," according to the statement."Allegations of bigotry or persecution made against the church were and are simply wrong. The church's opposition to same-sex marriage neither constitutes nor condones any kind of hostility toward gays and lesbians."Even more, the church does not object to rights for same-sex couples regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights, or probate rights, so long as these do not infringe on the integrity of the traditional family or the constitutional rights of churches."

Not every church is in favor of so much for the gay community.

From the beginning of time, the word marriage has had two innate meanings: 1. a religious union 2. a union between a man and a woman. Comparing a homosexual "marriage" to a heterosexual marriage is like comparing apples and oranges.

If I take two oranges, peel them, cut them up and put them in a bowl, then I have a bowl of oranges. If I peel and cut one orange and throw it in a bowl with a cut up apple, then I have a fruit salad. Ask anyone. Two oranges can never be a fruit salad. They are simply a bowl of oranges.

Maybe the gay community should invent a new word in lieu of marriage and fight for whatever rights they want under that title. I am sure the boy scouts were invented before the girl scouts. I am even sure a few girls participated in the boy scouting program before they created their own, more appropriate program.

Here are a few suggestions: endowed, bound, united, promised . . . got any others?
Marriage isn't a pretty word. Only the meaning is beautiful and it is beautiful because of it's religious significance.

I have known several people in my lifetime that are gay. Three of these people are dear to my heart. One died of AIDS. I have no hatred towards the gay community. I have no desire for violence towards the gay community. I do not consider myself a bigot and it hurts to be considered as such. I judge a person by their character and their actions, not by their sexual orientation. Neither am I so apathetic or "tolerant" that I will not fight for my belief system. Tolerance seems to have become a word that magically allows sin to be accepted. Tolerance also seems to include everyone and everything except people who actually believe in something or choose to live religiously moral lives. I really hope that we will not be entering into a time of religious persecution.

So, seriously, give me a break. The people have spoken.