To my neighbors, *please* don't remove the rights of loving couples. This affects the homes of 52,000 children. If this passes, all of them will have *less* protection. Whatever you believe - please don't do this to the children of loving parents. I imagine the following is awful: "Honey, you should know that we still love each other, and we still love you, but your Dad and I--we're not married anymore. :(” - Chris Wetherell

Please don't let prop 8 pass. kthx. - Tudor Bosman

"LDS authorities are expected to ask Brigham Young University students and other Californians living in Utah to participate in phone trees in support of Proposition 8, which would define marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman. The broadcast will feature Apostles M. Russell Ballard and Quentin L. Cook and L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy discussing the LDS participation in the Protect Marriage Coalition, which urges voters to approve the initiative." - Paul Buchheit

Is that allowed? I thought churches were supposed to stay away from elections. - Paul Buchheit

It just sounds so defensive, like the straight relationships that support Prop 8 are closet or something. How would it read if teh amendment said, "And they have to be in love. And they have to respect each other." It's defining an absence. - anna sauce

I think churches lose their tax-free status if they get involved in politics... - Chris Messina

Normally I have nothing bad to say about Mormons... this, though, pisses me off. Shame on you LDS! - Internet's Tad

if they're going to ban gay marriage, they should also ban divorce... oh wait, most of those that are so insecure about gay marriage are divorcées... Sod off, Repugnant reactionary twits! - Prolific Programmer

Yeah, the sanctity of marriage with a 50% divorce rate. Get your nose out of other people's business. Oh, and by and by, are we going to require folks to prove they're male and female before marriage? So if "Pat" from SNL gets married ... what? Really, how does this effect you? *sigh* - AJ Kohn

@Paul, your notes are correct. The church typically stays out of politics, and each election cycle, reads a note saying the church is neutral toward parties, etc, and reminds its members not to mis-use church directories, etc. That said, they supported Prop 22 a few years back and have been vocal here as well. - Louis Gray

The church's official comments on it are here: http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnews... - Louis Gray

Whenever there is a moral authority screaming, it always ends up being a another Ted Haggard (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...) type in charge of the screaming. - Michael

Continuing the transparency, here's the church's update from today: http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnews... The article says that the focus is on California members now, and not for those from out of state to participate. - Louis Gray

Churches can certainly be involved in politics, they just can't endorse a candidate. But they can certainly speak out on their views of what is right or wrong and urge you to vote. And I'd guess they could urge you to vote about certain laws - they just can't urge you for or against a particular candidate, as I understand it. Someone correct me? - Justin Long

Michael, what about all the churches speaking out about aid & development? about civil rights? against racial discrimination? The Rev. Martin Luther King?... - Justin Long

Justin, this is a civil rights issue for all the gay folks out there that want to get married. - Michael

Am I the only one thinking that Mormons wanted marriage to be defined as "between a man and women"? - Gabe

@Gabe, that is how the church defines it, yes. In this case, they are supporting the group that is supporting the initiative. They didn't author its language or create it in any way. - Louis Gray

My point is not whether the legislation is right or wrong, but simply that churches are and should be free to speak about issues in the same way that you are. I agree churches should not provide tax deductible dollars to a political campaign for election as this is a violation of the contribution rules, but I don't believe that any church should be prevented from speaking "truth to power" - at least truth as it perceives it - any more than any other group should. Freedom of speech and all. - Justin Long

+1 Justin - Rob Reed

I'm hoping that things like Bill Maher's Religulous will move us past this silly paranoid delusional force called religion that's haunted and tormented human history. Why anyone thinks their magic space monster gives them the right to tell others what they can and can't do when they're not hurting anyone is beyond me. I sincerely hope that the wave of fundamentalism shown by people like Dubya and Palin is religions last throws. - Jason Carreira

Can we not make this about the LDS or about any religious denomination? Let them believe whatever they want. This is, finally, a civil rights issue, and if marriage rights can be repealed in California...well, that's not only unprecedented legally - taking away a right - but it will also be a real, dispiriting setback for the civil rights struggle of our times. Imagine what it will feel like for those who have gotten married? - Rick Powell

So I repeat, straight friends and colleagues of GLBT folks in California, what have you done to make sure Prop 8 doesn't pass? - Rick Powell

No, we can't make it not about the LDS or any other church, because they've put themselves into it. - Jason Carreira

Louis, most religious fanatics want marriage defined as "between a man and a woman". Mormons would be unique in making it between "a man and women". - Gabe

@Gabe, and here I assumed it was a typo. (sigh) - Louis Gray

@Jason, my point is it would be better to work against the Proposition than against a church. It's putting our energies in the wrong place. But here's an example of a Republican Mormon doing something different: http://tinyurl.com/5kc6cr - Rick Powell

No one is ever going to answer my question, are they? I must have asked it 5 times by now. - Rick Powell

In each individual case it's better to work on that one issue, but that's treating the many symptoms while ignoring the disease. - Jason Carreira

Fundamentalism and Christianism being the disease, I guess. I don't see how we fight that on a broad scale, unless we focus on individual battles where those ideologies attempt to insert themselves into a secular state. Such as Prop 8. - Rick Powell

My guess is that Prop 8 will succeed, largely because of indifference and apathy on the part of people who claim to think differently. - Rick Powell

What are you doing Rick? - Paul Buchheit

Other than the obvious - pestering people on FriendFeed, sharing what I know and read on Twitter and socialmedian; you know, using these wonderful social media tools to actually attempt to do something in the world rather than as remote mutual masturbation techniques - I've talked to every American in every hostel I've been in over the last two months, particularly if they're from California, and tried to educate them on importance of this vote. - Rick Powell

I've also given 20 bucks to my friend with a credit card - I don't have one - so I hope he's donated here. http://tinyurl.com/3p6fc8 I probably should have blogged about it more, but with my audience, it's preaching to the choir. So, I've answered your question, accepted in good faith. Will you answer mine? - Rick Powell

I expect Prop 8 will pass, not because it's right, but because Californians love divisive issues. Previous examples include the initial Prop 22, and Prop 187 way back in 1994. I won't argue for/against here, but let's just say that on Sunday my wife and I will be missing church to go to a gay wedding in Berkeley for my mom's best friend of 40 years, and we couldn't be happier for her and her partner. - Louis Gray

I can't imagine a more important thing to do and say, Louis, but it doesn't surprise me coming from you. I would imagine there are many folks who support gay marriage not in spite of their faith but because of it. Which is why it's so dangerous and counterproductive to lump all people of faith into one intolerant bunch and assume everyone believes as their hierarchy does. - Rick Powell