New York Times ad blasts ire aimed at LDS

Deseret News ^ | Dec. 6, 2008 | Aaron Falk and Jens Dana

[skyman]

Declaring "no mob veto," a full-page ad in the New York Times on Friday denounced the "violence and intimidation" directed at members of the LDS Church who supported California's ban on gay marriage.

"When thugs ... terrorize any place of worship, especially those of a religious minority, responsible voices need to speak clearly: Religious wars are wrong; they are also dangerous," reads the advertisement paid for by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, based in Washington, D.C.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has come under fire from gay rights activists across the country since coming out in support of California's Proposition 8, an amendment to the state's constitution that defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

In a statement Friday, church officials expressed gratitude to the dozen civil rights and religious leaders, ranging from Catholic to evangelical Christian to Orthodox Jew, who attached their names to the advertisement.

Scott Walter, executive director of the Becket Fund, insists his nonpartisan, interfaith group is not taking a stand on same-sex marriage.

"We're only about religious liberty," he said. "When houses of worship are being attacked, we're concerned. We're against violence against anyone."

Many of the individuals who signed the ad are prominent national and international figures, Holland said, including Richard Cizik, vice president for Governmental Affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals; Nathan Diament, director of the Institute for Public Affairs of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America; William A. Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious & Civil Rights; Douglas Laycock, a law professor at the University of Michigan; and Chris Seiple, president of the Institute for Global Engagement.

"These very prominent leaders from the Evangelical right are now stepping up to give voice and solidarity to the church," he said.

[skyman]

Good for all the supporters. We must be united on this issue no matter what our religious beliefs.

Mormon bigots-don't hijack this thread

[gedeon3]

Where is the aclu? Do I see the names of anyone in congress in that piece? nope.

[maine-iac7]

AMEN...

[Admin Moderator]

In the future, note the Activism sidebar is reserved for News/Activism of the FR chapters and not this.

[Cymbaline]

Better get your asbestos suit on!

[FormerACLUmember]

Mormons are being spit on, their churches burned, and the persecutors are complaining?

Just like the Nazis decrying alleged persecution by Jews in the 1930s.

[DoughtyOne]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has come under fire from gay rights activists across the country...

Folks, we need to quit using the terminology of the homosexual activists.  Just because the homosexuals bastardize a word for their own benefit, we sure don't have to adopt their terminology.

BTW Skyman, just to be clear, I wasn't taking you to task.

[Drango]

Note this was a paid ad by outsiders. Given their silence, a reader can assume the NYTimes is fine with religious intolerance and stifiling of freespeech that they don’t agree with.

[DoughtyOne]

I agree with your comments here. Note that Blacks who voted heavily for Proposition 8 have NOT been taken to task for it.

The activist homosexuals sure don’t recognize the Constitutional rights of any other group, do they.

The Church of LDS has my full support on this issue. It is shameful what they have been subjected to.

I have watched what passes for normal activity during the Gay Pride parades. I have seen parents with children on the side of the street watching this despicable moral carnage. If the Church of LDS wishes to go on the record and oppose some of this activity, they’ve got my blessing. And this vote on Homosexual marriage is in effect a repudiation of a lot more than homosexual marriage IMO.

Church of LDS, good for you.

[DoughtyOne]

That’s a good point. Essentially, if something is a moral issue, you can’t bet the NYT is on the wrong side of it.

[Drango]

I’m very proud of the Catholics and Mormons who stood tall supporting prop 8. Blessings to all churches that were shining their light in the darkness!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv72urCWJcU

Great video!

[Islander7]

Folks, we need to quit using the terminology of the homosexual activists. Just because the homosexuals bastardize a word for their own benefit, we sure don't have to adopt their terminology.

You are correct on many levels. The left controls the debate by setting the parameters of language. PC and multiculturalism will kill this nation.

Take a long look at conditions in the UK.

[wita]

Mormon bigots-don’t hijack this thread

Frankly, that statement alone pretty much emasculated this thread.

[Condor51]

The Human Rights Campaign, however, decried the ad, calling it "corporate hypocrisy." ... "Calls for tolerance of certain religious viewpoints rings hollow in a world where religion often stands by tolerating violence perpetrated on God's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender children," said Rev. Erin Swenson, a Presbyterian minister who sits on the HRC's Religion Council.

Yeah Erin right. The MSM is chock full of articles of Mormons, Evangelical Christians, Catholics, etc going out in gangs and beating up gays with their Bibles. Or packs of Jews hunting down gays and sticking Dreidels in their mouths to choke them to death.

Oh wait.. I can't find any of those now. But theres scores of articles of gays beating up Mormons and Christians. Or of gays going insane and butchering their 'partners' over a (cough) 'lovers spat'.

Ooops, you didn't want to hear that did you 'Rev'.

Erin Swenson is nuts, and he's no "Reverend".

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks. I agree with your admonition to take a look at Britain also.

[Drango]

"These very prominent leaders from the Evangelical right are now stepping up to give voice and solidarity to the church,"

Excellent. The Evangelical/fundamentalist community needs to more pro actively join with the Mormons and Catholics in the next two years. The issue is not dead and we will be fighting this cultural war again.

[wintertime]

Very nice video.

Catholics should consider that Catholic college for their children.

[svcw]

Ok, what’s left to be said then....no ldser bigots, evangelicals don’t do anything.
Wow, cannot even comment before it starts.

[Drango]

Apparently it’s a sophomore student video!

http://www.jpcatholic.com/

Student Video Tops on YouTube. A video produce by sophomore Matt Connors entitled Catholics Appalled at Anti-Mormon Slur is this month’s #1 ‘top rated’, this past week’s #1 ‘most discussed’ and ‘most viewed’ in YouTube’s ‘Nonprofits & Activism’ category. It features Prof Michael Barber commending fellow Christians on their stand in support of the passage of Proposition 8 and condemns anti-religious bigotry.

[wita]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has come under fire from gay rights activists across the country...

You mean from the fractional percent of the one percent of homosexuals. IMHO not even worth responding too. They are the fractional giving the rest of the non in you face homosexuals a bad name.

Someone on another thread postulated that the present situation was really federal discrimination against single folks, where the benefits of marriage are concerned. IOW the perceived discrimination against homosexuals is not necessarily beginning and ending with the churches.

Significant others, regardless of sexual orientation cannot collect social security benefits of their partners, etc. So, the focus on churches as the crux of the issue is not based entirely on the realities. Reality is, marriage under our system, has been the standard for centuries, but I guess “Change” comes in all varieties. Some of it, unacceptable to the American people regardless of the noisy extremely small minority of screaming activists.