Reid rips LDS Church's Prop. 8 support

Salt Lake Tribune ^ | October 13, 2009 | Matt Canham

[greyfoxx39]

In a meeting with gay-rights activists last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid criticized the LDS Church for backing a ballot measure banning same-sex marriage in California, saying the leaders of his faith should have stayed out of the contentious political fight.

Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, is the highest ranking elected official who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

-SNIP-

Marchers in Sunday's equality rally, which drew tens of thousands to the U.S. Capitol, repeatedly referenced the Prop 8 defeat in signs, statements and even face paint. But when organizers sat down with Reid, it wasn't a topic they intended to raise. They wanted to thank him for supporting the march and push him on their desire for federal action giving gay Americans the ability to get married, serve openly in the military and fight workplace discrimination.

Reid signed a letter supporting the march and encouraged a sustained lobbying campaign.

In the meeting, those present touched on issues most important to them. Dan Choi, a veteran of the Iraq War, who was booted from the military under the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy, thanked Reid for lobbying President Barack Obama on his behalf. Robin McGehee, of California, talked about her own family. Then, McGehee said, Reid brought up his LDS faith and discussed a recent meeting with Mormons in which he criticized the Prop 8 efforts.

"He personally said they needed to be focused on other things," she said, "and he felt it was harmful for the church to focus on such a divisive issue."

[Colofornian]

I’ll vote with the Mormons on this one ....

Which ones? (Given that Reid is a Mormon)

[fatnotlazy]

All I can say is:

Harry: Shaddup!

[greyfoxx39]

Don’t Mormons practice shunning, or some variation? No. We do excommunicate members who commit serious sins and remain unrepentant. But we do not avoid association with excommunicated persons unless they are a danger.

Care to define "danger" in this context?

Mormons urged to stop shunning gay family members

Not a "official" practice by LDS, but shunning "apostates" is common.

[Colofornian]

Why does Harry Reid say that the Mormon church shouldn’t be involved in a divisive issue? Should churches only be involved with issues that aren’t divisive? And who decides?

Well, Reid is only taking the line by some of the outgoing top 70 general authorities in the Lds church.

I'm sure if you sat them down in a room, SOME of the Lds general authorities and Reid would actually agree on the following:
"Yes, religion is relevant in politics;
yes, church and state are connected;
yes, the church should stand up for what it believes;
but DON'T push your values into the political sphere"

Don't believe me when it comes to the Lds general authorities? Well, just read this brief excerpt from what an ex-top 70 said when he was lecturing BYU students last Friday...note the bold-faced reference:

Robert S. Woods, president of the Boston Temple, former member of the 2nd Quorum of the Seventy and professor at the University of Virginia and Naval War College, lectured on the relationship between politics and religion on Friday. President Woods first began his lecture by clearing up any misconceptions about the link between politics and religion.

“In my experience, over the years when people thought about the relation between politics and religion, they thought it was irrelevant,” Woods said. “Religion is not irrelevant to the political process of this country, and will continue to have more of an impact throughout the years.”

There is an undeniable connection between church and state, he said. However, there are several countries and civilizations that will continue to deny this link.

“The basic unit of analysis should be and has not been the state, nor the local political community, but civilization itself,” said Woods. “It shapes the state and local political communities.”

Woods said that we, as Latter-day Saints, have a responsibility to stand up for what we believe without pushing our values into the political sphere. ("Temple president speaks on the link between religion, politics," BYU Daily Universe, http://universe.byu.edu/node/2871)

[proudpapa]

Reid is a Mormon, like Ted Kennedy was a Catholic.

[Colofornian]

Reid is a Mormon, like Ted Kennedy was a Catholic.

No, Reid is a Mormon, like Glenn Beck is a Mormon. (They're BOTH converts)

And they're BOTH welcomed with open arms by the Lds church. (Otherwise, why would BYU have given Reid an all-student, all-staff forum two years ago this month, with many giving him a standing ovation?)

[Little Bill]

Absolutely, happened to one of my family a very prominent Mormon at the time.

[sportutegrl]

Mormons have a lot more babies than gays.

[Little Bill]

I think that Reid is a Birth Mormon.

[clove]

We do excommunicate members who commit serious sins and remain unrepentant That describes the majority of the democratic party!!!I wonder if that is how God sees them?

[Colofornian]

As a lifelong member of the LDS Church, I can't figure out why they let Reid continue to shoot off his mouth like this. Publicly opposing the Church is supposed to be a pretty big no-no.

Well, there's two ways to look at what you just said: One way is to apply your "publicly opposing the church is supposed to be a pretty big no-no" as applied to Harry Reid; the other is apply that same statement to yourself.

I mean, it appears to me both you and Harry Reid disagree at some level with the Lds church -- Reid on Prop 8 -- you for "let[ting] Reid continue to shoot off his mouth like this."

So, tell us...if they know who you are...is your bishop going to raise this as a loyalty question on your next temple recommend interview?

Or, let's say some FReeper openly disagreed with BYU inviting Harry Reid for a "y'all come" speech @ BYU October, '07. How would that expression of disagreement with the Lds church be perceived as any different than Reid's disagreement with the church over Prop 8?

My stance? I'm glad the Lds church got involved in Prop 8. What a lot of people don't realize is that Prop 8 wasn't the first time Lds got involved in opposing same-sex marriage. It got involved in Prop 22 (2000) all without the media fanfare back then. That also was a sound decision by Mormon leadership.

[Logophile]

Mormons urged to stop shunning gay family members

So a homosexual activist group implies that the LDS Church is not doing enough to accommodate homosexuality.

Are you surprised that homosexual activists would say such a thing? Are you inclined to agree with them?

[Colofornian]

I think that Reid is a Birth Mormon.

Nope, Reid's a Mormon convert who the Lds church has welcomed with such open arms that they readily made him into an elders quorum president, a high councilor, and Sunday School superintendent!

Reid, who has served as an elders quorum president, high councilor and Sunday school superintendent, converted to Mormonism while attending Utah State University in 1960. He subsequently converted his wife Landra from Judaism to the Mormon faith and has raised his family in the church.

"Senate's New Majority Whip: Senator Harry Reid of Nevada" by Christopher Smith, Salt Lake Tribune, June 9 2001 URL: http://www.sltrib.com/06092001/utah/104290.htm

[Logophile]

I agree with you.

[sr4402]

"He personally said they needed to be focused on other things," she said, "and he felt it was harmful for the church to focus on such a divisive issue."

So Reid tells the churches in Nevada to Shut Up. Well instead they might just turn out to vote. Perhaps they will tell him their feelings about being TOLD how their health care will be and that their seniors are being selfish about it.

Oh and they may have something to say about being told that Obama is their Messiah. I don't think they've (except the Liberal ones) have liked that.

[Little Bill]

I misspoke, it seems. I kind of thought that he descended from the early expamtion of settlement into Eastern Nevada. I think that the LDS Church need a little more oversite on the Paths of its members.

Or as my Aunt said about a "Space Shot" Utah Senetor, "I loved him as a Brother but he wore out his welcome."

[TChris]

Well, there's two ways to look at what you just said: One way is to apply your "publicly opposing the church is supposed to be a pretty big no-no" as applied to Harry Reid; the other is apply that same statement to yourself.

I mean, it appears to me both you and Harry Reid disagree at some level with the Lds church -- Reid on Prop 8 -- you for "let[ting] Reid continue to shoot off his mouth like this."

So, tell us...if they know who you are...is your bishop going to raise this as a loyalty question on your next temple recommend interview?

Good heavens, Colo... Have you gotten into the catnip again?

I can't even make sense of what you wrote.

Are you trying to say that my disagreement with Reid is somehow the same as disagreeing with the Church? ...or are you saying that I should do something about Reid's standing in the Church?

I'm honestly stumped here.

[Colofornian]

Are you trying to say that my disagreement with Reid is somehow the same as disagreeing with the Church? ...or are you saying that I should do something about Reid's standing in the Church? I'm honestly stumped here.

I'll lay it out:
1. Harry Reid disagrees with Lds church getting involved with Prop 8.
2. You apparently disagree with church letting Harry Reid continue to shoot off his mouth like this.
Conclusion A: You both disagree with the church (different issues).
3. You said "Publicly opposing the Church is supposed to be a pretty big no-no" -- in reference to Reid.
4. I pointed out that you just did the same thing -- you publicly opposed the church by wondering outloud why the Lds church is "let[ting] Reid continue to shoot off his mouth like this."
Conclusion B: Didn't you just publicly oppose the church (for failing to properly muzzle Reid)? By your own standards, is that then a "pretty big no-no" too?

[Lancey Howard]

LOL, did Reid also “rip” blacks for their overwhelming support of Prop. 8?

[SkyDancer]

Where the Mormons supported Prop. 8 in California ....