The MSM finally picked up on a story about a Church of Latter Day Saints memo that Kos ran last week. The 1997 document from then LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley details the church’s strategy for defeating same-sex marriage, which stresses including the Catholic Church in the fight. The memo looked at the Hawaii civil union decision and uses it to survey the California political landscape. After determining that in California:
“Anti-H.L.M. (presumably “homosexual legal marriage”) legislation through both Houses of the California Legislature appears virtually impossible at the preent.ĂÂ There is a consensus that referendum is the only route. While expensive, there are at least two coalitions coming together with one of them showing promise as to raising money.
Richard Wirthlin has run a survey which shows public support for our position in the mid-fifty percentile. As in Hawaii, his survey shows that the public image of the Catholic Church higher than our Church. In other words, if we get into this, they are the ones with which to join.”
ABC 4 is reporting that opponents of Prop. 8 say more documents like this exist. What’s clear from the document is that the LDS have had a concerted long-term strategy to defeat gay marriage in California– a strategy that bore a narrow, but powerful win for the Church.
Inertia_90
We really do need to hurry up and strip them of their tax-exempt status.
Wolf
Looks familiar.
Thank You for posting it seperatly Japhy.
Darth Paul
@Inertia_90: WORD.
ggreen
Ignorance, by itself, is not entertaining. However, when the ignorant are supremely self-confident, full of certitude, and void of any insight, ThatââŹâ˘s Entertainment! Viva Las Mormons!
LDS
Is this news? I think by now everyone knows how the church feels about the purpose of marriage. Did anyone think that it was a spontaneous decision? I think most figured all along it took some planning as to what the church could do to support its stance.
REBELComx
While I actually think ALL churches should be stripped of Tax-exemption, I didn’t think it would really happen with the LDS because the church itself didn’t donate…just individuals who were clearly associated with the church. But now that THIS cat is out of the bag…
JKC
But I thought the Mormons wanted us to have “equal rights”, Japhy. Thats what you wrote a few posts ago.
Wolf
@LDS:
Well its sort of News that they have been planning on it for 11 years.
It would have helped if Japh would have linked to the ABC4 Report or used some of the Material from there
http://www.abc4.com/content/news/top%20stories/story.aspx?content_id=4a8a2464-6cf3-45d1-a0bd-606f034bae33
And I QUOTE
“But now, a new internal LDS Church document has surfaced, one showing the Church’s involvement and strategy going back more than a decade.
This memo was reportedly sent from a LDS General Authority to a member of the Quorum of the Twelve.
It deals with the issue of same-sex marriage and it is dated, March 4, 1997.
This eleven-year-old memo gives a glimpse into President Gordon B. Hinckley’s strategy for dealing with same-sex marriage.
It talks of a meeting with President Hinckley who reportedly said to “move ahead” with the church’s opposition to same-sex marriage.
This memo also discusses joining forces with the Catholic Church, saying:
“…the public image of the Catholic Church is higher than our Church. In other words, if we get into this, they are the ones with which to join.”
But President Hinckley apparently urged caution as the memo makes clear, “he (President Hinckley) also said the (LDS) Church should be in a coalition and not out front by itself.
And this is a key point.
President Hinckley’s 11-year-old strategy of opposing same-sex marriage and partnering with the Catholic Church helped lead to the passage of Proposition 8 and a new ban on same-sex marriage.
But some of the outcry since could be blamed on the perception that the LDS Church was out in front of this issue – exactly what President Hinckley warned against.”
Can I work at Queerty PLEASE. I promise I’ll sue spellcheck.
LDS
Ok, so I still don’t see this as breaking news. It just shows to me that the guy was insightful and started planning early. His stance for traditional marriage was firm. His beliefs on what the consequences of allowing gay marriage seem clear. And he didn’t want the church to seem as if it was against the people themselves, but the practice that he believed was wrong in the eyes of God. It seems he wanted to be careful to draw the line between the sin and the sinner.
It also seems he was insightful to want to band together with other churches that feel the same way.
I’m having trouble seeing where the news is in this story.
Japhy Grant
@Wolf: Hey Wolf- the link is there– first graf.
HYHYBT
#9: Thank you for your gracious offer of hospitality, but I’ve already made other arrangements đ
HYHYBT
RETRACTION: sorry, the post I was replying to is no longer there. Never mind.
Flex
If prop 8 can’t be repealed by the California Supreme court, we should gather signatures for a constitutional amendment to ban certain religions in California. The purpose wouldn’t really be to ban them, but to treat the bigots as they have treated us.
Roymondo
So we strip them of the tax exemption…. What makes you think they will stop getting involved? If anything this opens the flood gates for them to freely support candidates, and also for the EXTREMELY WEALTHY CHURCHES(billions upon billions annually) to donate officially as a church. The money you saw on prop8 was from the members individually not the coffers of the LDS Church. If you were wise you wouldn’t go there. The tax exemption is the only thing that is keeping Churches out of politics. Remove it and their influence will be EXPONENTIALLY increased a million-fold. You’re crying now because the mighty lion behind the cage roared at you….wait until you open the gate and he devours your head.
Be careful what you wish for.
Trenton
We’ll take our chances… Churches have already displayed thatthey can enter politicsin subversive ways, and I think the general public would keep them at bay.
The mighty lion…more like the blooduscking leech.
HYHYBT
The general public, including many gays and many others who are or would like to be supportive, *are* the members of churches. This is no way to convince them they should be on your side the next time.
(At least in California it was close, and will almost certainly be on the ballot again in the near future. Here in Georgia the constitutional ban passed at 77%, with no realistic chance of a repeal short of the end of DOMA allowing us to import marriages from other states)
ggreen
One of the real villains of Prop 8 we donââŹâ˘t hear about at all is San Francisco Catholic Archbishop George Niederauer. He has been working to discriminate against gays for years.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/10/MNU1140AQQ.DTL&hw=bishop+prop&sn=001&sc=1000
Tracy Hall Jr
Rick Jacobs (mastermind of the ââŹĹMormon Home InvasionââŹÂ ad) already tried to milk this for shock value at Huffington Post. Here was my response, on the morning of the election:
http://tinyurl.com/6k8nll
– – –
Hooray for the “smoking gun” letter showing that leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints find it wise to unite with other religions who share our values — and who have greater numbers, greater influence, and better public relations!
You want conspiracies? Consider this 30-year old conspiracy:
“Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even these, however, must leave a record so that the choices before the people are clear and let others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, that others will step forward, having been rallied to righteousness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds–a majority which was, till then, unconscious of itself.”
(Neal A. Maxwell at BYU, 1978.)
http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=6197&x=64&y=6
Ever since the election of 1844 and the assassination of presidential candidate Joseph Smith Jr, we Mormons have conspired to awaken “a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds” to vote their values with us.
If Prop. 8 passes in California, it might well be our Hispanic and Black brothers and sisters who carry the day.
– – –
A 30-year old Mormon prophecy fulfilled!
Considering that the most violent persecutions carried out against Mormons have been politically motivated, we are not surprised at the mobs now circumambulating our temples.
May the God of all Creation open their eyes to see, for surely “they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” (2 Kings 6:14-18)
Tracy Hall Jr
hthalljr’gmail’com
mdh60610
We need to start an initiate in California and other states for a DO NOT KNOCK list. Similar to the Do Not Call list I have for my phone, I could register to stop the evangelicals from knocking on my door. The Mormons would have to spend Millions to keep track of where they could tract without being sued or arrested.
Hit em where they knock.
Roymondo
@Tracy Hall Jr:
Roymondo
Tracy, You are awesome! Great post.
Roymondo
@mdh60610:
Unfortunatly for you the Jehovah’s Witnesses fought this battle already and it would take more then 38 million to overturn that one. Coming off your losing streak I wouldn’t count on it. The gay movement just got sent back to the stone age. If you want respect, show respect.
Trenton
Wow…I’m torn between fear and frsutration and utter amusement at seeing how looney toons you Mormos can be.
See you in the outer darkness, sweet thangs.
marlene
@Trenton: wow you are torn between your looney love for fecal disease and rape of children, you satanistic drone, the little petty battle will end in your racist bitter gay liberal heartbreak, you will come to terms with your dillusions, you are not only going to stripped of marriage, but civil unions and relegated to terrorists.
marlene
@mdh60610: good that will leave them more time to campaign you as disease spreaders short life hedonistics satan drones and terrorist full of hatred, we will have muslims, Catholitics, Christians, Jews, 7 day adventists, hindus, buddisms and everyone send your filty worms back in the closet. It is on now you sorry athiests. We will protect children from you because homosexual rape males 16 and under. Your little liberal battles will not win this war. The populus will go to Republicans to make marriage between a man and a women. You opened the door now, you are American terriorists;
Trenton
You flatter me, Marlene. Any reproof from illiterate, vulgar twits such as yourself comes as the highest of praise.
Trenton
Oh…and did anyone else catch her “marriage between a man and a women“.
And here I thought the polygamy issue was over and done with… tut tut.
snoremonster
@Flex: Ok, dude, you’re retarded. “ban certain religions in California. The purpose wouldn’t really be to ban them, but to treat the bigots as they have treated us.”? That is the dumbest, must unthought out statement that I have ever heard! Hey, maybe while we’re at it we could kick out all of the Blacks and Hispanics because they came out in mass to vote for Prop 8 too…
rick
Next Article:
Half of California plots to destroy Mormon Church
If they all were actually completely delusional this might actually be possible. There is no other western religion except scientology that is so damn inconsistent and obviously fake.
Charles J. Mueller
@Marlene: Now, would you care to tell us how you really feel about homosexuals? đ