I received a few emails today that I would like to share with EVERYONE. Instead of emailing them each out individually I am putting them on here in hopes to help anyone who disagrees with me to understand why I along with many others feel this issue is so important. My thoughts and prayer are with those of you living through these difficult experiences!
Email #1 in circulation:
An institute teacher read the following letter in class. He pointed out that if gay rights people get what they want then we will lose our rights.
I don't know if you're aware of what's going on politically here in California right now but for the first time in my life I've seen the church take a stand on a political issue to the extent that we've had Ward gatherings for the past three weeks to physically canvas neighborhoods and make phone calls to registered voters, to educate them about the language and affects of Proposition 8. I guess I was kind of oblivious to the wider reaching affects that this could have on all church members but found this informative e-mail interesting and decided to forward it on to you. In a recent LDS Sacrament meeting in California, the focus was on Amendment 8 (the gay marriage issue), one of the speakers who was an LDS judge in the area, had statistics that were 'mind blowing'. For example, in Boston, MA (where gay marriages are now legal,) the Catholic Charities have closed their doors because the state has required them to allow adoptions to same sex couples, and they refused. They are a large and worth while charity with great power in the state and they were overruled.
A Methodist church has lost their tax exempt status because the minister refused to perform a marriage of a same sex couple (they were not of his congregation).
A physician who refused to do fertility treatments on a same sex couple because of religious reasons was sued, lost and the state is requiring him to treat everyone as equals. Our schools will be required to teach, starting in kindergarten, that marriages make up many different combinations. The consequences are horrible. Directly tied into ALL of this is our right to continue to go to the Temple. If Gay Marriage is supported by the government, then those who are same-sex married, who are 'LDS' and legally recognized as married by the government, can sue to be married in the temple. It is my opinion that the church will not bend on this issue, and our rights to go to the temple will be in jeopardy. AND goodbye to those religious tax-deductions, tithing, fast offerings, etc. We will lose our tax-exemption status if the government legally forces the church to support same-sex marriage. These effects are far-reaching! I hope no one is upset by this e-mail, I would not want to offend anyone, but I believe this issue is not a political issue at all, but a moral issue that affects all of society.
The Proclamation on the family clearly gives a warning voice on this matter. I pray that this issue on the ballots will over turn the gay marriages occurring right now in that state, and help prevent other states from adopting this stance. I believe that it is important to support and defend traditional marriage, home and family. Another friend says that her relatives in Sweden are even watching what goes on in California, friends in Canada are watching. The whole world is watching to see what happens.
Email #2 in circulation:
Dear family and friends,
I had a very disturbing experience yesterday that I would like to share with those of you that live outside of California (or outside of the San Francisco Bay Area). This weekend we have stake conference. Our stake conference always begins with a stake temple session on Friday or Thursday night. Early Friday morning I received a call from the second counselor in our bishopric to let me know that there would be numerous protesters outside the temple, and to remind everyone to stay calm and to drive carefully. The beautiful Oakland Temple is located right across the bay from San Francisco , very close to the city of Berkeley . Apparently the opposition to proposition 8, the amendment that seeks to make marriage in CA between a man and a woman again, has realized the deep involvement of the church and begun to protest right outside of the temple and harass temple patrons. The fastest way to get to the temple from our house is to take the 680 freeway, but the exit is a bit tricky. The off ramp is extremely short and straight uphill. You then make an almost blind left turn, an immediate right and another left into the parking lot. As we! approached the off ramp, I realized there would be trouble. There was a backup onto the freeway from cars stalled on the off ramp. As we moved forward inches at a time, we realized this was due to a large group of loud protesters who were standing on both sides of the street, yelling, screaming and waving signs. When we got to the top of the off ramp, ready to make our turn, one protester jumped out right in front of our car. It took my husband all his self control to carefully maneuver around him to the left and proceed to the temple. I tried not to listen to all they were shouting at us, but I was shaking as I got to the temple front door. Several of the sisters, especially the ones driving on their own, were crying (which made me snap out of it and go into RS President mode to comfort them). Later, as I was sitting in the perfect quiet of the chapel, I couldn't help but think of Lehi's dream, and the people who mocked the Saints from the big spacious building but ! 'we heeded them not.' It was a truly surreal experience, I'd ! never through that I would have to go through an angry crowd to get to the temple. As we left late at night, the protesters had dispersed, temple security (who all looked very large and Tongan) stood by the gates. I never saw a single police man. Please pray for those of us in California fighting for prop 8--it's getting kind of scary out here!
Susan
Email #3 in circulation:
This is an excellent video discussing a Massachusetts family's fight to help their own family remain morally clean in an increasingly immoral world.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1815820715?bctid=1822459319
2 comments:
I had my own little blurb on my email about this. For Arizonan's we are fighting for prop 102. All these things happening are so disturbing. I am so upset by just how much people don't understand what will happen if we don't pass both propositions 8 and 102. Thanks for posting this. I think every little bit helps. I just can't believe that the Lord would allow these not to pass. On the other hand I know that things are only to get worse before they are better. I guess all we can do is do our part and hope for the best!
Hi Marlies,
I didn't know you have a blog! Anyway, I'm here, and read it. I didn't know how serious this was going to get. I wonder what would happen in the temples of other countries once gay marriage is accepted and enforced by the U.S. government. Scary. I don't have the voting right here, but I hope every American with good conscience would vote against gay marriage.
Post a Comment