To Dale Carpenter at Volock Conspiracy:
[W]hen you enter the political fray, you are not exempt from public criticism and protest just because you are a religion or have religious reasons for your advocacy. It’s not anti-religious bigotry to call attention, loudly and angrily, to what you have done.
It is bigotry to hate a man. If you hate me for my political persuasions, you are just as close-minded as you accuse me to be, if not moreso. I do not hate my enemies. I feel sorry that they have made such a huge mistake in their lives and I hope I can reach out and change their heart in some small way.
But you’re absolutely right. It’s politics baby. Bring it on.
Here’s my advice to righteously furious gay-marriage supporters:
It’s not righteousness that is driving the homosexual-marriage supporters crazy. If you get a chance, you should read the Book of Mormon to see how members of the LDS church believe Satan operates, and how he is operating through the homosexual movement. Their intense hatred and anger is a clear sign of his manipulation of your movement.
Public protest against a constitutional ban on marriage for gay families is entirely justified. More than a mere vote, protests communicate intensity of feelings. They’re valuable in a democracy.
I disagree, fundamentally. Forming mobs and marches is a tool of democracy, but they are not justified and they certainly are pointless in a representative republic like the United States and California. Remind yourself, again, that the Founding Fathers viewed democracy as we see communism and socialism today. Democracy is not a kind word to call a government.
Something incredibly precious was lost on Tuesday. Those who lost it should not be expected to go back quietly to producing great art and show tunes for everybody’s amusement.
You never had the right to marry as homosexuals. The courts STOLE from the people their rights to govern the government. You don’t seem to get that, do you? Governments are ruled by the people in the United States, not the other way around.
As a mormon, I invite those who want to change marriage into something it is not and never can be to attack our church. Go ahead and demonstrate in whatever way you want, get yourself thrown in jail, but please, please, please persecute the church while you do it.
Criticize us for our fundamental belief in an all-powerful, all-merciful, and all-just God. Criticize our belief that revelation has not ceased and will never cease as long as people believe in that God and act appropriately. Criticize us for our belief that all men are created equal and government should be a creation of the people and government should be ruled by and not rule the people.
Criticize our belief that certain behaviors, among them murder, thievery, dishonesty, and yes, lewd and adulterous behavior, should not be tolerated by a just society, that these actions hurt far more than just the victim or the victim’s family, but the perpetrators and society at large, and that government should be used to suppress such actions with the threat and punishment of legal force, indeed that is the sole reason for government in our Founding Father’s eyes, which is keeping the wicked constrained and the wolves from the flock of sheep.
Criticize our belief that we should adhere to a standard that no mortal can achieve in this life, not even our mormon propehts and presidents, that we should keep our eyes focused on God and nothing else, that peace and happiness are only possible by following, humbly and sincerely, the council of an Almighty Father who speaks directly to the hearts of his children, whether they are willing to listen or not.
I trust that people who agree with me are more numerous than you think. And although certain Christians try to characterize us as a faith outside the mainstream, I actually believe that our beliefs are closer to the naive yet sincere and true beliefs held by the vast majority of our fellow country-men. Regardless, on the basic tenets we are all in agreement, at least the vast majority of us, and in the political realm, that is more than enough to make us the closest of allies.
I will proudly stand with those who stand with true righteousness and justice. I will gladly fight with those who stand for wickedness and evil. I will humbly wear their persecution as a crown. I will celebrate that I am treated the same way the ancient prophets, apostles, and even the Lord himself were treated.
(And frankly, your effort to label the homosexual marriage movement as righteousness is offensive, as if saying murder of innocent people was the preservation of life. Righteousness is not wickedness.)
In every age in our country’s history, true righteousness has always conquered false righteousness. It may take a while, but this American people is a unique and special people because they still worship their God and nothing else, and ultimately freedom, liberty, justice and mercy prevail.
