CA Supreme Court to rule on Gay Marriage today (5/15) at 10:00am

[Gemini Cricket]

Pirate Bill ~
I haven't seen the episode, but GLAAD issued a statement about it.

Regrettably, the episode also features a defamatory statement by Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council, an anti-gay activist organization, who claims: "Homosexuality is associated with higher rates of sexual promiscuity, sexually transmitted diseases, mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence, and child sexual abuse, and those are all reasons for us to be concerned about placing children into that kind of setting." While there is no credible scientific research that backs Sprigg’s claim - and much that disputes it - the episode presents his assertion as if it were fact and offers no credible social science experts or child health authorities to challenge Sprigg’s assertion. Indeed, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, the Child Welfare League of America, and many other child health and social services authorities who support parenting by qualified lesbian and gay parents dispute Sprigg’s claim.

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I think letting his statement stand alone makes it sound like fact. I think a differing opinion from someone else should have been presented also.

I also don't agree with some gay activists who say the FX Network as a whole is anti-gay. Nip/Tuck is tre gay if you ask me.

[Gemini Cricket]

In an e-mail last Sunday morning, I asked my son in California (and indirectly my entire family) to walk out of church on Sunday, June 29, 2008 when their bishop stands up to read a letter from the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise known as the Mormons). I disagree with the reading of this letter because in it the Mormon prophet has asked all California Mormons to “…do all [they] can to support the proposed constitutional amendment by donating of [their] means and time to assure that marriage in California is legally defined as being between a man and a woman.”

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Religious Disobedience. Yes yes yes and totally yes.
It's a neat editorial. I think it's a valid request. In time, I think his family will agree with him.

[Pirate Bill]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

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I thought that by asking my family to do this, I was simply asking them to send a strong message to Salt Lake City that they disagree with the idea that any church has a right to entrench clearly religious dogma into the constitution of a state or country.

Unfortunately, that's not really the right way to send a message to Salt Lake City. Nobody in church headquarters is going to know about a family getting up and walking out of church, even if the church is located in the heart of Salt Lake. It will only send a message to the local authorities (the bishop and perhaps the stake president depending on how things escalate).

The appropriate thing for anyone to do, if they feel so inclined, is to talk to the bishop directly about it. Before he reads it in front of the congregation if possible. Or afterward if not. Even speak to the stake president if necessary.

These face to face conversations are going to have to take place anyway, even if they do a walkout. People get up and walk out of the church service all the time for all sorts of reasons, and rarely as a means of protest or "disobedience."

Letters can also be sent directly into Salt Lake, but they get so many letters that there's no way for anyone in the presidency of the church to read all of them and still have time to do anything else. I'm sure though, that if the pre-screeners see an abundance of letters on one particular topic they will communicate it up the chain. Otherwise, any problems or concerns that can be handled locally are deferred locally.

[Gemini Cricket]

I think if enough people did it, it would be a clear message. It's got to start somewhere. My best method for a Mormon to disagree with the LDS church is to not give them money, but seeing as how tithing is required... well... oh well.

I think the LDS church is totally off base on this issue. No one is forcing the Mormon church to have gay weddings. This is about civil marriage, not marriage within a church. The LDS church is trying to scare people into working against marriage equality, I find that pathetic.