The Right To Win. Wrong

Here's a great article about the current situation with Prop 8

Excerpt:
In Oakland, California, a mob gathered outside a Mormon temple in such numbers that officials shut down a nearby freeway exit for more than three hours.

In their midst was a San Francisco Supervisor who said “The Mormon church has had to rely on our tolerance in the past, to be able to express their beliefs.” He added, “This is a huge mistake for them. It looks like they’ve forgotten some lessons.”

Apparently Mormons don’t have the same rights as other Americans, at least not if they don’t vote the way gay activists want them to vote.

Read the rest of this great article here: 
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=M2E1ODgyMDczMDA3NzkzY2E4YTNhNjgzMjk2NmEyOTY

An open letter to Subway

Here's a letter I sent to Michele Dinello, the Director of Corporate Communications for Subway. This letter was sent as a response to this:
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid66446.asp

Dear Ms. Dinello,

I am writing today to express my dissatisfaction with the manner that Subway handled the recent event of a franchisee donating their personal funds to exercise their opinion in a democratic ballot measure.

I understand the fine line between keeping everyone happy and giving the impression that a company is being fair to all people, but the way you caved to the the political extortionists of the gay movement leaves me a bit dismayed.

The gay movement, which represents a very small section of society, is currently engaged in a campaign of vandalism, hate crimes, and terrorism, to strike fear into the hearts of those people who do not agree with them. By their actions it is clear that they do not respect people's opinion, nor the democratic process.

By buckling to the rantings of an insignificant blogger, you have helped them in their quest to silence those who do not agree with them. By your actions, it is apparent to me that Subway supports and is now providing material funding to an organization that has little regards for society, democracy, and the freedom of expression— a group who will use all the tools at their disposal, including hate and terrorism, to silence any an all who disagree with them. Think I'm exaggerating? Here's a few of many examples:

A queer anarchist movement glorifies the vandalism and assault on sacred houses of religion:
http://bashbacknews.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/the-queers-are-finally-bashing-back/

A religious group is attacked in San Francisco and needs a police escort to get them out of the area safely: (read the description on this video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrRxFoBSPng

Threats against all those who are opposed to gay marriage:
http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=80220

Mailing of white powder, which the FBI classifies as domestic terrorism, to Mormon and Catholic places of worship:
http://www.abc4.com/content/news/top%20stories/story.aspx?content_id=21175a17-57f5-43d8-a3e1-db86c473383b

Here's a nice compilation of the vandalism, hate and bigotry of the gay movement. (The music is a bit dramatic, but you get the idea)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWeg6AkYNQY

A more extensive collection of crimes and acts of hate and bigotry by the gay movement can be found on my blog http://renman.blogspot.com/ .

Now, you may be thinking that these examples are just a few bad apples in the group, but it is important to note that to date, not one gay movement organization has condemned these actions in an official press release or statement.

So what I would like from you and from Subway is :

1. A statement and press release clarifying that Subway does not support nor tolerate any organization that uses fear or engages in hate crimes or acts of domestic terrorism against any group of people, including people of religion, or that try to thwart the democratic process.
2. A statement clarifying that Subway not only respects the rights of its employees, franchisees, and vendors to become involved in the lawful exercise of the political process, but that you encourage it.
3. A statement that Subway will not apply any pressure or retribution against any employee, franchisee, or vendor who chooses to exercise said rights.

Thank you for your time

Ogden police investigate fire at LDS Institute

Ogden police are investigating a bizarre fire at an LDS Institute of Religion building near Weber State University.

Police said someone doused a plastic flower arrangement with an accelerant and lit it on fire inside the Institute's lobby on Sunday night.


http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705264285,00.html

Locust swarms plague Australia

Some swarms over 3 miles long

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7735003.stm

Secular arguments against Same Sex Marriages

As far as I'm concerned, the religious arguments against same sex marriage is enough. However, sometimes you want a secular argument as well. Here is a fantastic letter written with a non-religious argument against same-sex marriages.

http://www.slate.com/id/3642/entry/23841/

Sign this petition to Gov. Schwarzenegger to respect the people's will

If you live in California, or know someone who does, please go to this site to sign a petition to encourage Gov. Schwarzenegger to respect the will of the people on Prop 8.

http://familyleader.info/petitions/petition_5.php

"Bash Back" vandalizes Olympia LDS Church

http://seattle.indymedia.org/en/2008/11/2 70047.shtml

 

 

Excerpt: Last night, under the veil of fog, we visited the Church of Latter Day Saints. We left their locks glued with anarchist messages scrawled in spray paint over their boring veneer.

We did this to show our solidarity with all who are resisting heterosexism everywhere, hopefully to spur them into action; and also because we are angry at the amount of money and propaganda that the Mormon church pumped into the homophobic Proposition 8 campaign. From their disgusting commercials to their despicable sermons to those gross lawn signs, we are sick of this parade of bigotry. The Church has to pay.

This is getting out of control...

Read the description below (caution it's graphic) before watching the video (which is also graphic, so turn your speakers down):



THIS VIDEO WAS NOT POSTED BY ANY MEMBER OF THE GROUP JHOP. HOWEVER, BELOW IS AN ACCOUNT OF ONE OF JHOPSF'S TEAM MEMBERS WHO WAS THERE.
November 14, 2008
I went to the Castro (the homosexual district of San Francisco) with JHOPSF (I have been with the Justice House of Prayer San Francisco since April 2008.) like we usually do on Friday nights.
Normally, we sit on 18th and Castro, and someone plays the guitar, and we all worship God.
Sometimes a person will yell at us, or maybe a few. Sometimes people will ignore us. Sometimes people will let us pray with them.

This time was not a normal night. It was the first time we'd been back in the Castro to do our normal outreach since California Proposition 8, which defined marriage as "one man with one woman" was passed. We played the guitar and sang together and worshiped the Lord. After just singing and worshiping God for a while, Roger decided that we should all hold hands in a circle and continue singing. So we did.

Someone (Actually a person who came up and hugged and kissed some of us who he knew from the past) convinced some people that we were there to protest against the no on 8 campaign.

Then some guy who was dressed up like one of the sisters (The sisters of perpetual indulgence is a group of men who dress up like nuns and call themselves the spiritual authority of the Castro.) took a curtain-type thing (Which I think they use to curse people) and wrapped it around us.

Then a crowd started gathering. We began to sing "Amazing Grace", and basically sang that song the whole night. (At some points we also sang "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus" and "Oh the Blood of Jesus".) At first, they just shouted at us, using crude, rude, and foul language and calling us names like "haters" and "bigots". Since it was a long night, I can't even begin to remember all of the things that were shouted and/or chanted at us. Then, they started throwing hot coffee, soda and alcohol on us and spitting (and maybe even peeing) on us. Then, a group of guys surrounded us with whistles, and blasted them inches away from our ears continually. Then, they started getting violent and started shoving us.

At one point a man tried to steal one of our Bibles. Chrisdene noticed, so she walked up to him and said "Hey, that's not yours, can you please give it back?". He responded by hitting her on the head with the Bible, shoving her to the ground, and kicking her. I called the cops, and when they got there, they pulled her out of the circle and asked her if she wanted to press charges. She said "No, tell him I forgive him." Afterwards, she didn't rejoin us in the circle, but she made friends with one of the people in the crowd, and really connected heart to heart. Roger got death threats. As the leader of our group, people looked him in the eyes and said "I am going to kill you.", and they were serious. A cop heard one of them, and confronted him. (This part is kinda graphic, so you should skip the paragraph if you don't want to be offended.)

It wasn't long before the violence turned to perversion. They were touching and grabbing me, and trying to shove things in my butt, and even trying to take off my pants - basically trying to molest me. I used one hand to hold my pants up, while I used the other arm to hold one of the girls. The guys huddled around all the girls, and protected them. Soon after, the cops came and stood between us and the mob. When it was getting more heated, the cops were like "You guys should leave." and Roger said "We want to stay." Someone tried to steal my backpack, but I tapped a cop on the shoulder, and said "Hey, that's my bag." and he got it from him and gave it to me. Others weren't so lucky. Probably half our team got their jackets stolen.

Eventually, as the crowd was getting more and more uncontrollable, the cops were afraid for our lives, so they escorted us to our van. (The cops were very nice to us from start to finish.) Our van was parked pretty far because it was hard to find parking that day. As the cops escorted us, the mob followed us, until the cops formed a line, and held off the people so we could drive away. We took the long way home, just in case anyone tried to follow us.

When we got home, we prayed and sang more, and then prayed over each-other. Please know my heart. All of what we do is for the Love of Jesus Christ, and the love for those in the Castro. The Bible says to love God, and then love people. We can only love because He loved us first. We can't hate the people because they are just broken and blinded by the spirit of this age. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against Principalities and Powers. It's not a political thing, we just love the people.

Kevin Hamilton's Letter on Proposition 8 and the Mormon Church

Kevin Hamilton's Letter on Proposition 8 and the Mormon Church

Dear Friends,

In the aftermath of the recent election, we may find ourselves oddly on the defensive regarding our support for the Yes on Proposition 8 cause. Our young people have been especially subject to mean-spirited comments by high school friends and teachers. We have nothing to be ashamed of. We did nothing wrong. In fact, we did everything that a civic-minded American can and should do. I have put together a few facts that help me to appreciate our position better. For example:

1. Mormons make up less than 2 percent of the population of California. There are approximately 800,000 LDS out of a total population of approximately 34 million.Mormon voters were less than 5 percent of the yes vote.

2. If one estimates that 250,000 LDS are registered voters (the rest being children), then LDS voters made up 4.6 percent of the yes vote and 2.4 percent of the total Proposition 8 vote.

3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) donated no money to the Yes on 8 campaign. Individual members of the church were encouraged to support the Yes on 8 efforts and, exercising their constitutional right to free speech, donated whatever they felt like donating.

4. The No on 8 campaign raised more money than the Yes on 8 campaign. Unofficial estimates put No on 8 at $38 million and Yes on 8 at $32 million, making it the most expensive non-presidential election in the country.

5. Advertising messages for the Yes on 8 campaign are based on case law and real-life situations. The No on 8 supporters have insisted that the Yes on 8 messaging is based on lies. Every Yes on 8 claim is supported.

6. The majority of our friends and neighbors voted Yes on 8. Los Angeles County voted in favor of Yes on 8. Ventura County voted in favor of Yes on 8.

7. African-Americans overwhelmingly supported Yes on 8. Exit polls show that 70 percent of black voters chose Yes on 8. This was interesting because the majority of these voters voted for President-elect Obama. No on 8 supporters had assumed that Obama voters would vote No on 8.

8. The majority of Latino voters voted Yes on 8. Exit polls show that the majority of Latinos supported Yes on 8 and cited religious beliefs (assumed to be primarily Catholic).

9. The Yes on 8 coalition was a broad spectrum of religious organizations. Catholics, evangelicals, Protestants, Orthodox Jews, Muslims -- all supported Yes on 8. It is estimated that there are 10 million Catholics and 10 million Protestants in California. Mormons were a tiny fraction of the population represented by Yes on 8 coalition members.

10. Not all Mormons voted in favor of Proposition 8. Our faith accords that each person be allowed to choose for him or herself. Church leaders have asked members to treat other members with "civility, respect and love," despite their differing views.

11. The church did not violate the principal of separation of church and state. This principle is derived from the First Amendment to the United States' Constitution, which reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof?" The phrase "separation of church and state", which does not appear in the Constitution itself, is generally traced to an 1802 letter by Thomas Jefferson, although it has since been quoted in several opinions handed down by the United States Supreme Court in recent years. The LDS Church is under no obligation to refrain from participating in the political process to the extent permitted by law. U.S. election law is very clear that churches may not endorse candidates, but may support issues. The church as always been very careful on this matter and occasionally (not often) chooses to support causes that it feels to be of a moral nature.

12. Supporters of Proposition 8 did exactly what the Constitution provides for all citizens: they exercised their First Amendment rights to speak out on an issue that concerned them, make contributions to a cause that they support and then vote in the regular electoral process. For the most part, this seems to have been done in an open, fair and civil way. Opponents of 8 have accused supporters of being bigots, liars and worse. The fact is, we simply did what Americans do -- we spoke up, we campaigned and we voted.

Hold your heads up high -- you did a great job on this most important cause. We will have more opportunities in the future to participate in our democratic process. Let's remember the lessons learned and do an even better job next time.

These are my personal opinions and thoughts; any errors are mine and in no way reflect official church policy or doctrine.

Thanks,
Kevin Hamilton

Feds investigate vandalism at Mormon sites

Federal officials have launched a preliminary inquiry into whether recent acts of vandalism against Mormon temples and meeting houses are hate crimes, a department spokesman said Friday.

"We are looking into whether these acts are intimidating people into not going into houses of worship," said Juan Becerra, of the Salt Lake City FBI. "The right to worship is a basic civil right."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints actively supported the passage of Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that banned same-sex marriage in California.

Since the Nov. 4 election, seven houses of worship in Utah have been vandalized, according to Becerra.
Thursday, envelopes filled with an unidentified white powdery substance were delivered to two Mormon temples, one in the Los Angeles area and one in Salt Lake City.

Preliminary results showed that the white substance tested negative for known hazardous biological agents and toxins. The final report should be available next week.

Becerra said federal agents are working with Salt Lake City church officials and local law enforcement.
Sacramento church officials have stepped up security at the Rancho Cordova temple.

Ten church buildings in the region have been vandalized since the election, said Lisa West, spokesperson for the church in the Sacramento area. "That's more than we usually get in an entire year."

http://www.sacbee.com/crime/story/1399018.html

Another protest at an LDS Church on Sunday

Demonstrators gathered in front of a Mormon temple in Newport Beach on Sunday to protest passage of Proposition 8. They were targeting the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, many members of which poured money into the campaign for passage of the proposition.

"We're not asking churches to sanctify marriages," said Ron Fichter of Laguna Beach. "To me it's just basic human rights."

Fichter, 64, said he came out as gay in 1965, was in the Navy for six years, and took part in one of the first gay marches in Washington, D.C., more than two decades ago.

"We've come a long ways, but we have a long ways to go," said Fichter.

Read more here: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/church-beach-passage-2230532-clayton-fichter

Gay rights activists picket in front of Mormon church

Gay rights activists demonstrated in front of the Vallejo Church of Latter-day Saints on Sunday morning.The group, numbering about a dozen, continued Saturday's rallies across the country, during which thousands gathered to protest the passage of Proposition 8.

Prop. 8 banned gay marriage -- legal since June -- through an amendment to the state constitution indicating that marriage is only between a man and a woman.

The group began their protest as members of the church began to enter shortly after 8 a.m. There was a brief confrontation with church officials, who asked the protesters to leave a church-owned sidewalk on Los Santos Court and move to a Tuolomne Street sidewalk.

"These protesters are welcome to do whatever they want in terms of a peaceful protest, but we will not tolerate them on our personal property," said Thomas S. Mortensen, the church's bishop.

read the rest here: http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ci_11003849

The Battle Continues...

Here's a great article from Meridian Magazine:

http://www.ldsmag.com/lineuponline/081117battle.html

Excerpt:

Even if Proposition 8 is overturned in the courts and same sex marriages receive legal secular recognition, the gospel of the Church will not change. Let me repeat, secular arguments do not trump spiritual imperatives.


The gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints , and of many other Christian and other faith based churches, do not and will not recognize marriage other than between a man and a woman. This will never change.


Does this mean there may be hard times ahead for for the Church, for individual Latter-day Saints, and for churches and members of other faiths? Without question. Everything we believe will be challenged and attacked.


Our defense, however, is impenetrable.


Our defense is Christ.

The Homosexual Inquisition has begun

So the members of the GLBT community have begun scouring the supporter lists for Prop 8 and have begun protesting anyone who has supported the measure. Their first target. An employee of a restaurant who had the audacity to donate $100 to supprt Prop 8. Read about it here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-derrick/el-coyote-anger-tearsand_b_143981.html

Video of Protest of LA Temple

Here's a great video of the "tolerant" GLBT movement. Of interest is around minute 5:00, they rush the temple gates: