Comments on: Mormons Being Given Political Advice From the Pulpit

By: cowboy

cowboy — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 19:48:05 +0000

Todd,

I would hope some people I know as friends and neighbors here would walk out in their Sacrament Meeting today…but I don’t think I will hold my breath.

It would be a tremendous act of courage if they did.

**Side note: there is a call to protest the reading of this letter in today’s Sacrament Meeting. This protest may be somewhat futile but it certainly has made a colorful tidbit in the news here lately.

By: TxWhtBoy

TxWhtBoy — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:59:46 +0000

Uh, um, isn’t that a direct violation of the US Tax Code for 501C3 and nonprofits? I know Churches are specifically barred from electioneering. That duck is not just walking like….it’s quacking from my angle. Californians should call the IRS everyday until the IRS publicly responds.

By: Joel

Joel — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:02:50 +0000

“To think that this money could be spent to help those in dire need, instead the extreme religious right is using their wealth to deny LGBT persons their civil rights!”

Oddly enough this sentence is relative and any religion can say the same thing but “instead the gay activists and misguided allies are using their wealth to support an abominable agenda.”

Im glad the notion of separation of church and state is more alive than not.

By: Luis

Luis — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:32:25 +0000

Well, looks like my IRS Stimulus check has arrived just in time for me to donate most of it to Equality For All, http://www.equalityforall.com/home.php

My partner and I are getting married on Friday, June 27th and we need to use the remainder of these proceeds for our wedding. I’m sure EQFA can understand! :-)

I can only imagine how much $$$ will be spent by BOTH sides on this amendment. To think that this money could be spent to help those in dire need, instead the extreme religious right is using their wealth to deny LGBT persons their civil rights!

By: Richard Rush

Richard Rush — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:44:20 +0000

I received an email reply from Americans United regarding my question about the LDS letter, and they said essentially the same thing as KipEsquire and werdna in their comments. I should have been more knowledgeable on the distinction between endorsing a human candidate vs. a specific ballot question.

By: Todd

Todd — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:10:04 +0000

I am sad because I realized my father will most likely be reading this letter in his ward this next weekend.

By: KipEsquire

KipEsquire — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:51:51 +0000

RR:

The tax-exemption restriction only applies to endorsement of candidates, not initiatives or referenda.

Rightly or wrongly, there is no violation here.

By: Protect Marriage Equality » LDS Leadership Asks California Mormons to Work for Anti-Equality Amendment

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:50:45 +0000

[...] to Jim Burroway at Box Turtle Bulletin, the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) sent a letter on [...]

By: werdna

werdna — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:11:43 +0000

Here's a direct link to HRC's California Marriage PAC donation page (the link in Nick's post has an extra period at the end). This is Equality California's Stop the Initiative donation page. You can also register your wedding at the Equality California website so people can donate to the campaign as a wedding gift. That's what we've done, even though we really need a nice new coffee maker.

By: Nick Literski

Nick Literski — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:40:01 +0000

The Human Rights Campaign is partnering with Equality California in collecting donations to fight the proposed California amendment at http://www.hrc.org. You can also donate directly to Equality California.