LAT: Blowback: Why we're mad at the Mormon church

[kpete]

Blowback
Why we're mad at the Mormon church

A Times Op-Ed columnist defended a religious group that worked tirelessly to trample on the rights of same-sex couples.
By Rick Jacobs
December 8, 2008

Leading up to the Nov. 4 vote, the Courage Campaign Issues Committee bought time on cable television to air an advertisement against Proposition 8 entitled "Home Invasion." The hard-hitting ad depicted two arrogant Mormon missionaries invading the home of a lesbian couple, stripping them of their wedding rings and shredding their marriage license.

The dramatic visuals were designed to call attention to two issues: Proposition 8 sought to take away the legal rights of same-sex couples all across California, and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had contributed an enormous amount of money and manpower to the campaign.

Since the election, this ad has drawn the ire of religious groups and pundits across the country, including Times Op-Ed columnist Jonah Goldberg ("An ugly attack on Mormons," Dec. 3). But amid the uproar over the ad, there was very little discussion about something very important: the truth.

And the truth is very simple: Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints campaigned vigorously to strip rights from gays and lesbians. They contributed a staggering amount of money to pass Proposition 8 -- a figure estimated to be at least $20 million (and potentially much higher) to fund a fear-mongering, truth-distorting campaign whose only objective was to outlaw same-sex couples from getting a marriage license. Proposition 8 now threatens to invalidate the same-sex marriages already in existence, pending future rulings from the California Supreme Court. There is an old saying: Truth can't be libel.

the rest:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oew-jacobs8-2008dec08,0,2630672.story

[Idealism]

1. Disgusting a credible newspaper would write an opinion saying the Mormon church isn't deserving

Shame on them.

[closeupready]

2. By their deeds, ye shall know them.

n/t

[tularetom]

3. I don't think that goldberg asshole is a Times columnist

He is in fact a syndicated columnist for some right wing service who happens to be carried by the Times. I don't know their editorial policy concerning Prop 8 and the quality of the paper has gone down the shitter in the past few years, but I doubt that they are as off the wall as goldberg.

[msongs]

4. LAT opposed prop 8 - typical liberals lol nt

[zehnkatzen]

6. You're right. He's syndicated.

Papers like the LAT use them to fill out the op-ed page so there isn't a big empty spot there, because God forbid that they should put sane people or liberals there.

We get him in the Oregonian occaisonally. Technically speaking, he writes adequately. Of course, he has no points to make but obvious conservative ones.

Because both sides must be heard, even if the other side is mostly empty-headed putzery.

[zehnkatzen]

5. Religious- and Fear-based Bigots are usually the first to howl when they get called on it.

They attack and strip rights from people they fear and hold the Bible up in defense, and when called on their hate they cry oppression.

As someone who was bullied for a great deal of my childhood, I see the signs of the bully all too clear here. Legislating rights away from gays does nothing but cause misery, and to salve thier own souls they comfort themselves by claiming Divine justification.

IMHO, the LDS have no moral right to complain about being jacked up in the public square for thier conduct. It was a cynical temporal powerplay, and if I were Mormon, I'd of resigned from the Church in shame.

Religions acting this way in the temporal sphere is why I've been personally alienated from religion for many many years, and I'm convinced it's why fewer and fewer people attend church every year.

And Jonah Goldberg is a putz.

[Tutonic]

7. Isn't Jonah Goldberg due back? He obviously "loves" his mother

Lucy. They are both quite delusional.