So my friend Nick wants to know if he can vote on YOUR marriage

You know, through this discussion with Todd, and of course over the past few weeks as California prepares to vote on whether or not homosexual couples can marry, I have done some pretty heavy thinking. There has been a lot roaming around in my mind, and one of the biggest things is my desire to continue to write on this blog. Why? Because I have reached a place in my life where I pretty much want to practice “live and let live.” I don’t believe Mormonism is true, and bigots and narrow-minded simpletons annoy me, and that will always be true, but for the most part, most of the Mormons I know are kind, good, loving people. Most of them are Mormon by nature of their birth and family inheritance, and while many of those believe wholeheartedly, if they were raised as, say, Catholics, they would also probably still be Catholics, just like they are Mormons.

And because I feel this way, and I have many Mormon friends and relatives, I really don’t WANT to be in this position anymore. I even considered stopping this blog completely, because I’m really tired of defending myself, and fighting off angry comments, and explaining myself over and over again. Why bother, when it really doesn’t matter that much to me WHAT you believe, as long as you respect the right of others to do the same.

And therein, of course, is the problem. It is the reason why I cannot and will never stop. Because while I do respect the right of Mormons to believe and live as they see fit, they do not return that same right to others. How sad is this?

The Mormons have donated MILLIONS of dollars to defeat Proposition eight, and in fact are the LARGEST donors of money to vote for a proposition filled with bias and inequality. So all of you who were jumping up and down when I said I was going to close this blog, sorry to disappoint. But I will NEVER stop as long as YOU don’t stop.

Interestingly enough, there is a large amount of division among Mormons about this very issue. I find this so encouraging that I want to applaud all those who have had the courage to stand up against the hierarchy and say, “Hey, wait a minute.”

This, you see, is a church that has pretty much admitted that they KNOW homosexuality is not a choice. Still, they are determined to deny happiness and respect to those who are BORN this way. Why? It simply makes no sense.

The LDS Church has a long history of persecution and bias themselves. Against THEM, folks. It still exists today. They say you can’t understand someone else’s pain until you have walked a mile in their shoes, and I just have to think here, “Look, if the shoe fits…” Walk that mile, LDS Church leaders. Respect for Mormon beliefs has been hard to come by, and your religion is a very, very long way from being accepted.

For example, Todd has asked me why I am FOR gay marriage, but against polygamy. Of course, HE is for polygamy and ardently vehemently against gay marriage. He would rather see twelve-year-old girls married off to old men, only to go on to live a life of servitude and subjugation, forever having babies and sharing your husband with other women so he can get HIS glory and “rightful” blessings.

Have I twisted this properly, Todd? It’s made you look pretty damn bad. And yet CAN you defend your position? I shall clarify here, before you get your garmies in too big of a twist. See, today’s mainstream LDS Church does not practice physical polygamy. They have tried to distance themselves from the offshoots of Mormonism that DO practice polygamy, even laying claim to the name “Mormon.” But these fundamental Mormons ARE fundamental offshoots of Mormonism, and it can be looked at no other way. They are living the LDS Church tenets the way that Joseph Smith, Jr., taught them.

And it is in THESE circumstances that the abuse and perversion happens. I know that today’s Mormon males do not have more than one wife, except of course, if they are allowed to marry another one in the LDS Temple. Now this only happens when a spouse has died or there has been a divorce, but it DOES happen, and they DO believe that ALL of them will be together in the Celestial Kingdom. Polygamy is STILL an important part of the Mormon belief system.

Thus, they can’t exactly vote against polygamy, now can they? It’s the reason that so much abuse was allowed to go on for so many years in Pligville. It makes one seem rather hypocritical to go after someone who is living a lifestyle that you yourself believe in–even if you aren’t practicing it right now.

So, here we are in 2008, and gay couples have been given the right to marry in the state of California. And OH, Lordy, the religious reich, er, right, is up in arms over that. And the biggest player in the fight to make sure that homosexuals are NOT given the same rights as other Americans is the Mormon Church.

And I don’t get it. The problem, they say, is that allowing gay marriage is a huge danger to the “institution” of marriage itself, which should only be between a man and a woman. Apparently, allowing homosexual couples to marry would threaten that.

Right here I have to stop. Because, WHY? I mean, seriously, have they even THOUGHT about this? These people are GAY. They are looking for OTHER people who are also gay. The only thing a gay man wants from a woman is friendship, a shopping partner, and possibly someone to sit next to during a vital mani/pedi. But he does NOT want to steal your wife. I can assure you of this.

So how does this threaten you? Todd, have YOU even thought about this? How do you look yourself in the mirror and claim to be a religious man, when you act and react with such negative, bigoted responses to others being afforded the same rights that you apparently take for granted.

But, of course, you are a white priesthood bearing male, and apparently that makes you special. Can you PLEASE explain to me why you believe this?

And why you believe this so-called “true” church has the right to shamelessly stick their very grubby fingers in the political waters and yet claim a religious exemption, because they are a CHURCH. This behavior is shameful and abusive, and YOU Todd, and all the others like you are supporting it because you believe you are better than everyone else, and thus entitled to blessings that others cannot obtain.

And don’t tell me you don’t believe this, because if you didn’t, you would NOT support your church trying to dictate love and marriage to millions of California residents.

So, please, Todd, explain to all of us how you can support this.

And my friend Nick wants to know if he can vote on YOUR marriage. Since you think you can vote on his, I think it’s only fair.