The Jehovah’s Witnesses came to my door this morning and when my wife saw them through the screen door she started to head them off with a simple “we’re not interested, thank you,” but before she could get the whole sentence out the lady interrupted my wife to say, “we’re Jehovah’s Witnesses.  We have something we’d like to share with you.”

Not to be deterred my wife added, “I know who you are, we’re not interested.”

Without missing a beat the lady outside said, “oh, I didn’t want you to think we’re Mormons.”  And then she went on her way.

My wife was quick to respond that they’re all the same to us, before she and I realized what she had said.  How appalling it is that one religion would try to justify their own organization by degrading another?  My readers already know that I’m unhappy that the Mormons are supporting Proposition 8 but I’m even more appalled that a Jehovah’s Witness, generally a non-voter, would take advantage of someon while they’re getting bashed in the news.  Aren’t religious folks supposed to stand up for each other?

Ranter

One article I read quoted some idiot man saying, “God says marriage is supposed to be between a man and a woman.”  What?  Are you kidding?  Come on people – I don’t care what your religious convictions are, God didn’t write the bible and if he’s talking to you, I have a jacket I’d like you to put on.  Marriage, as we’re talking about it today, is a civil and judicial process, and accordingly it has nothing to do with church, God, or your beliefs.  Separation of Church and State, remember?

These Catholic and Mormon churches have a captive audience to preach to every week, and I’m wondering how they feel about the homosexuals in their midst and congregations.  Are these people less worthy of savior and God, to the point where they should be treated differently?  I believe most preists would say “No, they’re equally worthy, but…  It’s that “but” that’s disconcerting to me, beause it’s really saying that everything in the preceding statement is untrue – and that’s how the churches are coming across.  Mormons believe that polygamy is an acceptable practice, ultimately creating a significantly larger problem for the people and finances of this country – why is that any more okay?  Marriage is between a man and a woman and another woman and another woman.  Yeah, I think I remember seeing that in the bible, too.

This is about civil rights – it’s no different than women’s rights, the rights of blacks, or the rights that we, as a country, afford to foreigners in our country.  It’s time for us, as a race of people, to stand up for equality regardless of our differences and stop hiding behind religion, heritage or the bible when we don’t like something.

Ranter

Apparently not all mormons feel the same about California’s Proposition 8, which I guess leaves the dissenters wondering why they’re spending so much time, money and energy donating to the church when their fundamental beliefs about human rights contradict those of that same church.  This same supposition could hold true for all of California’s Catholic bigots bishops (because we know how some of them feel about little boys), some of the Christians and many of the Orthodox Jews.  These groups seem to feel that they have the most to lose by controlling the sacred rights of marriage between a husband and wife.

Right now it would appear that he Mormons are receiving the most negative attention caused by their support of the Yes on 8 campaign, but at the same time it’s my belief that church and state should remain divided and any organization that chooses to support a cause as controversial as removing human rights from a class of people deserves to be treated with equally as any other – church or not – and they open themselves up to any critisiscm that comes of it.  At the same time companies like Apple are showing their worth committing $100,000 to defeat Proposition 8 and putting their money where their mouth is – showing that big business isn’t all evil.

Of course, it shouldn’t bode well for supporters of Prop 8 knowing that the parents of children featured in the latest prop 8 ad are now demanding that the commercial using their children be taken off the air.  That same ad, suggesting that now California teachers will have to teach same sex union in classrooms is being condemned by educators, and even actors are almost universally vocalizing their oppostion to Prop 8.  Look around and you may quickly find that the religious zealots are pretty much the only people supporting this cause.  Where do you want to be when this comes to a head?

Vote No on Prop 8.

Ranter