Prop 8 Ruling Rant

I know I haven't blogged in forever but I simply must take to my trusty keyboard today in light of yesterday's ruling in California which found prop 8 unconstitutional. Gay marriages are still stayed for the time being, but this is a major victory for anyone who believes that two loving people should be able to marry one another regardless of sexual orientation. All the people who fought for NO on 8 are thrilled at this decision, and for those that were the victors in the YES on 8 campaign in 2008, well... they're not happy.

I was interested to read that the LDS church immediately issued a lengthy statement about the overturn. Their main point being, "California voters have twice determined in a general election that marriage should be recognized as only between a man and a woman. We have always had that view. Courts should not alter that definition, especially when the people of California have spoken so clearly on the subject."

Wait.. what? You have always had that view? Are you sure? POSITIVE?? Furthermore, the way the church affairs are run are not by democracy-- it is more like the court system than anything else, with leaders being appointed by other leaders, none of whom, by contrast, were elected by anyone in the body of the church.

California voters have spoken so clearly on the subject? Doesn't anyone have a memory-- or google for that matter? Wasn't the vote 52% to 48% basically? I am sorry but I don't see that as a clear victory. The statement continues "Millions of voters in California sent a message that traditional marriage is crucial to society." Yes- thats true. But MILLIONS of other voters also thought that traditional marriage should be expanded to make room for new families who should be fairly recognized. To be exact- just over 7 million supported YES on Prop 8 and just over 6.4 million supported NO on 8.

Now I get it. You're mad. You tried so hard to get into law school and now you wish you had just never even gone to Harvard- to quote Elle Woods. You tried SOOO hard to make sure gays in California couldn't get married and now they probably will be able to by the end of the year (barring a supreme court appeal). But at the end of the day, you're just not going to win this one-- or as Adrian screams down the stairs at Rocky, "YOU CAN'T WIN!"

I still can't quite understand what the church was thinking getting involved in this clearly political battle. I don't see it as advancing the church's mission of perfecting the saints, preaching the gospel, and redeeming the dead. You don't want anything to do with homosexuals, feminists, and liberals-- well and good. It's your church and you get to say who is and isn't welcome to be a fully authorized dealer of mormonism. But I hope we have all learned a valuable lesson here. No matter how you spin it, you can't hide the facts: Until 1890 Mormons didn't believe in one man and one woman, and in terms of after-life doctrines Mormons still don't, and the vote to decide if gay rights are civil rights was simply too close to get an honest read on what rights California wanted to bestow or withhold from gay and lesbian couples in 2008. But beyond that, it is not really the people's job in our country to decide who gets rights or not. That is why we attempt to elect fair minded leaders who will attempt to elect fair minded judges to make the right decisions for ALL people- even if those decisions are not popular with ALL people.

I would think that the LDS church would be the first to understand and support that concept, were it in regards to something important to the church's welfare or freedom to "worship how where or what they may".