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And Who Is My Neighbor? (http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-851-18,00.html - broken link) is just a quick example.
Nice try.
No, the mormons did spend their millions to prevent gay citizens from having any rights. Donor Groups Identified, Largest is Individual Mormons — Mormons for Proposition 8 (http://mormonsfor8.com/?p=154 - broken link)
Well, maybe the LDS church has changed their ways, they probably figured out that it made them look bad to only care for their own. However, they could have used all that money to help people in this economy rather than take away rights from law abiding tax paying citizens. Something that has no effect on them whatsoever. Do you really think that if same sex couples get married it is going to threaten your marriage? If your same sex neighbor couple gets married tomorrow, are you going to file for divorce the next day?
Well, maybe the LDS church has changed their ways, they probably figured out that it made them look bad to only care for their own. However, they could have used all that money to help people in this economy rather than take away rights from law abiding tax paying citizens. Something that has no effect on them whatsoever. Do you really think that if same sex couples get married it is going to threaten your marriage? If your same sex neighbor couple gets married tomorrow, are you going to file for divorce the next day?
You certainly have the right to support and promote homosexal behavior. And Christians and Christian churches have the right to support and promote moral behavior. That's why many members of the LDS Church were involved along with Roman Catholics and members of other Christian churches in support of Prop 8. It was perceived to be a moral issue. Many Christians believe that sexual behavior between people of the same gender is a sin in the eyes of God. And they're prepared to stand up for their beliefs in a peaceful way, as provided in our constitution...
Yes, your private beliefs are one thing but trying to force your religious beliefs on everyone else through government is wrong. If gays don't have equal rights then they shouldn't have to pay any taxes. The difference between liberal and conservatives, is that with liberal laws all citizens can live their life the way they see fit for them, conservatives can be who they are without any problems, liberals can be who they are without any problems, however, conservatives want to restrict other peoples lives. Sound like the Taliban and the Iranian government?
It is not behavior I support, it is basic human rights and dignity. When one group of people condemns another, that sometimes leads to things like the holocaust!
It is wrong to discriminate based on how one is born. If I am born black, or female, male, blind, deaf, missing limbs, Jewish, or gay, you cannot outlaw it.
Yes, your private beliefs are one thing but trying to force your religious beliefs on everyone else through government is wrong. If gays don't have equal rights then they shouldn't have to pay any taxes. The difference between liberal and conservatives, is that with liberal laws all citizens can live their life the way they see fit for them, conservatives can be who they are without any problems, liberals can be who they are without any problems, however, conservatives want to restrict other peoples lives. Sound like the Taliban and the Iranian government?
It is not behavior I support, it is basic human rights and dignity. When one group of people condemns another, that sometimes leads to things like the holocaust!
It is wrong to discriminate based on how one is born. If I am born black, or female, male, blind, deaf, missing limbs, Jewish, or gay, you cannot outlaw it.
I'm not surprised that you don't want to talk about behavior. But personally I think it's all about behavior. That's why so many Christians did so much to oppose the activist judges who tried to overthrow the will of the people of California and force their own godless elitist notions upon the people.
Freedom isn’t free, only moral people who are able to discipline themselves will remain free. The original thirteen colonies considered sodomy on the same level as murder for it’s ability to tear down and ruin a society whose fundamental building block is the family.
It is my belief that sodomy is a sin – everything that is a sin takes away freedom. To go against the laws set down by our founding fathers – to go against the God-given Judeo-Christian principles that this country was founded on will surely lead to fulfillment of the apocalyptic prophecies that have been foretold in the bible and elsewhere.
"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." Leviticus 20: 13
When the LA Temple was built in the 1950s, the area was not nearly as expensive as it is today and old photographs show that this part of town was still pretty new at that time so its not like we bought it last year.
This statement is misleading, at best. Of course the land was not as expensive as it is today, but by the standards of that time, the particular land on which the L.A. temple sits was not sold cheap. It was, in fact, a studio owned by Harold Lloyd, one of the most influential and famous actors of his time, as well as a producer and director. During this time, Hollywood's Golden Age was at or near its peak, so studios and studio land were not sold cheaply.
Furthermore, consider that the Mormons made this huge land purchase on the heels of the Depression and during the Recession of '37, when nobody else was able to spend money, and then built an opulent, garish temple there.
I believe the reason for many of their temples is to attract interest, which is why they are so brightly lit at night, more brightly lit than everything aroundd them, including commercial buidings. The exclusive nature of the temples also piques people's curiosity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 18Montclair
On the other hand, All Mormon Temples pale in comparison to the Vatican when it comes to opulence. I was just awstruck at how gorgeous that place is.
This is true, but much of the opulence of the European churches and the Vatican come from their art and architecture as opposed to just straight spending. Modern Catholic Churches are not quite so opulent.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 18Montclair
Anyway,
as far as helping others...here's just one example.
Every first sunday of the Month, we abstain from food and drink for 24 hrs and the money we would have spent eating we donate to the Church and that money is specifically spent on the poor in our communities and around the world.
The problem is that nobody knows how the money is actually spent. The LDS Church is a Corporation that does not disclose how money is distributed and spent amongst its various divisions.
The church can put (hide) money in any of these companies (along with the many others I did not list). Nobody really knows where the money goes, it is based on hearsay. It's not like the Baptists or Catholics or Presbyterians who operate hospitals, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, rehab centers, etc. openly. The LD$ Church likes to tout the money they give to other organizations but when it comes to their own organizations they are all profit-oriented companies, not charity groups.
What "financial group" does the Baptist Church or Catholic Church own? Or Communications or Satellite companies??? Instead, I tend to see Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, or Mount Sinai Jewish Hospital, or Holy Name Catholic Hospital or Nashville's Baptist Hospital, etc. There is one LDS Hospital in Salt Lake but that's it - no homeless shelters or halfway houses or anything else.
The LDS Church's latest venture is a multi-million dollar MALL in Salt Lake City. I'd be interested to see if the mall their church is building will sell porn, cigarettes, or even caffeine in coffee, tea, soda, chocolate, etc. - all of which are against their beliefs, although they tend to suspend their beliefs in favor of a profit. Maybe that's what an "LDS Profit" is???
Alright then, let's make all forms of lying against the law. We already have laws that say we can't lie under oath and in the court of law. But what about when my boyfriend lies to me when I ask him if I look fat today? Should I have him arrested? The bible does not say one lie is worse than any other. I don't see you trying to make all forms of lying illegal. Lying causes more harm to society than what your consenting adult neighbors do in the privacy of their own home.
In a pluralistic society that has laws regarding seperation of church and state, it doesn't really matter what you think is a sin. People like you argued against interracial marriage and against freeing slaves, using the bible to support those beliefs. Not everyone in this country is a Christian, not everyone is religious. You have no right to force your religious beliefs on me or anyone else. Like I said previously, sounds like the Taliban and the Iranian government.
As far as behavior, so what? People do all kinds of things that don't effect me, however I don't support those types of behavior for me, but it doesn't mean it should be against the law. Smoking and eating meat for instance. I am against those behaviors, but I am not going to outlaw them. Also people aren't born smoking and eating meat, those things are choices people make, being gay is not a choice. Do you even know any gay people? If you hang around any of them, you will know they do not choose to be gay!
I think you should go to youtube.com and watch "Betty Bowers explains traditional biblical marriage to everyone else". It is very good and so true!
And as for those g-dless ideas and notions, yeah, we know all too well how using g-d has caused so much tragedy in this world. Pogroms, forced conversions, expulsions, lynchings, burnings, crusades, suicide bombings, etc. etc.
Well, maybe the LDS church has changed their ways, they probably figured out that it made them look bad to only care for their own. However, they could have used all that money to help people in this economy rather than take away rights from law abiding tax paying citizens. Something that has no effect on them whatsoever. Do you really think that if same sex couples get married it is going to threaten your marriage? If your same sex neighbor couple gets married tomorrow, are you going to file for divorce the next day?
I think they learned that caring only for their own made them look bad so they learned to give a little to others but to make sure they get as much positive press and PR from it by drawing attention to it. They even have their church members wear bright T-shirts announcing they are mormons when they give their time to help non-mormons, usually as part of a relief effort for a large disaster. It's just like their brightly over-lit temples, it's a way of saying "Just LOOK at US!! Aren't we IMPRESSIVE? Aren't we GREAT?"
From one of their own websites:
The yellow "Mormon Helping Hands" T-shirts are used either in disaster relief or in community service. Above, missionaries from the Houston Texas South Mission and Latter-day Saints clean up after Hurricane Ike in 2008.
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