The very first sentence of the first ammendment states Congress shall make no law establishing religion.

So far, in 232 years of America...Congress hasn't flatly come out and said "The Religion of the land is Christianity".

But they may as well have long ago. The United States has established many laws that attempted to legislate morality....from restricting certain medical procedures, removing the rights of certain people to marry, and indeed even our darkest sorrow, legalizing chattel slavery. Many of these things are allowed and even encouraged in certain religious texts. But in all my dealings with so-called Christians, or religious fundamentalists of any stripe, the one question none of them has been able to answer is "Why should your belief system be the law of the land?"

I won't get into an argument on abortion, or polygamy, or child marriage, or any one of the thousand or so other things religions around the world practice as a matter of course.

Today it's about stripping the rights of a particular group of people in the name of a specific interpretation of "morality".

Of course, I'm talking about California's Proposition 8, which is brutal in its simplicity:





This represents the first time in American history that the rights of the people have been put up to a popular vote, as near as I can figure. What is stunning is that the people voted to restrict their own rights.

But were they unduly influenced by outside forces?

You tell me....here are the largest fundraisers for the "Yes on 8" cabal:

* Knights of Columbus, $1,400,000.
* Howard Ahmanson, $1,150,000.
* John Templeton, $900,000.
* National Organization for Marriage, $785,750.
* Elsa Prince, $650,000.
* Fieldstead & Company, $600,000.
* American Family Association, $500,000
* Focus on the Family, $411,000.
* Doug Manchester, $125,000.

But the biggest single influence on this ballot initiative was the Mormon Church. They, more than any other organized religion in the US, shoud understand what it means to be prosecuted and driven from their homes. It's part of the great American story now...angry mobs driving the church's founder from his home and killing him, his descendents leading the followers to the unspoiled west, and the settlement around Great Salt Lake. It makes for some great reading.

But are there those out there that might see Proposition 8 as giving them reason to persecute Homosexuals in the same way? It's taken us 7 years from the Reichstag Fire(9-11), through the Enabling Acts(Patriot Act), to reach this point. The ONLY saving grace for Proposition 8 is that no punishment was specified for those that would run afoul of the law.

But it just as easily could have. This sets a dangerous precedent throughout America. Fortunately, we grabbed the brake handle back on November 4; once again it falls to President-Elect Obama to try to repair the damage. Much like the Muslims, under George Bush the homosexual community has become the national scapegoat. It's OK to bash, abuse, and take away their rights.

But back to the Mormon Church. A couple of bloggers have tried to warn us about "guilt by association" regarding their investments and properties. But then again, I don't buy Domino's Pizza anymore (nevermind that it tastes like cardboard covered in motor oil; I refer to them as "right-wing pizza"). But if we want to make them hurt, shouldn't we know who they fund and what they support?

Just to mention two things off the top of my head: they are major investors in the Marriott Hotel chain, and the Mormon Church charters about 30% of the active Boy Scout units in the country, for example. (Which explains much, to my way of thinking.)

You owe it to yourself to check out "Mormons stole our rights". The whole history of the Mormon church, it's involvement in American culture, and their connections to Proposition 8 makes for some eye-opening reading.


Today has been designated a "national day of protest" against proposition 8. If there's something in your area, make sure you get out and get heard.