fellow Californians

[shannon_f_r]

Please consider writing to your representatives and Senators Feinstein and Boxer about the Mormon Church's actions in passing Proposition 8. This site has a good summary of some of the issues at hand as regards tax exempt status for religious organizations, and feel free to reproduce as much of the text of my letter below to save time.

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8 November

Comments

[kraorh]

Of course. I lived in Utah for a while, and Mormonism is something I'm very well acquainted with. You have no idea.

I think you misunderstood my post, or I wasn't clear with it. I was suggesting that in addition to polite inquiries with the appropriate authorities to quietly investigate LDS electoral mischief in this election, that many of the things suggested by Dale Carpenter in his Volokh Conspiracy post are good ideas - sit-ins, civil disobedience, that kind of thing. To the extent I agree with Carpenter, it's more that the obviously anti-Mormon protests, that is, the protests at their temples, may not be the wisest strategy. If there's one thing that the Mormon Church has, like all Christians I suppose, it's a siege mentality - only much more intense. And protests directly at the temples feed into that. Now, I point this out not to suggest that we should be nice to the Mormon Church with hopes of getting them to change their minds or anything, but rather to make it harder for them to spin the reaction as some kind of anti-religious demagoguery. Indeed, that's part of what's contributed to the successes of these anti-gay marriage amendments nationwide: the perception that gay marriage is something that will impose values they reject on them. So it's important that whatever action is taken, that this narrative isn't fed any more fuel. It's not just what you say, but how you say it.

So, in essence, I'm saying the following: the proposals Carpenter made, regarding sit-ins and civil disobedience - those are great ideas. Those should be strongly considered. At the same time, politely invite the appropriate authorities to quietly investigate the Church. Don't make this an exercise of Mormon bashing. Lord knows, the Church deserves it, but it may not be the wisest strategy toward turning this thing around.

[airstrip]

When we interpret the meaning of a sentence, which is necessary, we do so in a context of other statements made. In the context of your statements and, more strongly, in the context of the statements you have added in extension, it really seems that you're actually defending the Mormons and being particularly sly about it.

So I will refer you to my earlier comment and suggest you get your premises in order.

[kraorh]

Please. "Defending" the Mormon Church? You've got to be kidding me. My parents think I'm an atheist mainly because they believe my experience with Mormons in Utah made me anti-religious. And I've just said that they should be investigated for violating tax laws and fraud, and that they deserve to be bashed for their activities. All I've said is that I have a good idea of how they think and how they conduct public relations, and I think I have a good idea of how they can spin protests at their temples. They are masters at playing the victim, and even rewrite their own history to reflect their status as God's chosen church, serving as a beacon to a cruel, hateful, sinful and misunderstanding world - in short, a martyr complex. All I've said is that we need to be sly ourselves if we want to get anywhere in the court of public opinion, which will be necessary for this to be turned around politically.

[airstrip]

That's not the sense I'm getting. In fact, this is the most forceful anti-Mormon statement you've made.

[airstrip]

You've been nuancing elsewhere and this really puts your loyalties and premises in question.

[kraorh]

Right. Because I'm a Mormon-sympathizer, or perhaps even an agent of the Church, here on Shannon's Livejournal to sow chaos by suggesting that not all Mormons are crazy, or that the pro-gay marriage movement should be careful about its tactics. I suppose your next question is, "Am I now, or have I ever been, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints?" And if I say, no and no, that will only strengthen your belief that I'm actually an undercover Mormon spy.

Stop being such an ass.

[airstrip]

Actually, that's a good question: have you?

The comparison is pretty clear: Shannon, an Objectivist in good-standing with the Central Committee and all around great person, has here expressed a frustration with your nuancing and finnessing on the behalf or the LDS church. While you may not be here to sow chaos on this journal, we're concerned that you are engaged in subversive acts elsewhere.

Certainly, as a loyal member, you can understand our concern and our desire that you be cleared or punished in line with the evidence.