tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2730636855717448971.post500027525159480088..comments2023-06-10T03:06:39.748-06:00Comments on In These Gay Mormon Shoes: RANT: Political Neutrality??Jonathan Adamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03888679384571699094noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2730636855717448971.post-15999632770677852592011-07-27T19:14:20.856-06:002011-07-27T19:14:20.856-06:00Yeah, I remember when so many of our classmates we...Yeah, I remember when so many of our classmates were spending hours at call centers to encourage people to vote for Proposition 8 and similar legislation in other states (wasn't there also something in Maine?). It kind of hurt.Justinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12374785769065640253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2730636855717448971.post-23085574387138091262010-11-17T20:51:41.347-07:002010-11-17T20:51:41.347-07:00Well, one must look at the cultural context in whi...Well, one must look at the cultural context in which the church has built itself on. The church found its growth in Utah, thus the Mountain West, where conservatism rules the roost. One can look at neighboring Wyoming; last I checked being about 11% Mormon only, yet sharing the same political viewpoints. With conservatives at the helm of Church leadership, the church is marketed in ways that would appeal to like-minded people. You see the church have <i>slightly</i> higher percentages out West and down South than in the Eastern Seaboard or the urban Pacific Northwest. The partisan-based politically neutral part is to protect the Church from being taxed.Laurenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02452126809752182340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2730636855717448971.post-39180289316879509022010-11-17T13:53:05.751-07:002010-11-17T13:53:05.751-07:00I guess I feel like the church isn't very clea...I guess I feel like the church isn't very clear on the political neutrality stance it takes:<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhR-uav1c0c<br /><br />In that video it seems to me that members should not look to the church to know how to be politically involved, but are encouraged to be involved.<br /><br />Also, on issues such as gay rights and immigration (which the church has also taken a stance on: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/50656971-78/church-utah-compact-bill.html.csp) have pretty significant links to political parties. <br /><br />Conservative platforms tend to want to keep gay rights at bay. Liberal platforms tend to want to extend rights to gays. While both parties generally want more strict immigration laws, economic conservatives rally for open immigration. <br /><br />So while the church doesn't DIRECTLY endorse a specific party, they sure do choose to endorse political decisions that favor the ideals of economic conservatives in the Republican party. If the church is so neutral, why is it that most members are republicans and that members that are democrats feel marginalized, isolated, and demonized? I've known a few families growing up that were strong democrats, and you'd think they had joined the devil's church the way members reacted to the news.Jonathan Adamsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03888679384571699094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2730636855717448971.post-51543690719575612702010-11-17T11:16:26.637-07:002010-11-17T11:16:26.637-07:00Politically neutral in partisan politics is key to...Politically neutral in <i>partisan</i> politics is key to the whole discussion, thus the LDS Church will not take sides when it comes to candidates running for office. However, ballot measures like Proposition 8 are non-partisan. <br /><br /><br />With that said, I think the involvement with Prop 8 was out of line, but not for tax-exempt reasons, but more with the whole "taking-away-consenting-adults'-right-to-marry" fashion. =]Laurenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02452126809752182340noreply@blogger.com