LDS FINANCES CALIFORNIA’S DISCRIMINATORY ANTI-CIVIL-RIGHTS ‘PROP 8’ – Mormon Church Tax-Exempt Status at Risk

As many of you may be aware, The LDS church contributed a significant amount of money and effort (including alleged phone banks run from church property) to endorse the unconstitutional, immoral and highly discriminatory PROP 8 in California via its network of church, media, and community outlets enshrining discrimination under the law for thousands of Californians and their families.

Many believe the church's involvement in ‘YES ON 8’ is in violation of the Federal Tax code given the $22+ million in play for the YES campaign, $17+ million by LDS activity (totaling 70% of PROP 8 financing). These were not random donations; this was a coordinated effort to mobilize its membership to donate in their name. Mormon votes did not steal the rights of Californians. Mormon money did. They scared the Californain citizens by saying that that they would lose the right to participate in their children's education. Lies.

They also frightened Californian citizens by suggesting that the California state public school curriculum would be modified to teach gay sex education to kindergarteners. Lies.

They misled Californian citizens by informing them that churches would lose the right to free speech. Lies.

If this is the way Mormons treat gays and lesbians of California, how has America treated Mormons?

The Mormon church began in 1830 in New York. The first Mormons were persecuted by the American majority, and were compelled to emigrate to Utah where they could live unmolested, much like gays and lesbians who lived in the urban ghettos last century. Mormons had alternative views of what family meant, and were excluded and marginalized from the political process.

In their arguments against the majority, Mormon Prophet Brigham Young wrote:
“Marriage is a civil contract. You might as well make a law to say how many children a man shall have, as to make a law to say how many wives he shall have.” (Journal of Discourses, 11:268-9)

The Mormon story is only possible because our country is a tolerant and forgiving place. America believes in the rights of its citizens to determine their own fates, and grants rights to individual communities to determine their own morals and values. The Mormon people have been able to flourish because of this country's generous spirit.

But now, history has reversed, and it is the Mormons who have become the oppressor.

The Mormons began with the Boy Scouts of America, originally a children's club meant to introduce boys and girls to the natural beauty of America. Mormons took financial control of the Boy Scouts by sponsoring 28% of national scout troops. Gays and lesbians are barred from participating in this group not just in Mormon troops, but nationwide, thereby turning our children into a political football. One must also admit that they believe in God in order to become a member.

Some Mormons send their own gay teenage children to "conversion camps," where these children are forced to endure shock therapy and given psychotropic drugs. The emotional stress of such experience drives many to contemplate suicide. The Mormon Church has yet to repudiate these activities.

Now the Mormon Church has set its target on gay and lesbian adults of California. They have started by amending our constitution to deny equal protection to gays and lesbians.

Ask the Jews about how freedoms are lost. The concentration camps were not built in a national referendum. They were the product of a systemic reduction of freedoms, year after year, one at a time.
In violation of not only the principals of separation of church and state, but also in violation of the law, video footage has been leaked showing the President of the Mormon Church vehemently instructing their members to donate as much as possible, and to vote yes on 8. It was revealed to one of the news channels by a group of open-minded Mormons that were offended by their so-called leader’s words.

They have done their part and are now risking ex-communication from their church for doing so; now it is our turn to do ours. As open-minded people who believe in human rights for all, as well as the separation of church and state, the people of America would appreciate you doing two things:

1.) For a donation to the fight to overturn 8 of as little as $5, they will send a post card to the president of the Mormon church telling him that a donation has been made to this fine cause by you – IN HIS NAME. For a religion, as persecuted as the Mormon’s, to deny the fundamental civil rights of all people in the name of Jesus, who preached about loving all and stood up for all of the oppressed, is now more than a hypocrisy, but also a danger.
….Please go to http://www.invalidateprop8.org/ where you can read and send the card.

2.) There is also a movement underway to revoke the tax-exempt status of the Mormon Church. According to IRS law, "In general, no organization, including a church, may qualify for IRC section 501(c)(3) status if a substantial part of its activities is attempting to influence legislation (commonly known as lobbying)." Please check out the following site for more info: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1828.pdf
…The separation of church and state is one of the basic principles our country was founded upon. To violate that premise, as well as the law, is an act that cannot go unpunished.
…Here's the link to the petition:http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/review-the-501c3-status-of-the-church-of-latter-day-saints-the-mormons

3.) Another option is to avoid putting more money into the church's pockets by boycotting all companies where a Mormon Church member holds an officer's position or a large majority interest. These include:
MARRIOTT HOTELS
PRICELINE.COM
ALBERTSONS GROCERY STORES
K-SWISS SHOES
HOUSE OF FABRICS
NATIONWIDE INSURANCE - Including affiliates (e.g. ALLIED)
SWIFT TRANSPORTATION
EARTH SHELL
CORVIS
HUNTSMAN CHEMICAL
OAKLEY
NPS PHARMECEUTICALS
MEGAHERTZ CORPORATION
CORNERSTONE REALTY INCOME TRUST
KNIGHT TRANSPORTATION (TRUCKING)
MERIT MEDICAL
…plus all of those other companies that are directly owned by the MORMON CHURCH outside of Utah, many of which are FOR PROFIT. If you are interested in protesting the passage of 8, or avoiding traffic created by a demonstration… This link will show you locations of future activities… www.lagaycenter.org/Prop8Actions

If we are to allow tax-exempt churches/religions to participate in the political lobbying process, then we should allow other lobbying organizations to become tax-exempt. And god knows we don’t want Big Tobacco, Big Oil & others to attain that status!

Please go to http://www.mormonsstoleourrights.com/ for more information.

If we are to allow tax-exempt churches/religions to participate in the political lobbying process, then we should allow other lobbying organizations to become tax-exempt. And god knows we don’t want Big Tobacco, Big Oil & others to attain that status!

Thank you for being open-minded and supporting the civil rights of ALL OF OUR CITIZENS! Because as we all know, our country was founded in large part to keep religion & theology from dictating the lives of all human beings. …After all… we are all human!

Show your support for equal rights and forward this to as many people as you can think of.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that ALL men are created equal."
-- Declaration of Independence of the United States of America