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| Atheists United standing with Mormons for Marriage |
| Written by Brian Parra |
| Friday, 10 October 2008 16:23 |
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Atheists United is standing with Mormons for Marriage in calling for the defeat of Proposition 8, the Limitation on Marriage Constitutional Amendment, this November.
Why would atheists be standing with these Mormons on this issue? Because Mormons for Marriage are challenging the arguments being offered by their parent institution, arguments that do not hold up to scrutiny according to the research of a BYU law professor, Morris Thurston, JD. The Mormon hierarchy has been promoting a list of six false "consequences" as the foundation for their pro-Prop 8 campaign. However, none of these consequences will result if Proposition 8 is defeated. In the Thurston document posted on MormonsForMarriage.com, each "consequence" is clearly and logically refuted. Every one of them is based on misunderstood or misapplied legal situations from a variety of states and even countries whose laws have no bearing on Californians. The refutations of these consequences have been published and publicly available for months. Yet as late as this week, local Mormon church leaders have continued in church-sanctioned broadcasts to direct their members to use them in talking about why Proposition 8 should be passed. Stuart Bechman, President of Atheists United, states: "By knowingly disseminating such false information, the church undermines its moral authority. Californians should be offended that any religious institution would allow such misrepresentations to be spread in their name without challenge. "Even worse, these consequences are calculated to bypass rational discussion and play on public fears of social harm if Proposition 8 does not pass. But in fact, Proposition 8 would not protect anyone except the Mormon Church and others who desire the force of law to scapegoat members of society that they wish to demonize. That's pretty hypocritical for an organization that itself suffered from persecution for so many years. Why would Californians want to pass a law that awards such privileges to such morally questionable institutions and leaders?" Mormons for Marriage spokesperson Laura Compton states: "The right to marry a person of one's own choosing has long been recognized as a fundamental human right. Proposition 8 thwarts this right and grants special sanctions to those who wish to deny those rights to others." Atheists United and Mormons for Marriage urge all Californians who value human rights to defeat Proposition 8 this November. Laura Compton
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