LDS Church Investigated by State for Defending True Marriage

The implications of this complaint should be a cause for serious concern to all those who are dedicated to the defense of true marriage.

SACRAMENTO, Ca. (Catholic Online) - The State of California is investigating the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints because they helped to defend true marriage as between one man and one woman.

The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) was created by the Political Reform Act of 1974, itself a ballot initiative passed by California voters as Proposition 9. It is now being used as a tool to persecute those who defend marriage, wielded by a savvy ex political consultant who does not like the position taken by the Church or the results of the latest Proposition 8 initiative.

The Commission states its mission as follows: "The Mission of the FAIR POLITICAL PRACTICES COMMISSION is to promote the integrity of representative state and local government in California through fair, impartial interpretation and enforcement of political campaign, lobbying, and conflict of interest laws". In addition to its role as an agency entrusted with educating the public on requirements of the Act, the Commission has the power to levy penalties.

The Commission has confirmed to the Press that it is indeed investigating a complaint which was filed with it. That complaint alleges that the LDS (Latter Day Saints) Church had failed to report "nonmonetary contributions" to the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign. This ballot initiative was passed by the majority of Californians. It ensured that Marriage will be confined to one man and one woman as a matter of constitutional law.

The group which triggered this investigation by this Commission entrusted with the authority of the State of California calls itself "Californians against Hate". On its web site it states its mission as follows: "Californians Against Hate was established in July 2008 to draw attention to the major donors to the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign. These contributors spent $36 million to amend the California Constitution to take away the right of same-sex couples to marry."

In addition to serving as a propaganda arm of the effort to force Californians to grant legal equivalency in the law between homosexual paramours and married people, the group has created what amounts to a "black list", a kind of enemies list. It lists the businesses, church groups, interest groups and associations which gave funds to defend the institution of marriage against the effort to redefine it.

They make their intent very clear on their own web site: "We will let the world know who these donors are, and then our millions of friends and allies can decide if they want to support their businesses or not." "Californians against Hate" has apparently determined that anyone who supports marriage as an institution which is properly reserved for one man and one woman hates homosexual persons. Of course, the claim is flagrantly in error.

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However, the truth of such an accusation does not seem to matter in the world of the new homosexual equivalency movement and its enforcers. Taking a page from those who redefined the language of the proponents of legal abortion, they have carefully recreated the language the use in their cultural revolution in an Orwellian doublespeak. Those who support marriage as what it is are now accused of opposing "marriage rights" for homosexual partnerships.

They have designated a "Dishonor Roll": "We present the Californians Against Hate Dishonor Roll. We want the country to know who gave the $36 million to the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign that ended same-sex marriage in California. We have posted all major donors on our web site who gave $5000.00 and more, many much more! We've taken public information from the California Secretary of State's Office and added telephone numbers and web sites when available. We also included commentary on some of the more interesting and controversial donors. Individuals and businesses gave a vast amount of money to take away our equality, and we want you to know who they are."

Of course, it also comes as no surprise that the first to be listed on this new "enemies list" is the Knights of Columbus whose heroic and sacrificial support of marriage is properly praised by Catholics the world over.

The leader of this new group of censors and enforcers of the new cultural order is a man named Fred Karger. He is a retired political consultant. Using his own political experience he crafted a dangerous argument that the Church did not report "non-monetary contributions" expended in its effort to support marriage.

The implications of this complaint should be a cause for serious concern to all those who are dedicated to the defense of true marriage. It raises dangerous implications as well for every Church and, especially for the Catholic Church whose 2000 year old teaching on the nature of true marriage will never change. Finally, it raises very, very serious constitutional issues as it relates to the first Amendment to the United States Constitution's Free Speech, Free Exercise of Religion, Free Association and Establishment Clauses.

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