Mormon Church makes first donation to Utah gay youth program

[Little Tich]

Source: Yahoo! News / Reuters

SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - The Mormon Church has made its first-ever donation to the Utah Pride Center, a Salt Lake City organization that works with poor and homeless gay young people, in what center officials said on Thursday was a significant moment in the Church's relationship with the gay community.

Relations between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the gay community were strained by Mormon support for California's Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot initiative that stripped same-sex couples there of the right to marry until it was ruled unconstitutional in 2010.

In a letter to be read to Mormon congregations this weekend, top leaders of the Utah-based Church will reaffirm its belief that only heterosexual marriage is ordained by God, while urging members to love and treat all people with kindness.

Neither the Church nor the Utah Pride Center announced the amount donated, but the local Fox News affiliate reported it was $2,500.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/mormon-church-makes-first-donation-utah-gay-youth-230802406.html

[keopeli]

1. See how easy it is, and CHEAP, to be NICE?!?! Good for the LDS, even if their motives may be...

Even if their motives may be questionable, there is no doubt that people who are gay have won the battle of hearts and minds in America.

I'm no fool. I realize that the LDS church is playing long in an effort to eventually become the predominant religion in the US. I, for one, will work against them and their effort to proselytize everyone. Their exclusive, misogynistic fantasy religion will always be just that.

But when a bad player does a good thing, or when a sinner repents, or when a criminal changes their way, I will always be the first to offer kudos and gratitude.

Perhaps the very christ-like message of love and tolerance that the gay community has been practicing all along is starting to rub off onto the crum-bums who need it the most. At least, I'd like to think so.

Now, let's see if some of that love and tolerance rubs off on the Southern Baptists. Probably not, but I can dream!

[dballance]

3. FUCK THE MORMON CHURCH

I hope that was clear. The Mormon church is a very odd cult just like Scientology.

Both cults were founded by conmen. Joseph Smith was arrested for his con-artistry and thrown out of more than one state or territory. L. Ron Hubbard was a science fiction writer.

Joseph Smith spinned a yarn about how the Garden of Eden was in Missouri and how there were golden tablets. Also, how black people were lesser people because "God" had stricken them with their skin color.

L. Ron Hubbard wrote a yarn about Scientology that no one with a reasonable mind can see as anything other than science fiction. If they actually told people the core tenants of Scientology are about some alien who threw entities into volcanoes on earth the first day they tried to recruit some one then NO ONE would join.

The Mormon church's motives are not questionable in the least. Their goal is to amass wealth and power. We already have the Roman Catholic Church, I do not see why we need another global cult.

A singer may repent, a criminal may change their ways. I have no such hope for cults like the Mormon church that wish to do nothing but gain wealth and power. They are not individual sinners or criminals. They are criminal organizations. Like the mafias they will never change. Replacing the head of the organization will not change a dammned thing.

On Edit:

No amount of money can make up for the social harms the Mormon Church has done.

[uppityperson]

4. Agreed. This donation was amazing, but does not outweigh all the harm they have done and do

[progressiveinnarb]

5. I agree

That the Mormon church has similarities to a cult, but the way you worded that could be considered very offensive to a number of Democrats (I,e: Harry Reid, Mormons For Obama, And other Mormon organizations related to the democratic party. I am certainly not defending Mormonism but please be careful what you say.

[dballance]

6. I meant to be offensive to the Mormon Church

If I cannot be offensive to a cult here on DU then where should I be able to say what I think?

I don't give a shit how many people and how many powerful people believe in Mormonism. It is still a cult and its power is exemplified by your warning.

You have yet to hear my words against the Roman Catholic Church and any protestant church.

I have no respect for any of those organizations.

[eggplant]

2. When they donate as much as they spent on Prop 8 in CA, then I'll praise them.

Until then, it's lip service.

[Cal Carpenter]

7. $2,500? And this makes the news?

Food banks get grants bigger than that from WalMart when they open up a new store in town.

Fuck that.