A Mormon Speaks About Prop 8 in Church (Bishop turns off mic half way through!)

[t0dd]

Run time: 02:41 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubZQ5TgFRac   Posted on YouTube: September 12, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: September 13, 2009 By DU Member: t0dd Views on DU: 4401

 
Todd takes a stand against his own LDS Mormon church in a sacrament meeting for their political involvement in Prop 8. Using members cash and pressuring all members to fight against Gays and Lesbians rights. Todd quits the LDS Mormon Church for that reason.

[williesgirl]

1. Good for him, but will he be ostracized! Maybe more of them will have the courage to do the same.

rec'd

[Fearless]

2. Bravo!

:applause:

[armyowalgreens]

3. K&R

[tidepooler]

4. Is there a new movement in the LDS church...?

I personally met a mormon recently who seems very open minded. As a gay woman, I was quite surprised at our ability to discuss these issues with open-mindedness and respect. She seemed completely supportive of gay rights. I hope there are more people like this among them and that they continue to speak up!

[barbtries]

6. did you discuss

how she reconciles her membership in the LDS church with her personal beliefs?

[aquart]

8. My friend's partner of over 20 years is Mormon.

They regularly visit and spend holidays with his very Mormon family.

[barbtries]

5. i think that was very courageous of him

they tried to shut him up because he told them about themselves.

[seattle_blue]

7. stupid

Why is it that when people speak the truth, right-wingers alway do the "cut his mic" routine. Faux News is infamous for this tactic. Do they not like the truth? Just askin...I really hope this man finds a more welcoming place of worship.

[gtar100]

12. It's seems like a very immature act.

It really shows the lack of faith this bishop has in his church that he has to censor the honest complaints and criticisms of a member. Obviously he doesn't have faith that he is standing by the truth or he would have nothing to fear.

What amazed me too was the incredible dishonesty that bishop had in his demeanor. Everyone trying to be nice and quiet while emotions are boiling inside. His only recourse was to do something incredibly childish.

Brave man to make such a testament in the church. Must have been difficult for him but he walked out a free man. At least freer than those who stayed behind.

[dotymed]

17. Episcopalians

are very welcoming and non-judgmental. I joined the Church
about 20 years ago, after a friend of mine (gay) invited me to
attend. Even though I am straight, I immediately fell in love
with the teachings and non-hypocrisy of the church.

[amyrose2712]

21. They have their hypocrites too.

I was raised Episcopalian. We were very poor and probably considered "WT" at my church. We were looked down upon because of this by many of the parishioners. Fortunately, I am agnostic now. But, I do realize the teachings of the church are quite liberal comparatively. And I certainly don't remember ANY form of politics be taught.

[dotymed]

22. They have been so marginalized, because of their

open acceptance of gays, etc... that most do not have the
"uppity" attitude anymore. I have seen politics
taught in our church. During the bush years, his attacks on
the poor and working class were often railed against.

[amyrose2712]

20. It seems many people are very afraid of truth. nt

[eagertolearn]

9. So nice to see people actually thinking instead of just following the leader!

[AlbertCat]

26. So nice to see people actually thinking instead of just following the leader!

Religion does not encourage thinking. Faith is the end of inquiry.

And you see thinking and not following the leader a lot when religion is removed..

[eagertolearn]

30. I agree. I find it pretty frustrating that certain religions will all vote a certain

way even when the person they are voting for is doing immoral things. I approached someone I know who is a professional that I respect and told him during the election that McCain has had several affairs (something I know he would never do) but he looked at me and asked if I was sure Obama hadn't had any. I could tell he was very torn but probably still voted for McCain because of his church. Though there are many churches who are not far right and have many "thinking" members (Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Unitarian and even many catholics I know are leaving their church because of their far right stance).

[demwing]

32. That really depends on your faith

For me, faith begins by questioning - as long as it is done in an open mood of thoughtfullness. Questioning out of a desire to argue is just as closed a process, because such questioning doesn't really desire answers, just a tally of debate points scored or lost.

[klebean]

10. so great to see this getting lots of internet attention! n/t

[Iwillnevergiveup]

11. Even after the mic was cut

looks like many people up front heard him (over the baby crying).

K&R

[DRex]

13. Crazy props to this guy for standing up...

It can be very hard to say something like that in LDS churches, and it must have taken immense courage to get up there and say his bit.

All the best to him. May we all have such courage in standing up for what's right.

[Mithreal]

14. I'll second that. nt

[Divine Discontent]

15. You Go TODD! GOD BLESS YOU & your bravery in your former house of worship is great!

I am glad you saw that organization for what they are and stood up - wow!

good for you.

[snake in the grass]

16. Damn!

That took guts.

[Sky Masterson]

18. Wow!

There is hope..(for some)

[amyrose2712]

19. Yea for Todd!

:toast: :fistbump: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: I am glad he finished mic or not!

[Thornleylv]

23. Right On!

That is the ultimate stand against discrimination!

[Diclotican]

24. t0dd

t0dd

As an fellow member of LDS I find this man really admirable. He stand up for what he meant to be the right thing, and even took it to the church to tell every member what he feeled is right for im.. I doubt that I have the courage to speak about something like this in church.. I'm am not that full of coursage... And I think this bishop should let him speak to the end without disrupting this speech who I believe many inside the LDS have a stand on. Both for and against so to speak

I admire this man, who maybe are in for a tu ff time now, many he have known for all his life Will probably not speak to him, maybe even inside his own family.. But he stand for something that I do believe specially the young generation of LDS members are more open minded too.. I hope this man Will be helped by his family, protected and supported for his stand, who i would say is far better than to judged people just because they happened to be gay..

I stand for what I stand for, but I do respect others side also, and I do respect, and know that it is many inside the LDS Church who are homosexual but are afraid of the consequences if they stand up for what they are.. I respect him, and I hope he will still be member of the LDS Church in the days, months and years to come. Not because he was doing something most people would never do, but because I do believe him, to be a voice of change inside the LDS Church too... And I would also say, I find the whole prop 8 who the church was standing behind to be stupid, really stupid.. And I for one would say that the LDS SHOULD never been supportive of prop 8 in the first place. Not for the "Hardship" who have coming after the prop 8 got true in California.. But just because I believe that the Church was supportive of something that have backfired ugly on the church.. And many members of the Church, who is more liberal on this issue have been framed as the vocal group who was making that mess...

He should maybe have been talking to his bishop, or to some other elders in the church before he was making this speatch, to make his point more cleary, and not at least, given the bishop the posibility to talk and to get his point across. But it was somewhat "childish" over it when the bishop shoose to close the mic in the middle of the speatch..

Diclotican

[zoff]

25. I've walked out on a sermon at my church.

This was around the time of the presidential campaign. And I let the older gentleman usher know why ... separation of church and state.

[miloaxon]

27. Question

What do you think it is about homosexuality that scares Abrahamic religions so much? Did God go on a date with some dude who never called him back or something? I don't understand what the threat is.

[Tutankhamun]

28. It's an outlet for their hatred. They particularly value it

as a way to let teenagers express teen angst, get a little bit rowdy, even violent (while the church looks the other way) and focus their natural tendencies toward rebellion on something other than the church. It's a church sanctioned release valve for anger and even hatred.

There are also those who simply feel vindicated in "knowing" that all who dare to lead any manner of officially unapproved lifestyle will be sent to a smouldering subterranean torture chamber forever and then some.

Spewing hatred of gays is also a backdoor route to proclaiming and expressing one's (hetero) sexuality when one is, for whatever reason, unable to express one's sexuality through more direct methods (such as actual, real-world sex with another human being).

In addition, many of the most vociferous religious zealots (i.e. Ted Haggard) harbor repressed (or not so repressed) homosexual urges. Railing against homosexuality in others is an attempt to destroy, by proxy, the very thing that torments them internally.

Some of these leaders are also simply trying to hide their homosexuality by creating the illusion that they loathe all things homosexual.

[WyoHiker]

29. Excommunication from the LDS Church is difficult.

You really gotta work at it 'cause they like to keep their roll books full -- kinda like the Catholics.

I'm thinking that Todd mighta just done it in one simple step!


:applause:


("So go to the Shrink, wherever you are. Just walk in, sing a bar of Alice's Restaurant, and walk out..."

-- Arlo Guthrie )

[goddess40]

31. What a good man -despite a horrible congregation.

I'm sorry but that bishop is a first class asshole and so are the rest of the people sitting in that room that didn't stand up and protest the shutting off of the mic.

If you don't stand up to the bigots in your religion you are worse then they are.

[demwing]

33. In their defense, they did not make ANY comments, good or bad

but politely listened to what he had to say. Maybe those words, however faint they seem over the internet, were like thunder in the ears of some of those in that room,

[goddess40]

34. by saying nothing they gave consent to the deplorable act of the Bishop

Not saying anything often says enough - it condones the worst.

[demwing]

35. Since we cannot know what was in their hearts

nor what happened after the video ended, I'll just say that I disagree, and give the congregation as a whole the benefit of the doubt, knowing well that for at least some of the membes there, and probably the majority, you are correct.