In an article in Monday's edition of the Daily, "Why we must not target the Mormon Church," Gregory Kastelman made the case that calling the Mormon Church out for its vehement promotion of Proposition 8 is a bad idea that will only promote intolerance of the religion. I could not disagree more.
Without question, the Church went out of its way to guarantee that millions of people were stripped of their right to marry, prolonging an ugly, homophobic period in American history. The Mormon Church did not just idly support the passing in a quiet manner: It proactively worked as an agent of bigotry.
In a letter issued to constituents by top Church officials, Mormons were urged to, "do all you can to support the proposed constitutional amendment by donating of your means and time to assure that marriage in California is legally defined as being between a man and a woman. Our best efforts are required to preserve the sacred institution of marriage." If the Mormon Church wants to support legalized homophobia, then it had better expect a fight.
This is no longer an issue of sitting and waiting for rights to be gradually doled out over the course of a millennium. In fact, as a heterosexual male, I am shocked by how apathetic some of my homosexual friends are toward this issue. And moreover, I am perplexed at the defense of an organization that is urging its laypeople to heavily donate to a proposition that is actively trying to strip away the rights of an American minority.
Kastelman said that, "As a Jewish man, I cannot and will not condone hate mongering of any religion." But here he is subject to a clear logical fallacy. The Jews did not do anything to warrant the terrible abuse against them. Their persecution was a result of religious hatred due to their lifestyle. In fact, the irony here is that the same religious hatred toward European Jews is now being targeted toward homosexuals in the United States! But instead of abuse being targeted toward the Jews, who denied the divinity of Jesus Christ, abuse is now being targeted toward people who do not adhere to the same sexual orientation that the Mormon god has deemed appropriate.
I am not calling for massive intolerance against Mormons. I am simply hoping progressive-minded Americans begin calling out Mormons for adhering to ideologies that are inherently bigoted and do not let them cover up their hatred in the euphemistic blanket we like to call "religious expression." Remember that the Mormon Church is the same organization that did not allow black priests until 1978. It is simply behind the times, pointing in the exact opposite direction of the current moral compass and thus should be held accountable for its prejudiced actions. Being tolerant of intolerance is a fool's badge of honor, and I absolutely refuse to wear it.
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Pat Andriola is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major.
