To return to the original question, I recall a discussion right after the
election that said (as a previous writer pointed out) that the black
community strongly supported Prop 8.  The increased black vote for Obama
helped Prop 8 as well.  In fact--although I don't remember the exact
statistics--the increased black vote in proportion to it's Yes on Prop 8 was
essentially the difference in the overall result. Ironic, isn't it.

With regard to getting rid of marriage, I would support that. The state can
create civil unions, a legal status with certain rights and
responsibilities, and let churches deal with marriage however they want to
define it.

-- Russ Abbott
_____________________________________________
Professor, Computer Science
California State University, Los Angeles
o Check out my blog at http://russabbott.blogspot.com/


On Sun, Nov 9, 2008 at 2:54 PM, Douglas Roberts <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote:

> No, that is not what I was suggesting, Roger.  Dissent within the LDS is a
> proven fact:  witness the FLDS/LDS split.
>
> What I was trying to say was that if your suggestion that a monetary
> incentive be provided  to create a schism within the LDS religion, where the
> intent is for one faction was to assume a more rational approach to societal
> diversification issues like same-sex marriages, the attempt would probably
> fail.  The reason being that the LDS view of "proper" societal positions for
> men, women, and marriage aren't very rational to begin with, and they are
> fixed by an extremely rigid and ritualistic dogma.  A dogma that succeeds to
> a very large extent of creating "members for life".
>
> I was, however, mildly surprised to see the issue being discussed openly in
> the Salt Lake Tribune.  A web page, BTW, that I can no longer access.  Has
> it been taken down, of is there a more innocent explanation? Ten years ago
> you would not have seen "bad" LDS news of this type appearing in a Salt Lake
> paper.
>
> --Doug
>
> On Sun, Nov 9, 2008 at 3:37 PM, Roger Critchlow <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>> Doug --
>>
>> I'm not questioning your experience, but you seem to assert that dissent
>> in the LDS is impossible.
>>
>> Yet Google found 37,500 results for a search on "prop 8 lds dissent" when
>> I searched, after reading your first reply, to see if I had misundertood
>> what I was talking about.
>>
>> -- rec --
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Nov 9, 2008 at 1:23 PM, Douglas Roberts <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote:
>>
>>> Hey, Roger.
>>>
>>> I lived up there near SLC for three years, right in the heart of Mormon
>>> country.  I actually know quite a bit about their beliefs and practices --
>>> both the good and the bad.
>>>
>>> For those interested in an excellent in-depth book on the history of the
>>> Mormon religion, I recommend  "Under The Banner of Heaven, A Story of
>>> Violent Faith" by Jon Krakauer.
>>>
>>> During the three years that I lived in Pocatello, ID, I met a few former
>>> Mormons who had been successfully "deprogrammed" .  Many of them had
>>> interesting, and sometimes dark stories to tell about the true inner social
>>> workings of their former "faith".
>>>
>>> --Doug
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sun, Nov 9, 2008 at 1:13 PM, Roger Critchlow <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I don't know, Doug, why don't you read this Salt Lake Tribune story
>>>> about dissent within the LDS, and tell me who's making snap decisions based
>>>> on doctrine.
>>>>
>>>> http://www.sltrib.cowasm/lds/ci_10797630<http://www.sltrib.com/lds/ci_10797630>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -- rec --
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sun, Nov 9, 2008 at 1:06 PM, Douglas Roberts <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I don't know, Roger.  The LDS indoctrination machine is one of the more
>>>>> efficient operations that exists these days.  It seems to supply a fairy
>>>>> tale that is particularly beguiling to a certain type of personality.  
>>>>> Once
>>>>> that vision of sugar plums and seven levels of heaven is planted, it seems
>>>>> nearly impossible to uproot.
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm sure they'd be happy to take your money, though.
>>>>>
>>>>> --Doug
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Sun, Nov 9, 2008 at 12:02 PM, Roger Critchlow <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> I think someone should contribute $30,000,000 to foment a schism in
>>>>>> the Church of the Latter Day Saints based on their internal conflicts on
>>>>>> this issue.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -- rec --
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Sun, Nov 9, 2008 at 11:00 AM, Orlando Leibovitz <
>>>>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>  Owen,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> In my opinion the word marriage should not be removed. I believe that
>>>>>>> civil marriage should be available to all consenting adults. Various
>>>>>>> religions can then do as they please. If, in fact, this is a civil 
>>>>>>> rights
>>>>>>> (constitutional) issue then religions that violate civil liberties 
>>>>>>> should,
>>>>>>> at the least,  not have 501c3 status. I  try to understand but am not
>>>>>>> sympathetic to religious angst about this as I would not be if you
>>>>>>> substituted black, jew, Christian, etc for the word gay.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> James, I am grateful to the Quakers for many of the positions they
>>>>>>> have taken.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Orlando
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> James Steiner wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Consider also the relligions that have.supported and do sanctify
>>>>>>> same-sex marriages, without regard for, indeed in spite of, the legal
>>>>>>> status of such unions, e.g. the Meetings of Friends (Quakers).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 11/9/08, Owen Densmore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>  On Nov 9, 2008, at 12:09 AM, Orlando Leibovitz wrote:
>>>>>>> ...
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>  In my opinion this is not a marriage issue, it is a civil rights
>>>>>>> issue.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>  And there you have the problem in a nutshell.  "Gay marriage"
>>>>>>> confounds the two.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> One the one hand, the word "marriage" creates considerable angst on
>>>>>>> gay issues within the various religions. The recent Anglican/Episcopal
>>>>>>> split was largely over gay marriage and gay bishops.  This is a
>>>>>>> complex issue where religions have to confront difficult problems
>>>>>>> within themselves.  And definitely a church/state boundary.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On the other hand, gay civil rights are clear: they are being violated
>>>>>>> and the strictly civil rights have to be granted immediately.  "Civil
>>>>>>> union", however, may be a distasteful term to the gay community.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Most of silicon valley had to deal with this within their corporate
>>>>>>> laws.  They all grant gay civil rights by now.  They simply had to
>>>>>>> change the concept of "partner" and insurance, spousal rights and so
>>>>>>> on were easily solved.  I don't believe religions are concerned about
>>>>>>> this solution.  As far as I know, the government does not object, and
>>>>>>> even allows for joint tax filing.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I wonder if the word "marriage" were taken out of the equation, would
>>>>>>> it at least help obtain civil rights for gay couples?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>      -- Owen
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ============================================================
>>>>>>> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
>>>>>>> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
>>>>>>> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>      ============================================================
>>>>>>> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
>>>>>>> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
>>>>>>> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Orlando Leibovitz
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> www.orlandoleibovitz.com
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Studio Telephone: 505-820-6183
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ============================================================
>>>>>>> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
>>>>>>> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
>>>>>>> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>>
>
> ============================================================
> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
>
============================================================
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