Creepy Thin Men

So, the phone calls begin.

My mother received a phone call at home by a man asking for me. Obviously, I don’t live there. She told him I wasn’t there and he said he would call back. She called and gave me the number from caller ID.

So I returned the call, to find that “Scott” wanted to talk about my Public Forum letter. He asked about the reasons for it, so I gave it to him, pretty self-explanatory. He asked me about the other pastors from other churches making statements. I clarified and told him there was a difference in a Pastor giving his/her opinion and a Church issuing an official statement when it directly ties in with the political climate. I also encouraged him to write a rebuttal to my letter and send it into the paper, as everyone deserves a well-rounded view.

Then he said, “By the way, I just want you to know that I have never been told how to vote.”

Really?

So, I looked it up.

First Presidency Issues Statement on Marriage
7 July 2004

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement today. This is a statement of principle in anticipation of the expected debate over same-gender marriage. It is not an endorsement of any specific amendment.

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints favors a constitutional amendment preserving marriage as the lawful union of a man and a woman."

Now, what from that official statement, from their official site, is supposed to make me believe that they are not telling their members how to vote? Oh, the line that reads that they don’t support any specific amendment? C’mon, I was born, but I wasn’t born yesterday.

If the statement said that they do not support same-sex relationships, fine. But they specifically stated that they “favor a constitutional amendment.” That’s skating a very, very thin line.