Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Mormon Apostle Ballard & Anti-Gay Prop.8 Leader/Pastor to Speak at World Congress

Mormon apostle to address World Congress of Families in Salt LakeWCF and Sutherland bringing Prop 8 leader to Salt Lake

Russell Ballard, a Mormon apostle, and Jim Garlow, a San Diego Pastor heavily involved in the Prop 8 passing, will both be speaking at the World Congress of Families in Salt Lake this October. The WCF is criticized for being anti-gay because it states the only legitimate families are the "natural family", or that of one biological mother and one biological father married by law. Not only is this stance considered anti-gay, but it excludes adoptions, divorce, re-married, and single-parent homes.

Garlow has used several offensive comparisons when describing gay marriage: SSM is like fighting the Nazis, SSM is putting Christians into slavery, Satan's destruction of marriage starts with SSM, SSM is just as damaging to children who lost parents in 9/11, SSM is worse than abortion, Obama has forced a damaging social experiment on the military for allowing gays to openly participate, SSM is like a poorly wired home with improper plumbing.

Ballard has been a key player in fighting against SSM in both California and Hawaii. He also helped draft the "Proclamation to the World," a document that explicitly denounces LGBT families and calls on the destruction of God upon them. The Proclamation to the World is the single most quoted document (and considered scripture by the LDS Church and its members) in fighting and criticizing gay marriage and trans-gendered people.

The involvement of the LDS Church in WCF is not surprising, but is a sad two steps back for the image and progress it has made in Utah concerning its LGBT citizens.

http://gaysaltlake.com/news/2015/09/17/wcf-and-sutherland-bringing-prop-8-leader-to-salt-lake/

http://gaysaltlake.com/news/2015/09/01/mormon-apostle-to-address-world-congress-of-families-in-salt-lake/

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