Thousands rally against LDS Church in Salt Lake City.

Looks like the Mormon Church is reaping what they sow.

Click here for the link to the local news story.

Tonight thousands of people have gathered in downtown Salt Lake City to protest the LDS church involvement in the passage of the anti-gay marriage proposition in California. Of course the church is absolutely stunned that this would happen. Well guess what folks, this is what happens when you take away people's rights.

First off I believe the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as well as any other church that contributed to the Prop 8 campaign should be stripped of their tax exempt status. I believe this is a fundamental violation of the separation of church and state. I also believe that Prop 8 as well as the resulting amendment to the California Constitution (as well as similar amendments in other states) violate the equal protection clause in the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Isn't refusing to let two consenting adults establish a legal relationship depriving them of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?

Here's where I stand. "Marriage" in the USA is defined in both religious and legal terms. In short, you can go to the courthouse and get a marriage license and be legally married, but you can't go to a church without the legal piece of paper and be legally married. I'm not advocating that churches be forced to perform Gay marriages. I believe the religious community has a right to their view and how it is practiced within their organization. However, I don't think two consenting adults should be deprived of a LEGAL RELATIONSHIP. WHEN YOU GET THE MARRIAGE LICENSE, NEITHER GOD NOR RELIGION HAVE A DAMN THING TO DO WITH IT! If two guys get married, it doesn't affect me in the slightest.

Organized religion has been used since it's earliest days to justify horrible and unspeakable things in the name of some god. It has also been used to put an end to debate and disagreement, because after all, how do you argue with a person who thinks god is on their side? You don't, and when Christians of any stripe practice this, it makes them no better than fundamentalists of other faiths who seek to impose their belief on those who don't think the same way they do.

In the end I like to really go for what Jesus said, when he said the first and greatest commandment was to love the Lord, but the second is like it, to love your neighbor as you love yourself. If more people would think that way, we'd be a lot better off.

But the conservative right wing and the religious wingnuts in this country have tossed Jesus' message of love, understanding, mercy, and peace right out the door on it's ear and have reduced one of the world's great faiths to an excuse and a way to cram their intolerant agenda down other's throats.

I'm going to go to bed and pray tonight for the people being discriminated against. If homosexuality is indeed such a horrible sin, I'll let God be the judge of it. He didn't appoint me as judge, jury, or executioner.