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Pressure Mounts on Mormon Church for Supporting Prop. 8 - Facing IRS Investigation and National Protests

By Kathleen Gilbert

LOS ANGELES, CA, November 13, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Leaders and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) across the country are suffering further retribution for the church's support for Proposition 8 in California.

Fred Karger, Founder of Californians Against Hate today filed a complaint with the Enforcement Division of the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), accusing the LDS Church of not adequately reporting numerous "non monetary" contributions to support Proposition 8, California's true marriage ballot measure.

Karger alleges that The Mormon Church was "highly secretive about its massive involvement," which included organizing phone banks, sending mail to voters, transporting people to California over several weekends, and other efforts. All of these actions, Karger claims, were geared toward nonmembers, leaving the church liable to IRS censure.

Since the passage of Proposition 8, the Mormon Church has been made the primary scapegoat for homosexualists frustrated at the crippling loss. Protests have been staged at Mormon temples, not only in California, but even as far-flung as the opposite end of the country. A New York Mormon temple was besieged Wednesday with same-sex "marriage" supporters angry at the church's advocacy in favor of California's Proposition 8. 

Like California rallies, the New York City crowd chanted "Shame on you!" and displayed signs asking "Did you cast a ballot or a stone?"; others signs read "Latter Day H8" and "Church of Mormon" with an X scratched over the second M to read "Moron," according to the Associated Press.

Mormon Church spokesman Michael Otterson said that while he respected citizens' right to protest, he was "puzzled" and "disturbed" by the gathering, given that the majority of California's voters approved the amendment.

"This was a very broad-based coalition that defended traditional marriage in a free and democratic election," Otterson said Wednesday before the protest commenced, referring to the various other religious institutions that fought alongside Mormons for true marriage.

"It's a little disturbing to see these protesters singling out the Mormon church," he said. "What exactly are these people protesting?" 

Rally organizer Corey Johnson and co-organizer Jay Blotcher said the protesters feared the victory of Proposition 8 would "embolden the religious right" to "train their eye on other states" such as New York. However, New York State has always recognized, as it currently does, marriage as between a man and a woman.

Anti-marriage activists first provoked outrage from Mormon and other religious communities when a "No on 8" ad released just before election day portrayed two Mormon missionaries invading and ransacking a lesbian couple's home, rifling through their belongings and destroying their marriage license.  (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/nov/08110404.html)

After Proposition 8 passed, a protest group quickly descended upon a prominent Mormon temple in Westwood, where rally participants vandalized temple property. (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/nov/08110704.html) 

Mormons were one of many church organizations who supported true marriage in California's Prop. 8 battle, including Jews, Muslims, Evangelicals, Catholics, Sikhs and Hindus. The Episcopalian Church was one of the rare exceptions and actively opposed Prop. 8.

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Prop. 8 Protesters Besiege LA Mormon Temple, Press Forward on Legal Challenges
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/nov/08110704.html

Latest Anti-Prop 8 Ad Depicts Mormons Invading Lesbian House, Stealing Rings, Tearing up Marriage License
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/nov/08110404.html

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