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September 25, 2008

Nebraska Man Faces Excommunication for Speaking Out Against Marriage Ban

Andrew Callahan of Hastings, Neb., has set off a firestorm in the Mormon Church for speaking out against Proposition 8, the ballot measure to constitutionally ban gay marriage in California. He now faces excommunication.

On Monday, Callahan received a letter from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that said, "You are reported to have participated in conduct unbecoming a member of the church and have been in apostasy." But Callahan, who started the anti-Prop. 8 website Signing for Something, was unfazed, telling ABC that "I am a member of a church that is oppressing people and that just seems wrong to me and I am trying to stop them. I can't believe there is a God who is a bigot, and it just seems like the same sort of racial bigotry that the Mormon Church was known for in the '50s, '60s, and '70s."

The LDS Church publicly backs the marriage ban and has reportedly given up to 40% of the money raised by the Yes on 8 campaign. 

Callahan, who is not gay, will appear before an LDS disciplinary hearing on Friday night. And while excommunication is likely, Callahan is undeterred.  

"We're just wrong and we need to change that, and I'm not going to stop when they excommunicate me and I am not going to apologize and beg them to keep me a member of the church," he said. (The Advocate)

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

  • Name: Roger Burr
    Date posted: 2008-09-25 4:47 PM
    Hometown: Marble Hill, MO

    Comment:

    My sympathies to Mr. Callahan for the pain he is suffering due to the courageous stand he has taken. I applaud his courage and honor his committment to equality. His personal courage is all the more commendable given he is a straight man in a conservative area of the country. What I would like to see is an I.R.S. investigation into the Mormon Church's donations to political campaigns. This REEKS of a violation of the separation of Church and State.


  • Name: Jim
    Date posted: 2008-09-25 1:35 PM
    Hometown: Dallas

    Comment:

    Marriage is a human right, not just a civil right. Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses. (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State. The UDHR was adopted by the United Nations, which included the United States as a signatory, on December 10, 1948. (60 years ago!) And note that it says "men and women", not "a man and a woman".


  • Name: V Norton
    Date posted: 2008-09-25 11:17 AM
    Hometown: hayward,CA

    Comment:

    In response D Lounsbury's remarks concerning marriage as a human right, I might point out that black slaves were denied the right to marry and form families because they were considered less than human and unable to have deep familial attachments that white families had. This is the logic that is used the deny civil marriage to same sex couples. Marriage conveys a certain status to a relationship that is recognized by both civil, governmental and religious groups. Most antigay marrige groups feel that giving marriage rights to same sex couples "cheapens and devalues" marriage for heterosexuals, because same sex couples can't possibly feel the same depth of feeling for one another as heterosexuals can. The Supreme Court of the US gave marriage rights to convicted murderers on death row because denying them the right to marry violated the most human of relationships- that of marriage. If that's not a "human right" I don't know what is.


  • Name: Colin Wright
    Date posted: 2008-09-25 11:01 AM
    Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Comment:

    Mr. or Ms. Lounsbury, You are wrong. Marriage is in fact a fundamental right of US citizens according to the US Supreme Court. Quoting their decision from the 1967 case of Loving v. Virginia: "Marriage is one of the "basic civil rights of man," fundamental to our very existence and survival." So you're wrong on that point. Denying marriage to same-sex couples is in fact quite similar to denying interracial couples the rights and responsibilities of marriage. The denial is based on animus directed towards the individuals attempting to make the union, because you have a problem with their lifestyle. So you would agree that "your gay friends" should be free from discrimination in housing and public services, but you would still deny them the basic civil right of marriage? You may not think that equates to racial bigotry, but I certainly do. Sorry if that makes you feel uncomfortable with your position on the issue, but maybe you should be uncomfortable.


  • Name: D Lounsbury
    Date posted: 2008-09-25 2:12 AM
    Hometown: Independence, Oregon

    Comment:

    To equate opposition to gay marriage with racism violates every principle of basic logic taught in every freshman philosophy class at college. Racism is a belief that someone's ethnicity or race makes them subhuman or less human than yourself and that such status is a legitimate reason to deny thid other group basic human rights. Marriage is not a human right under any definition of human rights. It is at a minimum a civil contract, at most a sacred union before God, angels and witnesses. To deny or oppose the extension of marriage to same sex partners is not a human rights volation. My gay friends are obviously not less than human if unmarried and are still entitled to be free from discrimination in housing, college admissions, public services, etc. One may certainly disgree with those who oppose same sex marriage. However, to equate the Mormon church's stand against marriage to racism is feebleminded and emotion driven.


  • Name: Art M.
    Date posted: 2008-09-24 9:06 PM
    Hometown: SFCAUSA

    Comment:

    CONGRATULATIONS! Now if he'd just denounce the whole "religion" thing as one giant made-up stuperstition (yes, I wanted it to be spelled that way), then I'd congratulate him even more.


  • Name: David
    Date posted: 2008-09-24 4:05 PM
    Hometown: Vancouver, WA

    Comment:

    Thank you for your incredible courage, Mr. Callahan. I will be praying for you, and I will be praying for the LDS to see the truth of your words.


  • Name: Mark
    Date posted: 2008-09-24 2:12 PM
    Hometown: Omaha

    Comment:

    Thank you for your courage, Mr. Callahan. Though I do not share your denomination (I'm a United Methodist), I greatly appreciate your principled stand against the hierarchy of your church, something that I'm sure you have not undertaken lightly. You will have my prayers on Friday night as you face the disciplinary council.


  • Name: Joe
    Date posted: 2008-09-24 1:29 PM
    Hometown: Palm Springs

    Comment:

    Apostasy! Isn't that what happened on the Golden Girls when Dorothy got kicked out of the Elvis "Hunka Hunka Burning Love" fan club? Those silly silly (and stupid stupid) Mormon morons.


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