Actually, fasting is super effective. I would recommend that anyone who wants to stop committed gay couples from marrying should stop all eating immediately, and don't resume until gay marriage is illegal everywhere.
No matter what they say, the Catholic church is just loving this. It rallies their congregation and distracts from the Other Reason the Church makes the news.
Acknowledging that they are wrong on homosexuality, and gay marriage, is a direct threat to their authority. They believe they have The Truth, and if they are wrong about homosexuality, means that they might be wrong about other things, like priestly celibacy, priesthood for men only, and even Jesus rising from the dead.
@4: how about handing out full-colour glossy photos of massive, glistening, throbbing cocks? It's obviously the only thing that will work. Giant dicks in every pew, I say! Catholic congregations need cock!
I only wish we could force them to add this to their weekly bulletins, or that Quakers were more willing to criticize other churches directly (by standing outside on Sunday and handing these out):
@13: I don't like what they're doing, either, but trust me, they aren't actually violating the 501(c)(3) guidelines. (I work for a non-profit and know them well.)
They cannot advocate for their members to vote for a specific candidate--that's grounds to lose their tax exempt status--but they are allowed to advocate for their members to vote a certain way on ballot questions, and they can advocate on general policy issues. (The guidelines say that the majority of their activities cannot be politically-oriented. As long as they continue to hold regular services, running food pantries, etc., I think they would always wind up coming up fine on that, too.)
So, that's why the Mormon church gets a (tax exemption status) pass on their Prop 8 activities, too.
Please, if they could get away with it the church would still be arguing that slavery is aOK with the lord. This and abortion (much like their Christ) will never die.
Seriously, at some point, resistance is futile.
What kinds of pictures will they show to illustrate the dangers of gay marriage? Happy families?
Didn't think so.
America: Where separation of Church and State now means the Church gets to choose what laws to follow.
Position statement on marriage equality from Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).
They cannot advocate for their members to vote for a specific candidate--that's grounds to lose their tax exempt status--but they are allowed to advocate for their members to vote a certain way on ballot questions, and they can advocate on general policy issues. (The guidelines say that the majority of their activities cannot be politically-oriented. As long as they continue to hold regular services, running food pantries, etc., I think they would always wind up coming up fine on that, too.)
So, that's why the Mormon church gets a (tax exemption status) pass on their Prop 8 activities, too.
Wait. That's a great idea.
Back in my Queer Nation / Cry Out/Act up days, I'd be buying some live chickens right now.