Religious, Anti-Gay Full Page Ad in NY Times and MY Response

A religious coalition called NoMobVeto.org has placed a full page ad in the NY Times condemning "the violence and intimidation being directed against the LDS or "Mormon" church, and other religious organizations - and even against individual believers - simply because they supported Proposition 8 . . ." calling it "an outrage that must stop."

They go on to say that, in regards to the LGBT demonstrations that "far too many, however, seem never to have been demonstrations in the first place, but more nearly mobs, seeking not to persuade but to intimidate." Even better: "Those who fail to condemn or seem to condone that intimidation are at fault as well."

BUT MY FAVORITE LINE OF ALL: "Let's be clear: even the crudest anti-religious propaganda isn't illegal, and may not constitutionally be outlawed. But IT'S NEVERTHELESS WRONG. IT HAS NO PLACE IN CIVILIZED SOCIETY."

OK, after reading this and being ENRAGED, I have calmed down SLIGHTLY and realized, wow, they have made this way too easy.

So now I have a message to YOU, the religious coalition that posted this ad:

First off - your name. No mob veto? We're a mob? We're a minority! We don't have enough to be a mob! Sure, there are a lot of us, and we do get attention, but our numbers don't even come close to yours. Actually, the constitution protects minorities, that would be us, from MOB RULE, which you are now a part of! You have acted as a mob to strip us, who don't have as much power as you, of our rights. And you try to make it sound as if YOU'RE the victims?!! You heartlessly and ruthlessly imposed your religious beliefs on us, and then turn around and act as if you're innocent victims?

Second, you decry some of the demonstrations, which I will remind you, are legal (just as your right to believe what you want to believe). Sorry if it's not up to par in your perception of civility, but if your right to worship was stripped away, would you just sit by quietly to maintain the civility of society? I already know you wouldn't. The history of religious wars tells me so. You refer to "thugs" who sent "white powder to terrorize a place of worship." You're right. They were thugs. So were the people who vandalized property. But out of THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS who protested, all you have to point to are a very few incidents. Miniscule number of people compared to the thousands that pointed out YOUR bigotry. So then you turn around and say that the whole movement is violent and out of hand? (And don't get me started on the Vatican's stand not to endorse the UN measure to decriminalize homosexuality, basically supporting the execution of gays just for being gay) Not only is that illogical, it's a lie, and doesn't that break one of the ten commandments that many respectful people hold dear, including you?

Third, you have the audacity to say that speaking out against religion is "wrong. It has no place in civilized society." Suddenly, you have the right to dictate what is right and wrong and what is civilized? Newsflash! This isn't a theocracy! You speak against religious wars as "wrong" and "dangerous". How very hypocritical. I guess religious wars are OK as long as you're the winning majority, right? What you're doing is forcing your beliefs on someone's personal life by stripping away the rights their government has already promised them, the government that has said they are a protected minority, based on your religious beliefs. You broke the law by going around the legislature, lied to the public in order to further your campaign of religion against a weaker group that doesn't agree with you. That sounds like a war to me.

I believe Jesus said, "Turn the other cheek." And though I wouldn't want you to step away from this situation so you can face what you did, your mission of "exposing and publicly shaming anyone who resorts to the rhetoric of anti-religious bigotry-against any faith, on any side of any cause, for any reason" is the exact behavior for which you're condemning the LGBT community.

You have the audacity to act above the fray that you caused and to feign victimization. We, the LGBT community, have experience victimization for thousands of years. We know victimization when we see it. And you, the actual bigots in this case, are not victims.