To: koan who wrote (259685 ) 9/1/2014 12:41:03 PM From: Wharf Rat Read Replies (1) | Respond to What is the difference between Robertson, Levine, the archbishops of SF, and Mormons? Roman Catholic Church , [62] as well as a Roman Catholic lay fraternal organization , the Knights of Columbus , [63] firmly supported the measure. The bishops of the California Catholic Conference released a statement supporting the proposition, [64] a position met with mixed reactions among church members, including clergy. [65] [66] George Hugh Niederauer as Archbishop of San Francisco campaigned in 2008 in favor of the Proposition, and claimed to have been instrumental in forging alliances between Catholics and Mormons to support the measure. [67] His successor, Salvatore Cordileone was regarded as instrumental in devising the initiative. Campaign finance records show he personally gave at least $6,000 to back the voter-approved ban [68] and was instrumental in raising $1.5 million to put the proposition on the ballot. [69] Subsequently as Cardinal archbishop of San Francisco, he has called publicly for an amendment to the US Constitution as "the only remedy in law against judicial activism" following the number of state same-sex marriage bans struck down by federal judges. He also attended and addressed the audience at the "March for Marriage", a rally opposing marriage for same-sex couples, in Washington, D.C. in June 2014. [70] Knights of Columbus attracted media attention when they donated more than $1.4 million to Proposition 8. [71] The Order was the largest financial supporter of the successful effort to maintain a legal definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. [72] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [73] [74] [75] (the LDS Church or, informally, the Mormon Church), also publicly supported the proposition. The First Presidency of the church announced its support for Proposition 8 in a letter intended to be read in every congregation in California. In this letter, church members were encouraged to "do all you can to support the proposed constitutional amendment by donating of your means and time." [73] The church produced and broadcast to its congregations a program describing the support of the Proposition, and describing the timeline it proposes for what it describes as grassroots efforts to support the Proposition. [76] Local church leaders set organizational and monetary goals for their membership—sometimes quite specific—to fulfill this call. [77] [78] The response of church members to their leadership's appeals to donate money and volunteer time was very supportive, [79] such that Latter-day Saints provided a significant source for financial donations in support of the proposition, both inside and outside the State of California. [80] LDS members contributed over $20 million, [81] about 45% of out-of-state contributions to ProtectMarriage.com came from Utah , over three times more than any other state. [82] ProtectMarriage, the official proponent of Proposition 8, estimates that about half the donations they received came from Mormon sources, and that LDS church members made up somewhere between 80% and 90% of the volunteers for early door-to-door canvassing. [83] Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America , [84] Eastern Orthodox Church , [85] a group of Evangelical Christians led by Jim Garlow and Miles McPherson , [86] American Family Association , Focus on the Family [87] and the National Organization for Marriage . [88] Rick Warren , pastor of Saddleback Church , also endorsed the measure. [89] en.wikipedia.org
