Please Read... Very Important

I feel that this is a very important issue and should not be ignored. I just got this email from a family member and I feel that it should be passed on any way possible.

I don't know if you're aware of what's going on politically here in California right now but for the first time in my life I've seen the church take a stand on a political issue to the extent that we've had Ward gatherings for the past three weeks to physically canvas neighborhoods and make phone calls to registered voters to educate them about the language and affects of Proposition 8. I guess I was kind of oblivious to the wider reaching affects that this could have on all church members but found this informative e-mail interesting and decided to forward it on to you.
In a recent LDS Sacrament meeting in California, the focus was on Amendment 8. (The gay marriage issue.) one of the speakers who was an LDS judge in the area, had statistics that were 'mind blowing'.
For example, in Boston, MA (where gay marriages are now le gal,) theCatholic Charities have closed their doors because the state hasrequired them to allow adoptions to same sex couples, and they refused.They are a large and worthwhile charity with great power in the stateand they were overruled.
A Methodist church has lost their tax exempt status because the ministerrefused to perform a marriage of a same sex couple (they were not of hiscongregation).
A physician who refused to do fertility treatments on asame sex couple because of religious reasons was sued, lost and the state isrequiring him to treat everyone as equals.
Our schools will be required to teach, starting in kindergarten, thatmarriage s make up many different combinations. The consequences arehorrible.
Directly tied into ALL of this is our right to continue to go to theTemple. If Gay Marriage is supported by the government, then those who aresame-sex married, who are 'LDS' and legally recognized as married by thegovernment, can sue to be married in the temple.&nbs p; It is my opinionthat the church will not bend on this issue, and our rights to go to thetemple will be in jeopardy.
AND goodbye to those religious tax-deductions. Tithing, fast offerings,etc. We will lose our tax-exemption status if the government legallyforces the church to support same-sex marriage'
These effects are far-reaching! I hope no one is upset by this email, Iwould not want to offend anyone, but I believe this issue is not apoli tical issue at all, but a moral issue that affects all of society.
The Proclamation on the family clearly gives a warning voice on this matter.I pray that this issue on the ballots will overturn the gay marriagesoccurring right now in that state, and help prevent other states fromadopting this stance. I believe that it is important to support and defendtraditional marriage, home and family.
Another friend says that her relatives in Sweden are even watching whatgoes on in California. Friends in Canada are watching. The whole world is watching to see what happens.