Friday, January 16, 2009

Tom Hanks labels Mormon Prop. 8 supporters "un-American"

I've always been a Tom Hanks fan, but apparently those feelings don't go both ways - according to Hanks, I am "un-American" because of my support of Prop. 8.

Fox News reports:

Tom Hanks, Executive Producer for HBO’s controversial polygamist series “Big Love,” made his feelings toward the Mormon Church’s involvement in California's Prop 8 (which prohibits gay marriage) very clear at the show’s premiere party on Wednesday night.

“The truth is this takes place in Utah, the truth is these people are some bizarre offshoot of the Mormon Church, and the truth is a lot of Mormons gave a lot of money to the church to make Prop-8 happen,” he told Tarts. “There are a lot of people who feel that is un-American, and I am one of them. I do not like to see any discrimination codified on any piece of paper, any of the 50 states in America, but here's what happens now. A little bit of light can be shed, and people can see who's responsible, and that can motivate the next go around of our self correcting Constitution, and hopefully we can move forward instead of backwards. So let's have faith in not only the American, but Californian, constitutional process.”

I'm surprised that Hanks is uninformed enough to think polygamists are an offshoot of the LDS Church that supported Prop. 8. The two have nothing to do with each other; all they share are common roots, but the mainstream LDS Church left polygamy behind well over 100 years ago.

Also, he refers to LDS people giving money to their church to make Prop. 8 happen. That simply is not the case! Donations were made to ProtectMarriage.com. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was a part of a broad-based coalition of faiths, but it was not running the show.

I, for one, am a proud American, and I am grateful for the self-correcting Constitution to which Hanks refers. It's a process that lets the people - not the judges - decide what is best for them, and they will then be accountable for those decisions, good or bad.

11 comments:

S said...

What does the average Mormon Tom Hanks lover do now? Destroy DVDs starring him? Send him fake anthrax? Send him a pink shirt, signed "Love, the Mormons"? Please direct us in our next step.

Christa Jeanne said...

Haha, funny, susie.

I accept that everyone's welcome to their opinions, regardless of whether or not I agree. I may be disappointed with Tom Hanks's views, but that doesn't invalidate his talent - it just means we don't see eye to eye. If you cut out all entertainers who share his views, well, you'd be stuck watching "The Singles Ward" and other Mormon movies!

I, for one, feel classier taking the live-and-let-live approach in that regard, unlike the uncalled for boycotting and blacklisting that the No on 8'ers are pushing against Prop. 8 supporters. At the end of the day, we are all still God's children and deserve to be treated as such.

Euripides said...

It is better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Tom Hanks leaves us no doubt.

Anonymous said...

Christa, you are such a delightful person.

Christa Jeanne said...

Awww, thanks, Ruby! That made my day. And so are you, m'dear. :)

beetlebabee said...

Not that it has anything to do with boycotting or anything like that, but I don't know if I can enjoy his characters as much knowing what I know now.

Same with Barbara Streisand....goodgrief.

IzeOfLight said...

Was Barbara Streisand really all that enjoyable before?

Christa Jeanne said...

Ize does make an excellent point. :)

Anonymous said...

I mentioned to my husband the Tom Hanks comment and he said, "No, couldn't be him. He tries to keep a clean up image." Wish my husband had been right!

I am proud to be an American that gets to voice my opinion. Even when most of Hollywood doesn't agree with it.

Unknown said...

Whether or not I feel marriage is meant to be between a man and a woman, denying same sex marriage is taking away people's right to choose. One of the largest points our faith is built upon is our agency. To deny one their agency is to partake in Lucifer's plan for us. Remember that Jesus' plan was for us to have the ability to choose for ourselves. Rather than fighting over the legal definition of an 8 letter word, I feel the wasted 40 million dollars would be best spent in Africa feeding the hungry and treating people with T.B. and AIDS.

S said...

So President Monson just decided to spend many people's time on a whim. On a tradition. We don't even need a prophet. That's a tenet of our faith.