Like any organization, the ACLU probably makes some decisions based on the desires of its membership. But I don’t think that one can accurately say that it follows the dictates of Jewish groups. After all, some of the ACLU’s most high-profile cases have come in defending the free speech rights of Nazi groups.

I’m pretty sure that the church leader asking about the ACLU during the interview was out of line. I once specifically asked a stake president during an interview what the question about “associating with groups whose views oppose the Church” meant, and he assured me that it addressed those groups who specifically have an anti-Mormon agenda. I don’t agree with the ACLU on a lot of things either, but I’m pretty sure that “taking down the LDS church” is nowhere on their list of goals.

I’m not a big fan of the ACLU, mainly due to what I see as some hypocrisy. But I’m definitely glad there are there. I come from the school of thought that sees activists, even ones I often disagree with, as an important part of our democracy. They force the mainstream to consider their actions. And, there is an awful lot the ACLU does that I am extremely supportive of. I just find that they don’t always support free speech rights of certain groups they don’t like and that their stance towards certain ammendments (like the second) is more than a little off.

I don’t think there should be school-sanctioned prayer in schools, but I don’t think it should be prohibited if the students want to do it privately or in small groups at appropriate times. It seems that the ACLU wants to get rid of religion entirely from the public arena, especially Christianity.

Is there a site that lists all the cases the ACLU has been involved in? I’d be interested to see if there are any trends or changes in policy.

Therefore, I don’t really see how, with all of the “bad” positions the ACLU takes and the “bad” activities in which it engages, one can be both a good member of the church and a good member of the ACLU. I guess it will depend on what you would require to be classified as a “good member” of either organization. If just because the ACLU does a few good things, they are worthy of support, then couldn’t we justify supporting even anti-mormon groups that engage in charity work or defend the down trodden, or anything else we deem good?

Let me also say, that depending on the level of support and activity of the member, I do not see an inherent problem with the recommend interview question. Again, the ACLU has taken and continues to take sufficient positions conflicting with (sometime directly) the positions of the LDS church that make such a question, depending on the circumstances, no inappropriate.

In a tangent to his response to a question I asked then-mayoral-candidate Rocky Anderson, he volunteered that he disagreed with the ACLU’s involvement in racial preferences.

Where I take exception to the ACLU (and I hasten to add that I may be misinformed) is when they break this trust and look at the ends. I think their constitutional view of the second ammendment is a good example of this. While I disagree with them, I think their position on the sale of the street to the church in SLC can be defended as consistent to their stated aims. Same with a lot of the 10 commandment issues. (Which I actually think ought to be removed from public buildings)

Where I find the group hypocritical, beyond the 2cd ammendemnt as individual right issue, is that they *won’t* typically defend polygamists on the same basis they take cases for homosexual marriage or other such matters. This suggests to me that their basis for arguing isn’t *process* but *results*. I personally dislike most of the Utah polygamists based upon what I’ve read in the media. (Not always a fair source I know) But I don’t understand the position of the ACLU towards them.

Regarding racial prferences, I actually can understand the ACLU there given that the issue is the constitutionality of said preferences. I am against such preferences as done by the state. But I’m a little uncomfortable saying they are unconstitutional.

Does the ACLU fall into that category? Arguably, yes. Doesn’t a history of litigation against the Church amount to an opposition to “teachings or practices…accepted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”?

Scott