Kate Kelly Appeals Her Excommunication

[Daniel2]

Her excommunication is back in the news, as reported by Reuters:

Excommunicated Mormon feminist appeals ejection from faith

http://news.yahoo.com/excommunicated-mormon-feminist-appeals-ejection-faith-172928089.html

Reuters

By Jennifer Dobner

31 minutes ago

By Jennifer Dobner

SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - A Mormon feminist excommunicated from her religion after advocating for the ordination of women has appealed the ejection in a letter to the same panel of male church leaders who decided to oust her from the largely patriarchal faith.

Kate Kelly, the 33-year-old founder of the website Ordain Women, was excommunicated in June after church leaders deemed her actions and public statements to have violated the “laws and order” of the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and amounted to apostasy.

“The decision to excommunicate me has had a deleterious effect on me and on my family,” Kate Kelly wrote in a July 23 letter to regional church leaders in Virginia, where she lived until June.

“It has also been an extremely negative experience for thousand of other Mormons with questions and concerns about gender equity in the Church ... do the right thing and reinstate me to full membership in the Church,” she said.

Launched in 2013, Ordain Women has thousands of supporters worldwide and has pushed for greater gender equity in the Mormon church. Men ordained into the lay priesthood can perform religious rituals, including baptisms, confirmations or blessings, while women's leadership roles are limited to auxiliary organizations.

Kelly’s widely publicized excommunication prompted calls for clemency, including more than 1,000 letters of support that were sent to church leaders deciding her fate.

Disciplinary actions within the Mormon church are said to be decided on a local level, but Kelly’s dismissal drew a rare public response from the faith’s highest governing boards.

In a statement, church leaders said questions of faith were welcomed, but that apostasy results when inquiry leads to advocacy which leads individuals away from doctrine and encourages others to follow them.

A church spokesperson did not return an email message from Reuters on Thursday seeking comment on Kelly’s appeal.

In her letter, Kelly contends the disciplinary process used against her was unfair and that church leaders failed to ask critical questions about her experience as a woman in the church and were not sincerely interested in her point of view.

“I am and always have been a faithful Mormon. My only ‘sin’ elucidated by you has been in speaking my mind,” she wrote.

If the appeal is rejected, Kelly can ask the church’s First Presidency to override the decision of local church leaders.

[bluebell]

I find it a little bit ironic that she accuses these men of refusing to listen to her point of view or ask critical questions about her thoughts on the matter when it seems pretty obvious (given she keeps saying she was excommunicated for every reason except what they actually said she was ex'ed for) that she hasn't ever really bothered to listen to their point of view or ask them critical questions on their thoughts either.

 

Guess we'll see how the appeal goes (since i'm sure she will tell us).

[ERayR]

Sounds like she is of the same mind still:

 

“I am and always have been a faithful Mormon. My only ‘sin’ elucidated by you has been in speaking my mind,” she wrote.

[Mystery Meat]

"She is either incredibly naive or disingenuous." My inactive and bitter sister.

[thesometimesaint]

It is her right, but I don't expect she'll like the outcome.

[Storm Rider]

I don't think there is anything to say about her.  She has had her 15 seconds of fame and I am completely fed up with her, her organization, and anyone that pleads for her case.  She is completely blind to the reality that brought her to her pitiful predicament.  The more she speaks the more she confirms she is lost.

 

Move along.

[ERayR]

"She is either incredibly naive or disingenuous." My inactive and bitter sister.

 

Motive:  Just keep the cameras rolling.

[GingerRed]

Oh brother.     Sounds to me like she doesn't know the meaning of the word 'humility'....

 

I bet that even if the Lord Himself told her to her face...no women are NOT getting the Priesthood...she would STILL not believe it! 

 

 

Red

[Garden Girl]

Kelly will continue to parrot her false statement as to the reason she was excommunicated, i.e., for speaking her mind... she was told in writing from the review panel the reasons action was taken... but that doesn't paint her as victim... so she continues to blindly go forward with her self-serving diatribe. 

 

GG

 

 

[Buzzard]

Seems like she it trying to extend her fifteen minutes of fame by a couple of minutes.

[BCSpace]

My prediction:

 

[Nofear]

It is one thing to say she is wrong (as I believe she is). It is another to impugn her character and motives. Some of her actions and words are quite disturbing. Nonetheless, it is one thing to be sincere but misguided and lost and quite another to be malicious in intent. Assuming, or granting the benefit of doubt, about another's position above the other until clear evidence proves contrary seems a more charitable and Christian way to go. The other path is the path of gossip which is soundly denounced by the Brethren.

[Tacenda]

John Dehlin is going to be interviewing both her & her husband on Mormon Stories in case anyone's not sick of her and would like to listen. 

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

John Dehlin is going to be interviewing both her & her husband on Mormon Stories in case anyone's not sick of her and would like to listen. 

It should be relabeled as "Mormon" Stories.

[Tacenda]

It should be relabeled as "Mormon" Stories.

You lost me Mola. 

 

 

Nevermind, Bluebell answered.  Now I get it! 

[bluebell]

You lost me Mola. 

 

He put the word mormon in quotes, like someone would to imply that the stories aren't really all that mormon.  

[Avatar4321]

I don't expect the appeal process to give her her desired results.

 

I'm not familiar with the procedure for an appeal though, how does it work exactly?

[Nofear]

Repeat thread... merge?

[VideoGameJunkie]

I feel bad for anyone that is excommunicated. Being a member of the church is one of the most wonderful things. Getting that taken away must be hard and embarrassing if it's so public.

[Saints Alive]

If her excommunication wasn't directed by the men she is appealing to I'd say she has a shot. Unfortunately the hierarchy has spoken and when they have spoken the debate is over, whether it be polygamy, blacks in the priesthood, or women... Maybe if she lives another 100 years she will see change. 

[ERayR]

If her excommunication wasn't directed by the men she is appealing to I'd say she has a shot. Unfortunately the hierarchy has spoken and when they have spoken the debate is over, whether it be polygamy, blacks in the priesthood, or women... Maybe if she lives another 100 years she will see change. 

 

She could always start her own church.

[Saints Alive]

She could always start her own church.

Perhaps, however she happens to believe in the gospel.

[ERayR]

Perhaps, however she happens to believe in the gospel.

 

It appears like not so much.  She could always preach as much of the gospel as she believes in.

[The Nehor]

Perhaps, however she happens to believe in the gospel.

 

It is more likely that it takes too much effort to start your own church. You have to find witnesses to testify of gold plates, write a book about an ancient culture or two, announce angelic visitations to restore authority, get the keys brought in so probably building a temple. It is  much easier to just modify/corrupt an existing church.

[Saints Alive]

It is more likely that it takes too much effort to start your own church. You have to find witnesses to testify of gold plates, write a book about an ancient culture or two, announce angelic visitations to restore authority, get the keys brought in so probably building a temple. It is much easier to just modify/corrupt an existing church.

I like how you classify equality for women as corruption. As for starting churches vs modifying them I guess Joseph Smith must have just been a real go-getter then.