stemelbow Posted February 13, 2015 Posted February 13, 2015 (edited) My wife is a huge blog reader. She, like me, feels a little lonely at Church because we feel like we can't share our real thoughts, for fear of upsetting people in the ward. Oh well. We get by. We have each other, family and friends. And many Mormons wonder why it is the Church is lashing out at its own in this way. Why does the Church kill the messenger instead of dealing with the issues? The answer seems obvious—the Church is disciplining the messenger because they have no response to the message; because the message is truehttp://rationalfaiths.com/john-dehlin-debacle/ She sent me this. I'm curious what's going on with all of this? The message that Jesus is not the Christ is true because John says it? It seems like we're left just hearing different sides posit dogma. I'm not happy about personal struggles people go through. I don't care for the whole idea of excommunicating someone because they lose faith and talk about it. But, that's how the Church handles it. This is how it has gone, it seems to me. The Core teaching, if there is any, of the Church is that Jesus is the Christ. John's leaders: Have you argued against the atonement? John: Sure have. John's leaders: So you created a following to ask questions and you argue to persuade followers that the core element of the Church is not true? John: well, talk about the good I've done. I think the Church is great, in that I believe in being charitable and nice to people. John's Leaders: I know but, you've argued against our core teachings, created a following on that basis, have denounced our scriptures and bad mouthed our leaders, unfairly. John: Can't I support SSM? John's Leaders: People can if they want, but there's no need to recruit people for it. John: So I can't support SSM and be a member? John's Leaders: I didn't say that. John: But it's a problem? John's leaders: Well, it's against the teachings of the Church. John: But it's a problem? John's leaders: To recruit people and gleefully tell people more people are leaving because of you than staying...yeah there's a problem. John goes off to tell local media that he is being disciplined for supporting equal rights. "Ugh..." says the PR department. John responds: Don't tell me I'm wrong. My SP responded to a question I posed to him by saying yes, it's a problem. Therefore I can interpret that to mean I am disciplined for support equal rights. And followers put out pieces saying any Mormon who thrives in the Church is a waste of a human being, telling everyone he's saved more people save Jesus only, if he were real...and other such nonsense, but also adding, he is too good for the Church, he's only telling the truth. But he carries a narrative to all of his own teachings just like the Church. I know Mormons get a bad name by John and his followers for not asking the tough questions, not accepting a progressive and nuanced set of beliefs, but it's weird that the same mentality they complain about among Mormons is found right there amongst themselves. Edited February 13, 2015 by stemelbow 1
Ahab Posted February 13, 2015 Posted February 13, 2015 People can have the same mentality while being on opposite sides. That's the neat thing about opposites. Each is like the other, but opposing.
Calm Posted February 13, 2015 Posted February 13, 2015 "but it's weird that the same mentality they complain about among Mormons is found right there amongst themselves."Which may be why they see it so much in others.
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