Lds church courts

[smac97]

2 hours ago, 2BizE said:

If you look at the Natasha Helfer court, they had complied with all prior agreements and had signed documents of confidentiality, yet they didn’t even let them into the building.  

Because Helfer-Parker started behaving in an unseemly and disruptive and obnoxious manner.

2 hours ago, 2BizE said:

Other courts I have heard where they did not assign high counselors to ensure the defendant was treated fairly and the church was represented fairly.  

Sources, please.

2 hours ago, 2BizE said:

There seems to be inconsistencies on how these courts are conducted.

"Court" is a few decades out of date.

Thanks,

-Smac

[smac97]

6 hours ago, poptart said:

It is eye of the beholder, I'm an outsider looking in and well, outside of what I can gleam via reading and talking to friends lets face it, I know almost nothing about the day to day stuff of the LDS church.  Heard it from a few people, I had thought the "membership councils" were harsh, had no idea they were that kind.  

I have participated in several dozen.  They are not "pleasant," in that the subject matter is difficult.  But they are quite necessary.  And the ones in which I have participated have been uniformly somber, reverent, respectful and, as you say, "kind."

6 hours ago, poptart said:

What do you mean by somewhat different perspective on the "political"

It seems like our Roman Catholic friends are pretty okay with publicly declaring particular candidates as being prohibited from taking communion (or that they should be prohibited).  This almost always comes up on the context of a Catholic's views on abortion.  See, e.g., here:

Quote

When U.S. Catholic bishops hold their next national meeting in June, they’ll be deciding whether to send a tougher-than-ever message to President Joe Biden and other Catholic politicians: Don’t receive Communion if you persist in public advocacy of abortion rights.

At issue is a document that will be prepared for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops by its Committee on Doctrine, with the aim of clarifying the church’s stance on an issue that has repeatedly vexed the bishops in recent decades. It’s taken on new urgency now, in the eyes of many bishops, because Biden — only the second Catholic president — is the first to hold that office while espousing clear-cut support for abortion rights.

Such a stance, by a public figure, is “a grave moral evil,” according to Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, who chairs the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities and believes it’s necessary to publicly rebuke Biden on the issue.

“Because President Biden is Catholic, it presents a unique problem for us,” Naumann told The Associated Press. “It can create confusion. ... How can he say he’s a devout Catholic and he’s doing these things that are contrary to the church’s teaching?”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a fairly definitive position on political neutrality:

Quote

Political Neutrality

The Church’s mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, not to elect politicians. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is neutral in matters of party politics. This applies in all of the many nations in which it is established.

The Church does not:

• Endorse, promote or oppose political parties, candidates or platforms.
• Allow its church buildings, membership lists or other resources to be used for partisan political purposes.
• Attempt to direct its members as to which candidate or party they should give their votes to. This policy applies whether or not a candidate for office is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• Attempt to direct or dictate to a government leader.

The Church does:

• Encourage its members to play a role as responsible citizens in their communities, including becoming informed about issues and voting in elections.
• Expect its members to engage in the political process in an informed and civil manner, respecting the fact that members of the Church come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences and may have differences of opinion in partisan political matters.
• Request candidates for office not to imply that their candidacy or platforms are endorsed by the Church.
• Reserve the right as an institution to address, in a nonpartisan way, issues that it believes have significant community or moral consequences or that directly affect the interests of the Church.

In the United States, where nearly half of the world’s Latter-day Saints live, it is customary for the Church at each national election to issue a letter to be read to all congregations encouraging its members to vote, but emphasizing the Church’s neutrality in partisan political matters.

It also has a fairly nuanced approach regarding members of the Church who hold political office (from the same link as above) :

Quote

Relationships With Government

Elected officials who are Latter-day Saints make their own decisions and may not necessarily be in agreement with one another or even with a publicly stated Church position. While the Church may communicate its views to them, as it may to any other elected official, it recognizes that these officials still must make their own choices based on their best judgment and with consideration of the constituencies whom they were elected to represent.

Modern scriptural references to the role of government: Doctrine and Covenants, Section 134

Thanks,

-Smac

[mfbukowski]

7 hours ago, Scott Lloyd said:

I think it has been even longer ago than 30 years that this was the practice. 

You're right probably, I was baptized 41 years ago, and it was happening then.

 

[mfbukowski]

5 hours ago, smac97 said:

I have participated in several dozen.  They are not "pleasant," in that the subject matter is difficult.  But they are quite necessary.  And the ones in which I have participated have been uniformly somber, reverent, respectful and, as you say, "kind."

I agree completely 

[poptart]

On 5/16/2021 at 9:25 PM, smac97 said:

I have participated in several dozen.  They are not "pleasant," in that the subject matter is difficult.  But they are quite necessary.  And the ones in which I have participated have been uniformly somber, reverent, respectful and, as you say, "kind."

It seems like our Roman Catholic friends are pretty okay with publicly declaring particular candidates as being prohibited from taking communion (or that they should be prohibited).  This almost always comes up on the context of a Catholic's views on abortion.  See, e.g., here:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a fairly definitive position on political neutrality:

It also has a fairly nuanced approach regarding members of the Church who hold political office (from the same link as above) :

Thanks,

-Smac

Politics is one of the main reasons why I'm not a regular to mass, it's getting a lot worse.  A lot of millenials, especially single ones have had it and just walked.  There are more tolerant parishes out there if you look and yeah a lot of them are not fond of denying people communion over politics.  It's disgusting how political Catholics and Christians in the USA are, big surprise why their numbers have dipped below 50%.  One story I'll share from growing up, a neighbor married a Catholic and there was some hang up over baptising their first born.  He was stationed in Europe and had their child baptised in Rome on Easter Sunday.  It makes me sick how people here pull the political stunts they do, I'd say people fled Europe to leave that stuff behind but when you look at a lot of the people who left Europe/were given a one way boat ticket, big surprise the USA turned out the way it did. 

Far as I can tell, a lot of religious Christians are acting like an alcoholic couple going through an ugly divorce, destroying everything they can and leaving nothing for their children/future generations.  

That was why I made this thread, I was curious.  If any Christian body in this country has an ounce of sense I'd consider the LDS church among them.   Good for you guys.

On 5/17/2021 at 2:41 AM, mfbukowski said:

I agree completely 

There have to be consequences for anything to work.  Minute that's gone, people leave.

Edited May 18, 2021 by poptart