- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
Old-Timer wrote:
I have some personal experience that tells me that the general feeling now is one of a deep desire to be more “open-tented” – but it’s not something that can happen quickly or easily or radically.
Sure it can happen quickly, even radically we just choose to go slow to try and have as few bumps as possible in the process. This may be the right approach or the wrong depending on your point of view. Personally I thrive on change and drastic change at times is good for you. LIke I tell all my employees, there is only one constant in the universe and that is change.
SilentDawning wrote:Ouch!! This sounds like the FBI to me — is it possible a file is being kept on us here? Efforts to track us down and ensure we never hold positions of responsibility in the Church ever again?
We all have to face the possibility that by posting here we may forever ruin our chances to be a bishop, EQP, HPGL, RSP, SP, etc. and with that opportunity to be sleepless, stressed, constantly worried and harassed, estranged from home and firesides bright, and in the end blessed with worry lines, weight gain and ulcers. But at the same time we can take heart that the nursery or assistant song book coordinator callings will still be open to us. We just have to decide if we’re a half full vs half empty type laborer in the vineyard.
GBSmith wrote:SilentDawning wrote:Ouch!! This sounds like the FBI to me — is it possible a file is being kept on us here? Efforts to track us down and ensure we never hold positions of responsibility in the Church ever again?
We all have to face the possibility that by posting here we may forever ruin our chances to be a bishop, EQP, HPGL, RSP, SP, etc. and with that opportunity to be sleepless, stressed, constantly worried and harassed, estranged from home and firesides bright, and in the end blessed with worry lines, weight gain and ulcers. But at the same time we can take heart that the nursery or assistant song book coordinator callings will still be open to us. We just have to decide if we’re a half full vs half empty type laborer in the vineyard.
I have a similar note in my journal — that in some respects we are blessed to be denied opportunities. Strange sounding, but it may well be true. My life is much easier now that I’m not in leadership.
Cadence, I should have added “without great cost”. Thanks for your additional input. Actually I wasn’t meaning an FBI type organisation so much as a kind of “thermometer”. Given some of the rubbish which has been spouted about the LDS, I can understand this. (By rubbish I’m referring to the likes of Ed Dekker who annoyed some prominent EX-Mormons with the falsehoods he was coming out with.)
p.s. I’ve never been that bothered with the second set of piercings business anyway. When I walk in people just assume the clanking of all my nipple rings is a bit of spare change for the bus.
cwald wrote:SilentDawning wrote:Ouch!! This sounds like the FBI to me — is it possible a file is being kept on us here? Efforts to track us down and ensure we never hold positions of responsibility in the Church ever again?…
I hope so.
-Edited by Moderator per user request-
You are SO in big trouble.
Oh, and cwald, I think my sister might live in the Bend Stake. I’m not sure, but I know she at least used to live somewhere in that general area. We are very different, and I’m sure you wouldn’t put the two of us together as siblings even if you did know her, but if you are interested send me a PM. If not, don’t.
SamBee wrote:p.s. I’ve never been that bothered with the second set of piercings business anyway. When I walk in people just assume the clanking of all my nipple rings is a bit of spare change for the bus.
🙂 People should be cautious about outing their identity. It’s just something that’s hard to take back is all. I don’t perceive that the Church is in the business of excommunicating people anymore in the previous Sept 6-style. I have never been contacted by anyone about my participation, not from the local level or all the way up to the top. I am not aware of anyone else receiving any grief either. In fact, I hear more stories of appreciation than anything. I do know of one person who was called to task at the local ward-stake level for posting something negative on FaceBook about conference / the brethren (or was it gay marriage? I can’t remember). It really seemed like an anomaly.
I don’t care anymore. Well … I care about all these issues, passionately. But I am not an enemy of the Church. I want it to succeed in its purposes and be the best possible organization it can be (and should be). I just see things differently than a certain vocal “guardian” mentality group.
😈 They don’t necessarily need to own the show. It’s MY CHURCH TOO!!!I feel like this — they created me. Now they’re stuck with me.
Brian Johnston wrote:People should be cautious about outing their identity. It’s just something that’s hard to take back is all.
I don’t care anymore. Well … I care about all these issues, passionately. But I am not an enemy of the Church. I want it to succeed in its purposes and be the best possible organization it can be (and should be)…
I feel like this — they created me. Now they’re stuck with me.
This is all good – and I’m there to. I don’t care really either. Perhaps I will regret “outing: myself later in life, but really, I just expect openness and honesty and I practice what I preach – even at church. I have nothing to hide, and I would use my real name in my avatar except I’ve used cwald for so long that many folks I associate with wouldn’t know me. In fact, I use cwald so folks on the bloggernacle WILL recognize me.
Caring about this kind of thing causes/caused me way too much stress. It actually might make my life easier if
moremembers and local leaders knew how I really feel about the issues. Take me off the hook of having all these damn callings and having to tip-toe around church and such. But I think the branch and stake leadership already have a pretty good idea. 🙂 cwald wrote:EDITED
With the proliferation of the Internet, there have been a lot of sites that have sprung up around Mormonism, offering non-traditional views, free of any cultural or even disciplinary consequences.
Many of the ideas are very much COUNTER to the desired patterns of thought we see in our Wards. If we stood up in Fast and Testimony meeting and shared the thoughts we share here or at other non-traditional LDS sites, we’d be pulled aside or potentially disciplined. Certainly labelled as strange and even apostate…On the other hand, I think sites like these provide valuable interaction and a sense of community you can’t get in your Wards which have traditional ideals… What reaction have you seen from the Church to these sites? Comments from GA’s? And what impact do you see this having on the culture and future of the Church?So far I have seen almost no response or impact as far as any real change in the doctrines, policies, culture, or what teachings they choose to emphasize the most. For example, when I go to church, listen to Conference talks, read Ensign articles, etc. I just don’t hear much of anything different than the same kinds of things they were saying 20 years ago. The only possible response I see that they have made is some of the apologetic arguments and PR moves to try to convince people that the same old doctrines still make sense, Mormons aren’t weird, etc. It all looks like smoke and mirrors to try to make people feel better about the Church while mostly avoiding the real problems people have with it. Maybe once reality sinks in that this approach is not really helping that much they will start to pay more attention to some of these issues that are not going away.
It’s interesting how differently people see things. I’ve seen a lot of change in the last 20 years – and, of course, a lot that hasn’t changed. I’m not saying I’m right and you’re wrong, DA. I don’t mean that – not at all. I really am just saying it’s interesting that we see this so differently.
I see vast improvements in the state of things. While I think some GAs hold onto more traditional ideas, others are keen to develop ways that the church can survive and improve itself in our times.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.