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I use my real name. I have to change my answer now that I have changed my username. Once more, just to make sure it is clear to anyone who doesn’t read my post about making the change, my new anonymity has nothing to do with the LDS Church but, rather, purely is about a change in employment quite a ways down the road. Apparently church security knows how to find you. Two wrongs… I guess. Awe SNAP! I am not surprised and fully expected this was going on.
I fully assume we may have someone glancing at this site from time to time. Certainly on some blogs I write probably are monitored a bit closer. I honestly think that some items that come out are a result of pressure from blogs and such. Just one example is women praying at conference. There was an uproar in the online community about that and BINGO – next conference there were women praying at conference!
mormonheretic wrote:
Apparently church security knows how to find you.He is a pretty extreme example. While I’ve had my misgivings I have done nothing near that kind of thing.
I used my real name for years on sites and still would be doing so if I didn’t need to consider a bit of anonymity for an upcoming job change. I know church leaders know who I am, from way back when I commented on the large Mormon group blogs. I’m not worried at all about this site. The Chuch absolutely knows about us, generally, and me, personally (since I kept my real name here), but not a word has been said negatively to me about it from any official source – and I have been here for nine years.
SamBee wrote:
mormonheretic wrote:
Apparently church security knows how to find you.He is a pretty extreme example. While I’ve had my misgivings I have done nothing near that kind of thing.
It’s all in the cost/value balance. If you don’t want someone to do something, you’ve got to make the cost greater than the value. If the value of “finding you out” isn’t worth the 6 months pay of an undercover “agent” (or the $50 it’d cost to bribe an admin to give up our IP address), they’re going to leave you alone. Mike was someone worth spending 7-figures to find.
While I don’t agree with Mike did (crossed a line there), I am grateful for those willing to take the risk and “leak”. I don’t like secrets.
He crossed two lines – filming the temple ceremony and trying to strongarm a prominent Mormon. While I think we are too secretive about the temple, I also think his act was disrespectful. I have watched the film on Youtube and it is completely out of context. I’m not a fan of the endowment really but still.
I have no doubt that Mike crossed the lines of civility. But at the same time I do not feel the church is ethical in the endowment on knowing what you are going to agree to ahead of time. Telling you BEFORE you know what is going to go on that you have the right to leave of your own free will and choice isn’t fully ethical. This is especially true for those that go on their wedding day to get their endowment.
I am worried that as I come out as a bit more of a non-believer that I am going to be asked by the SP to come and chat (he and I were somewhat friends as kids).
I just hope he doesn’t pull the “what about the covenants you made in the temple?” I might get a little ticked. But I think I might go into there with a legal document and cover it up except where you sign and ask him to sign it. I assume he won’t because he will want to know the details of what he is agreeing to. I will mention that I wasn’t given the details of what I was agreeing to before I agreed. Unless someone watches the temple ceremony online, I don’t see how they know what they are getting into. I don’t feel any condemnation from God on backtracking on a bunch of Masonic rituals I went through. And to top it off, I never felt the spirit in the temple even once, but felt creepy almost every time I went – even when I got married. And it bugged me that that ceremony never even mentioned “love” in it. And I don’t want to get into the misogyny of my wife having to go through me to get to God.
I just typed quite a bit more than I was planning, but like I said – I think this is one area that I get a bit ticked.
mormonheretic wrote:
Apparently church security knows how to find you.Ouch! My hope is that anyone stalking me sees the good I do in trying to help people find a way within Mormonism after they have lost the faith or encountered challenges to their current commitment. That I still contribute to the success of our Ward and Stake, that I encourage my family in the gospel, that I am not antagonistic to the local people or anyone, although I do have some contrarion ideas. I would hope they would also take into account my highly unusual experiences and background in the church. Although I suspect they wouldn’t care about that — since the history of my relationships with the church didn’t seem to matter to current leaders. And I hope they won’t let their naked self-interest destroy my family relationships through some kind of action that causes a divide between us.
For example, in the story above, did they research the commitment of Mike Norton’s family relationships? Did they consider the impact on those relationships of any action taken against him?
I will say this — you won’t find me videoing the temple ceremony or making public disclosures of confidential material meant to discredit the church, that’s for sure — i think that put NewNameNoah in a league of his own.
I am glad MH posted this — it is a reminder that we can be outed fairly easily. And that we shouldn’t be too casual in our online relationships.
So many people know me or my DH that I don’t think I am anonymous at all. Honestly, I never expected to be as the LDS bloggernacle is a small isolated corner of the world .. kinda like mormonism. I am open about my thoughts, feelings and doubts. There isn’t anything posted on line that would be a problem in a personal life.
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