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http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/12/us/two-activists-within-mormon-church-threatened-with-excommunication.html?_r=2 ” class=”bbcode_url”> http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/12/us/two-activists-within-mormon-church-threatened-with-excommunication.html?_r=2 While I can’t say I’m totally surprised, I am disappointed.
If this was truly a “local action” as it is dictated by the handbook, then I think when all the bad publicity hits, SLC will disavow all knowledge, and ask the SP’s to back off. But we all know it is not a local action, as the letters they received arrived two days apart. So any disavowing by SLC will just be theater. I literally just talked to my husband about this possibility last night. I said john dehlin is safe though, because if they ex communicate him, all his followers and extensions of the mormon stories will all leave. Guess I was wrong. They are ready for it. This really devastates me. I’ve been trying so hard to walk lines of loyalty to my new understanding and husband (just left a few months ago) and my entire upbringing in the church. I felt like the lady conference was the polar opposite of the conference session with uchdorf’s call to stay. I didn’t like the strict call to obedience to the members. I had been waiting for last conference to decide where I stood in terms if loyalty. I found out where I stood, but have been staying regardless. I go with my two toddlers by myself. I sit in class in silence because I can’t agree with what is being said. People like john dehlin have helped me at least kept going. Now, I don’t know.
This is very disappointing. No good can come from holding these disciplinary councils. http://ordainwomen.org/excommunication/http://ordainwomen.org/excommunication/” class=”bbcode_url”> Quote:I was open and honest with my bishop from the day we launched ordainwomen.org on March 17, 2013. I communicated with him each and every time Ordain Women did an action and asked that he come to me if he had any questions. While I was living in his ward, he never once personally called me in to meet with him. Nor did he email or call me with any questions regarding Ordain Women. Three weeks after I had moved out of his ward, and he sent me this letter. Convening a council in my absence, after I have moved, is both cowardly and unchristlike.
That is pretty bad but in light of this likely being a top down directive it makes sense. The BP didn’t take action until he was asked to.
Edit: plus it’s one side of the story.
I figured it was just a matter of time before the hammer was dropped on JD but an action against Kate Kelly is surprising give the lack of general support among women in the church for ordination. I agree that no good will come of this. I agree with DarkJedi, in that it doesn’t surprise me but disappoints me greatly. I hope it doesn’t happen to either of them, even though I think John has been going back and forth over the line for a long time.
The Deseret News and Salt lake Tribune both have pieces, too, with their unsurprisingly unique takes. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865604976/Two-Mormon-activists-say-they-are-facing-church-discipline.html ” class=”bbcode_url”> http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865604976/Two-Mormon-activists-say-they-are-facing-church-discipline.html http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/58056757-78/kelly-font-scribd-dehlin.html.csp ” class=”bbcode_url”> http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/58056757-78/kelly-font-scribd-dehlin.html.csp John Dehlin, Mormon Stories, and StayLDS.com all have been crucial to my post-crisis of faith experience. I no longer believe many of the things that I once did, but people like John and others on this site help me to understand that there is a different spiritual path that you could take that would allow one to embrace belief and disbelief at the same time. This path put more of the onus for our spiritual journey in our hands, it is up to us to find out what we believe and what we don’t. I am grateful for people like John Dehlin and Kate Kelly who have stood up for what they believe in and helped create a space for “others”. Cracking down on individuals for respectful dissent will only lead to more people being forced to remove themselves or having it forced on them. It begs the question, who’s next?
I found out the news on the way home from work today. It makes me very sad. That’s about all I can say. I have always known this was a distinct probability. I accepted that a long time ago and am at peace with it … but it still makes me sad to see it playing out. Yeah, it makes me sad too. It sucks that excommunication to John Dehlin and the woman that formed Ordain Women might happen. I pray that according to Heavenly Father’s will, they won’t be excommunicated, and if they are that they do good in the world. I also pray that the First Presidency in Salt Lake City will be open to receive revelation about any major changes in the church, even if it is allowing gay marriage or ordaining women to the priesthood. I also pray they will be open to receive revelation about translating some more ancient scriptures. Both letters are posted on the SL Tribune site. It looks to me like the SP is asking John if he wants his name removed in light of his recent post. It doesn’t look like they are quite ready to do a council yet. What I am about to ask is NOT a rhetorical question. What distinguishes John and Kate Kelly from the disaaffected bloggers in the bloggernacle such as those of us at StayLDS? Is it that they are very vocal, have spoken to the press? Or is it that they intend to influence others to act or believe in ways that are not in alignment with traditional church thinking?
I guess meeting with MWS, and then having PR send a really passive aggressive letter, wasn’t enough of a slap in the face. Wow. I mean, I’m trying really hard to StayLDS, but things like this make it hard.
Maybe this will lay out in stark relief issues that so many have, and when push comes to shove the appetite for conflict just won’t be there. Maybe there will be subtle accommodation all around to keep the peace. Peace-keeping is good, at least for me and my house. I’m trying to be positive.
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