Is Criticizing Mitt Romney an Excommunicable Offense? No.

[cbayer]

http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/joannabrooks/6422/is_criticizing_mitt_romney_an_excommunicable_offense__no./


September 22, 2012 4:09am
Post by JOANNA BROOKS

On Thursday, Newsweek / The Daily Beast reported that David Twede, one of the editors of Mormonthink.com, a website that addresses controversial issues in Mormon history and doctrine, was facing an LDS Church disciplinary council over “a series of articles he wrote this past week that were critical of Mitt Romney.”

Daily Beast linked to this article at Mormonthink.com, which suggests that Romney might be religiously obliged to take political instructions from Church leaders, citing six instances—some dating to the nineteenth century—when Church leaders had exerted political pressure on members, including organizing opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment and support for Proposition 8.

Friday morning, LDS Church spokesman Michael Purdy responded to the Daily Beast report: "It is patently false for someone to suggest they face Church discipline for having questions or for expressing a political view. The Church is an advocate of individual choice. It is a core tenet of our faith. Church discipline becomes necessary only in those rare occasions when an individual’s actions cannot be ignored while they claim to be in good standing with the Church. Every organization, whether religious or secular, must be able to define where its boundaries begin and end.”


And by late Friday, journalists Peggy Fletcher Stack at the Salt Lake Tribune and Laurie Goodstein at the New York Times also had a more complicated story to tell than that reported at the Daily Beast.

more at link

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Purdy is CYAing again,

what a liar. Many have been tossed aside for the benefit of his CULT. Lying sack of sh*t. Surprised more have not come forward before now. Most are so messed up after the Bully Boys get done will them,that they drop out of any social activity.

[cbayer]

2. I am really glad Joana Brooks is covering this, as well as so many other

stories on Mormonism during this campaign.

Bet they would love to excommunicate her, but she soldiers on.

[kestrel91316]

3. <<< Proud g-g-granddaughter AND g-g-g-granddaughter of

spectacularly excommunicated Mormon rebels, lol.

I found the written record of it in microfilmed church records when doing genealogy research 25 years ago, but didn't get photocopies.

[cbayer]

4. So, what exactly are the consequences?

[kestrel91316]

5. You aren't in the church anymore. You lose your entire social circle, because like any other cult,

they have spent your whole life isolating you from nonmembers. And of course you can't have your own personal planet to rule over in the afterlife if you're a man.

In my ancestors' case, they fled Utah in fear for their lives, but that was because they knew and told the truth about what murderous thugs the Mormons were.

These days being excommunicated means you aren't under their thumb anymore. Most people it happens to are more than happy when it finally comes. Sonya Johnson comes to mind.

[cbayer]

7. Well, you weren't going to get a planet anyway, I guess.

I don't mean to make fun, though. I know this is personal for you.

Glad your family got out and were able to move on.

[kestrel91316]

8. Our branch of the family became the apostate "black sheep", lol.

I count thousands of True Believing Mormons, however, among my distant cousins (that polygamy thing, lol).

[dimbear]

6. With the church in the public eye, unless excuses like those used in the Southerton affair

are available, disfellowships are going to be on hold. Until after the election.