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We're (Officially) Out! { and the cult mind/September 6 redux }

Yesterday as i pulled the mail from the mailbox, i noticed an increase in the average number of envelopes. Two envelopes from the Member and Statistical Records Division of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints presented themselves in the pile. { i could almost hear carnival music }

Even though i already knew what the letters would say, i hurried back to the house and opened mine at my desk. "This letter is to notify you that, in accordance with your request, your name has been removed from the membership records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Should you desire to become a member of the Church in the future, the local bishop or branch president in your area will be happy to help you."

Todd's said exactly the same (as do they all).

The ordeal is over. We are officially looking in from the outside. But i'm glad for the experience on the inside. I've always been fascinated with cults and the cult mind. Although mostly a benign cult, it is a cult all the same. People are not allowed to think or question the word of the leaders. They are ostracized, shunned, "disciplined" or cast out when they do.

Which leads to the SHIT STORM that may be about to happen in the Morg.

Remember September 6? When six elite members of the Morg were excommunicated for bringing the truth about the church to light? No? Read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_Six 

It turns out the church does NOT, as it claims, stand up to scrutiny.

Well, it's happening all over again, but in masses.  There are many "underground" groups of mormons who have, or have started to figure out that the church was founded on lies and continues in that tradition.  Others in these groups just flat-out disagree with doctrine or teachings of the Morg (the gay issues is a huge one).  Some of the groups include:  Mormon Think, DAMU (DisAffected Mormon Underground), Sunstone, New Order Mormon...and many, many others.  People are waking up!

The group under extreme scrutiny by the Morg right now is Mormon Stories (started by someone i'm happy to call a friend, John Dehlin).  John got called in for a "meeting" with local leaders.  Here is a man who, in the most loving and kind way (he really is more like Jesus than anyone i know), began to reveal the inaccuracies and controversies within the Morg.  (Morg = Mormon Organization, in case you were wondering).  John has been instrumental in helping thousands of members (mormons) get their heads and hearts straight about the church.  Some of these people concluded that, despite the fact that the Morg isn't what it claims to be, they still want to belong and can and will, and will do so KNOWING and accepting the controversial issues and all the other bad shit that went down/goes down.  Others were relieved to find out the truth and decided to leave for their own integrity.  (I'm with those; i can't support an organization with it's past or present). 

Anyway...let's just say that John Dehlin and Mormon Stories is HUGE in the Mo world.  Needless to say, the Morg is not super happy that it's dirty laundry is being aired, despite the loving way it's been done, or the intention of this particular airer.  So now John has been called in for a "meeting."  There's talk about excommunication, and if that happens to John, will it happen to his "followers" as well?  What about the other New Order Mormons or "Uncorrelated" Mormons out there?  Will they all be ex'ed?  That would mean a HUGE loss of numbers (and hence, money) for the Morg.  For that reason (they do so love their numbers and their money), I don't think they'll do a mass ex'ing.  And i don't think they'll ex John either, because a lot of people would leave the Morg if they slayed their hero. 

Plus, it would be bad press.  Although, the Morg has a culty way of ignoring bad press so the members blindly and robotically ignore it, too.  Baaaaaaaa!  I know...i was once one of them and baaaaaa'd right along with the rest. 

It'll be interesting to see what unfolds, that's for sure. 

P.S.  Gay people don't choose to be gay; they're born that way, just like straight people are born straight. 

P.P.S.  Gay people deserve love and respect.  They deserve the right to marry and have committed relationships. 

That is all.