Oh what a sad life you must lead to spend so much time trying to attack and bring down Christ’s church.
“In 2002, when Maher was talking to reporters, Garn and his wife Tanya met with Maher and her husband in her bishop’s office in New Hampshire, and subsequently paid her $150,000 for her consent to conceal the incident.”
This doesn’t mean the Bishop arranged it or that the payoff was in any way a church policy or endorsed arrangement.
I see you left off this part. How convenient:
“Maher was recently excommunicated from the church for an extramarital affair.”
Which has nothing to do with the other issues.
The fact is we don’t know the whole story. You are just a man on a mission who cannot be taken seriously by anyone with half a brain. An Anti-Mormon propagandist and active attacker. You are truly truly sad.
From the article "But, Trotter said, Maher's 2008 letter was referred to local leaders, who handle disciplinary matters."
I would think that the Bishop did endorse this arrangement as he was acting on behalf of the church according to the LdS church spokeshole.
Well, I didn't neglect to mention that in a post yesterday -- post #31: McEntee: Garn's hot tub interlude much more than a 'mistake'
The fact is we don’t know the whole story.
I agree; and part of the reason for that is...
(a) the church ex-communicated Maher for having an extra-marital affair, but Garn, who was married at the time, could get in a hot tub naked once or twice with a 15 yo girl...and what? no-ex-communication? After all, didn't we see in a Deseret News article over the weekend this quote? "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has zero tolerance for sexual abuse of any kind, especially instances involving minors," Trotter said...Wanna explain how "zero tolerance" and getting in a hot tub naked with a 15 yo just 5-6 years after being her Sunday School teacher = "zero tolerance"???
and (b) A cover-up by the powers-that-be as part of the Deseret News
This doesn’t mean the Bishop arranged it or that the payoff was in any way a church policy or endorsed arrangement.
I never said it was policy; nor do we know who was privvy to the arrangement. The question would be: Did the Lds church impose any sanctions upon Garn for extending "hush $" for what might have been a crime? (Or for the original abuse?)
I see you left off this part. How convenient: “Maher was recently excommunicated from the church for an extramarital affair.” Which has nothing to do with the other issues.
Well, this last phrase is where you & I would definitely part in perspective. I would maintain that if the relationship turned sexual, then here's a trusted spiritual leader who is in effect "training" a 15 yo to engage in behavior (sex outside of marriage) which if she replicates while married could devastate her...
...family life (the Lds church ex-communicated her for having an affair)
...which could further lead to ex-communication [and did]
Maher said: "This is a secret that devastated my life and my family's life." Source (KSL.com): House majority leader Kevin Garn resigns
Now why would somebody conclude that even a couple of hot tub encounters "devastated my life and my family's life"??? Hold that question for a moment...and then look at another Cheryl Maher comment:
"Let's just say this. He really loves to massage," Maher told City Weekly when asked for details of the contact in the hot tub. Maher, though, talks less about how that particular encounter traumatized her and more about the emotional relationship she had with Garn. "I was in love with him," she said. Source: Woman: Garn lying about 'no contact' in hot tub when she was 15
She was love in him, she says. She looked up to him as her Lds Sunday School teacher; as the guy who trusted her as an employee at age 14 or 13. And, as she implies, the guy who took her to lunch; took her shopping:
"In the church, people feel they can trust everybody," said Maher, who was excommunicated a few years ago for an extra-marital affair. "You're supposed to be safe with the priesthood holder, or whoever you're with. And I think my Mom and Dad felt that way. 'He's taking her out to lunch. Oh, he's taken her shopping. She's taken care of.' They had no idea. That was the trust in the church and I think that needs to be looked at." Source: Woman: Garn lying about 'no contact' in hot tub when she was 15
So, that's why I mentioned that one thing (abuse of a minor) can lead to other eventual issues (continuing the pattern of sex outside of marriage), which in turn can lead to ex-communication.
Besides, we know the Lds leadership pattern. The general authorities are business leaders who serve on each others' business boards. Same with the rest of the Lds hierarchy. Do you think they like to take action vs. a "...wealthy business owner, who has interests in everything from banks to hotels..."???? See quote source at: Garn's bombshell blows away lawmakers