Replies

Oh, it's you again. How are you my dear bigot? I see your hatred of everything Mormon is as virulent as ever.

My church has indubitably made mistakes - unlike Catholicism and Protestantism, our ecclesiastical leaders are purely unpaid volunteers and aren't formally trained. They didn't know how to respond to cases brought before them and thought Christ's admonition to forgive offenders who showed remorse and humility was also applicable to sexual offenders.

My church has paid dearly for its earlier naivete. Millions were paid to victims, resulting in the LDS Church now being recognized as the most intolerant faith in the US today in regards to sexual offenses. It excommunicates all those guilty of such heinous offenses towards children in addition to reporting them to the civil authorities. These monsters can never, EVER be re-admitted to the church unless the First Presidency itself authorizes the re-baptism, and even then, the offender, regardless of how long in the past the offense took place, is never again placed in any position where he is placed in authority over children or youth. We're also the ONLY church that teaches our children, right in our Sunday Schools, the seriousness of sexual abuse and how they must resist any attempts to defile them and immediately report the offender to the police even if he's their own father or relative. Is your church as strict as we are?

I have no doubt you know all this, and yet, mistakes of the past are still somehow valid to you as long as they put Mormonism in a bad light.

How sad.

Another attempt to sidestep. My church has strict requirements regarding who is allowed to deal with children, something common in Christian churches is running a background check since pedophiles tend to charm the adults they come in contact with. I was fingerprinted and had a background check run on me (with my consent) in order to tutor teenagers in a learning center (as are all volunteers and staff). This is normal (something I was stunned that Mormons do not do). Are you saying the LDS check their prospective Primary YM/YW (teenaged groups) teachers out this carefully, then I will believe you have changed as a church.

I doubt that the practice of interviewing teenagers (from the age of 12 on up) about their lives, including sexual questions by a Bishop or his assistant 1 on 1 has been discontinued however and this is utterly inappropriate and can cross the line from inquiry to some horny guy getting some twisted sexual fulfillment from a guilt ridden teen. Think about it. Or because some old guy who claims he speaks for the Lord told you to pray, pay and obey (emphasis on Obey) you will stop and that is unfortunate.

Your leadership sounds very top heavy and legalistic. Rather pharisee like. Surely your leadership doesn't assume powers associated with our Father and the Lord Jesus....and no other person in your church, historically or present would EVER assume anything approaching this perfect compliment of Father and Son, correct?

I just found out recently that the big church in Salt lake does not allow people-either family or friends- of the bride and groom to attend their wedding therein if such people have not managed to attain a certain sort of law or credential, whatever, with the church bigwigs. How sick is that? I wonder what Jesus would have to say about that? He loved weddings, open, rollicking, joyous weddings wherein the entire family and friends gathered to celebrate the most Holy of events-a marriage. Could this be true? Could the mormon chuch with all of its rules and regulations and traps actually level such a hideous ruling to exclude people from a big church wedding? Surely not. Such a cold law would never come from our Father. Ever. He is love.