This needs its own thread - Mormon Think -Daily Beast

[Guest]

There was a Catholic priest a few years ago who taught at a seminary, and was deep into Holocaust denial. Not exactly the same focus.

Maybe we could start with what MT did.

Made a bad attempt at Kirby like Mormon humor.
Posted a link to the temple video and then took it down.
One email re unfavorable information about the Book of Abraham.
Tried to post both sides on Mormon issues that many have questions about.

[_MsJack]

I think it is much more than that. Twede's article on the LDS history of political involvement was a huge blow to the Church, especially given their recent attempts to appear politically neutral.

"Church member to be disciplined for revealing harmful truths that outline the Mormon Church's political agenda."

I agree that the LDS church is not as politically neutral as it tries to appear.

I don't agree that pointing this out is the primary cause of Twede's troubles, and probably not even a significant cause.

After all, Twede himself has provided that the last managing editor of MormonThink was also threatened with church discipline. Were there political articles on the site then?

What was the last time a mainstream church threatened a member with excommunication?

What were the grounds?

It's rare, and it's certainly less common than it is in Mormonism, but it happens.

The grounds? Gossip and bickering, supporting women's ordination, anti-homosexual activity, etc. It can be anything, really. I had a friend who was pursuing church discipline against her ex-fiancé for raping her. I forget what his denomination was; Episcopalian, I think.

[_lulu]

I think it is much more than that. Twede's article on the LDS history of political involvement was a huge blow to the Church, especially given their recent attempts to appear politically neutral.

"Church member to be disciplined for revealing harmful truths that outline the Mormon Church's political agenda."

I agree that the LDS church is not as politically neutral as it tries to appear.

I don't agree that pointing this out is the primary cause of Twede's troubles, and probably not even a significant cause.

After all, Twede himself has provided that the last managing editor of MormonThink was also threatened with church discipline. Were there political articles on the site then?

What was the last time a mainstream church threatened a member with excommunication?

What were the grounds?

It's rare, and it's certainly less common than it is in Mormonism, but it happens.

The grounds? Gossip and bickering, supporting women's ordination, anti-homosexual activity, etc. It can be anything, really. I had a friend who was pursuing church discipline against her ex-fiancé for raping her. I forget what his denomination was; Episcopalian, I think.

Thanks for the examples MsJack and MCB.

We have one RC priest Holocaust denier.
One Presbyterian lay member who bickered in the course of advocating for women elders.
One Roman Catholic religious for advocating women's ordination.
One Epsicopalian lay member for writing bad things about gays for some time.
One possible Epsicopalian lay member for rape.

I'm wondering what Assemblies of God excommunicates for.

[_Kevin Graham]

I don't agree that pointing this out is the primary cause of Twede's troubles, and probably not even a significant cause.

Mormon Think has been online for years. Suddenly the editor is brought in for questioning after publishing that article on Mormon political history just months before a Mormon might be elected President. So you think this is all just one big coincidence?

I'm not saying the Church necessarily went after him for this reason, but clearly Scott Gordon did.

And yes the Church should be outed for the lies it tells. They present "official" statements saying they are neutral and then behind the scenes they pulls stunts like the one in Nevada, trying to get Mormons to vote and act with "one voice." The only key battleground state that could decide this election, which has a substantial Mormon population. I guess that was just another coincidence too? The beauty of Twede's article is that it puts the lie to all these "official" statements of neutrality, and it reflects poorly on the guy who is perceived to be doing the same kind of political hoodwinking in the media.

Obama has been attacked for four years now simply because he attended a Church where a minister made some truthful, though controversial statements regarding America's complicity in global terrorism. Obama had to vocally denounce that minister's teachings. But no one will expect Romney to denounce anything about Mormonism. Ever. He was able to trick some people into thinking he downplayed his Mormonism when he said it was just the "religion of my fathers," suggesting he is only Mormon because of family heritage. That seemed to back off everyone in the media.

No one will push to find out exactly what kinds of covenants he has made either, because they're afraid of offending Mormons who keep pushing this BS about how the temple is too sacred to talk about. In reality they are just too embarrassed to let the world know they're a knock off from Freemasonry, that they swear to put the Church before government, that they all dress up in Pillsbury Dough Boy attire and share secret handshakes which they believe will get them into heaven. I guarantee you if half the country knew even a fraction of this Obama would be leading in the polls by double digits within a week.

[_Spektical]

This may not be the last story written on the subject. If the others don't dig deeper or move off the Romney angle I'd say Twede blew it.

This is why I didn't initially understand why any media would care about the issue. Most major news outlets don't care about internal Mormon matters. These things only matter to people like us, who have a connection to the church. I think the only way to get attention on this thing was to tie Romney into it.

[_Kishkumen]

Yeah, I'm not buying the idea that Scott Gordon, known Romney supporter, was suddenly inspired to turn in Twede to LDS authorities after articles critical of Romney and Mormonism & politics went up on his site as some odd coincidence. He pulled the trigger because he likes to support team LDS *and* team Romney.