Stormy Waters wrote:Maybe I should start on new thread on this topic, but what would be the 'most devastating case' you can make? You have a limited interaction with these people, so what information would do the most damage?
Excellent idea for a new thread, and what better way for LDST to brainstorm!
I guess then the question is, what is the intention? To damage the testimony of the believer, or to make him look like an idiot? I think the approach would be different for each.
Members who came to such a confrontational event would leave any meeting like this feeling justified that they called him an apostate. It would serve no purpose except to further entrench each side. LDS knows his ward. Were I him I would let certain people (bishop or elders quorum president or, if he is really sly, the relief society president) know how deeply he and his family have been hurt by these viscous public accusations against him, how devastated the kids are and that they are praying that the Lord will forgive this man.
Then let the ward rumor mill do its work.
Last edited by Guest on Sun Jan 29, 2012 11:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Any over-ritualized religion since the dawn of time can make its priests say yes, we know, it is rotten, and hard luck, but just do as we say, keep at the ritual, stick it out, give us your money and you'll end up with the angels in heaven for evermore."
Fence Sitter wrote:Members who came to such a confrontational event would leave any meeting like this feeling justified of the apostate label of LDS. It would serve no purpose except to further entrench each side. LDS knows his ward. Were I him I would let certain people (bishop or elders quorum president or, if he is really sly, the relief society president) know how deeply he and his family have been hurt by these viscous public accusations against him, how devastated the kids are and that they are praying that the Lord will forgive this man.
Then let the ward rumor mill do its work.
This is actually really good.
~Those who benefit from the status quo always attribute inequities to the choices of the underdog.~Ann Crittenden ~The Goddess is not separate from the world-She is the world and all things in it.~
Fence Sitter wrote:Members who came to such a confrontational event would leave any meeting like this feeling justified that they called him an apostate. It would serve no purpose except to further entrench each side. LDS knows his ward. Were I him I would let certain people (bishop or elders quorum president or, if he is really sly, the relief society president) know how deeply he and his family have been hurt by these viscous public accusations against him, how devastated the kids are and that they are praying that the Lord will forgive this man.
Then let the ward rumor mill do its work.
In reality, I think it doesn't matter what he does. I think most Mormons will find a way to justify what happened to save the church. That's all that matters. Much like "Why Me."
Let's get a thread going a la stak's idea (though I doubt I'll be holding an apostate fireside, I may be holding smaller tete-a-tetes)
H.
"Others cannot endure their own littleness unless they can translate it into meaningfulness on the largest possible level." ~ Ernest Becker "Whether you think of it as heavenly or as earthly, if you love life immortality is no consolation for death." ~ Simone de Beauvoir
So, if these people at church would have contacted our canadian friend, our canadian friend could simply assume that the contact was to get them back to church? And he can moan at will about it here? And can our canadian friend assume that the man giving the talk about him missing our canadian friends was just a ploy to get H and his wife back to church and also to emabarrass the kids?
I told the bishop one thing - people are welcome in my home to visit, but overt attempts to proselytize are not welcome. So, don't make an assignment to Sister NeverSeenHer to come visit Dear Wife when she has never said two words to Dear Wife. But, by all means, drop on by, any one, for tea and crumpets.
H.
"Others cannot endure their own littleness unless they can translate it into meaningfulness on the largest possible level." ~ Ernest Becker "Whether you think of it as heavenly or as earthly, if you love life immortality is no consolation for death." ~ Simone de Beauvoir
Stormy Waters wrote: In reality, I think it doesn't matter what he does. I think most Mormons will find a way to justify what happened to save the church. That's all that matters.
I think that a lot of members would see this as a very poor choice on the part of the ward mission leader and that some bishops would actually be receptive to suggestions on how to correct this or prevent it from happening in the future. It just depends on how LDSToronto wants to handle it. He knows his ward. I have had bishops that I would feel comfortable talking to about this and others for which it would be a waste of time.
"Any over-ritualized religion since the dawn of time can make its priests say yes, we know, it is rotten, and hard luck, but just do as we say, keep at the ritual, stick it out, give us your money and you'll end up with the angels in heaven for evermore."
LDSToronto wrote:the ward mission leader pointed out that many in the church have lost their way, and named dear wife and I as prime examples. That's right, called us by name.