Doctor CamNC4Me wrote:I do think Rosebud is onto something here. I was reading an article about Sam Young and then thinking over the article I posted on this thread. Sam reminds me of this guy:
https://www.texasobserver.org/fringe-fa ... -movement/CJ Grisham is an active Mormon, and is someone I knew from my time in the Army. We served at our first duty station and I became well acquainted with his activism. He always seemed be getting into one scrap after another with authority figures. He would often challenge the command over trivial things, and over time his activism morphed from challenging the Army to challenging local governments wherever he was stationed. This caused a lot of suffering for him, but
he seemed to relish the attention. He finally retired out of the Army under a cloud of, for lack of better words, mistrust and consternation when he took up the cause of 'open carry' in Texas. If you decide to google him you'll see he's gotten a lot of attention from this over the years, and in fact turned it into a cottage industry. If you're interested in a bit of his history google:
cj grisham school board
cj grisham michael yon
cj grisham temple texas arrest
cj grisham open carry
There are more, but that'll give you a good snapshot of what I think Rosebud has clued into.
Mike Norton is another one of these activist Mormons. He started out with Joseph Lied, but I believe his first big foray into the public arena was when he was protesting the Iraq war. However, before that he would take his activism to 'exposing scummy businesses' that he worked for, and to get an idea of his pugnaciousness you can go here:
https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/mi ... ner-175020So it was natural that New Name Noah would film the temple movies and 'expose' the Church for all its secretive practices. I'm convinced that much like CJ, Mike Norton has a fundamental need for attention and conflict. I'm not sure what's going on there, but obviously in both cases are are some deeply held pathos in their mental and emotional make up.
Sam kind of gives me the same vibe as those two. He started out with the November Policy thing and when that fizzled out he transitioned to this Protect the Children thing.
On a personal level I see the value LDS activist brings to the table. The speaking truth to power, the bucking authority, the need to fight against he powerful is a valuable thing. Someone has to do it, so I'm glad there are these guys that take up whatever cause it is that provides checks and balances. However, it doesn't take away from Rosebud's point that these men, in an odd sort of way, are little boys who never got what they needed, and find a way to scratch that itch regarding attention, power, or conflict. Little boys generally like to wrassle, and these guys be a wrasslin'!
- Doc
I don't think I have words to express just how objectionable this post is to me. Maybe Sam Young is a guy who discovered that his daughter was exposed to masturbation and pornography by her own Bishop and then found out that all of his daughters had been exposed to much the same. Maybe he discussed it with others and found that they, too, had similiar experiences. Maybe he was incensed at the discovery of it all.
And as he talked to others or blogged about it, he uncovered more victims and then more. Maybe he is one of those people much like myself who decided that he had to do something about it. I'm more than certain that this is why I identify with him so strongly.
I discovered decades ago that a job I thought that I well understood and was going to be fun, allowed me to use my creative nature to teach children and already had peripheral skills to do before I sought out the needed formal education, was something more than I ever expected it to be. About 2 years in, I started to see just what I had gotten myself into and it suited me because I had early life experiences that allowed me to develop the ability to relate to children, I had other life experiences that allowed me to relate to parents particularly those who were struggling with life circumstances.
When you talk about the little boy inside of the man, I can just as easily talk about the little girl inside of the woman though I don't see the same twist on it that you do. There are some of us whose early experiences change us in ways that drive us to lift people up and our actions are based on empathy. In order to develop empathy, a person needs to be able to take on the perspective of others--knowing what it feels like to be in their position. That's the foundation of empathy. People who feel what you feel, because they've felt it before themselves and without effort, they reach back and feel it with you.
Years later in my career when at a conference, the facilitator went around the room and asked educators what their greatest strength was as an early educator, my immediate response was "I remember my childhood". And even later, when opening up lecture for Q&A when students would ask me how I found early childhood education without hesitation, I would say that "it found me" and tell the story of how that happened and why I stayed three decades. I lost a job over what I believed was right for children. That job was my heart. I thought everything was over. I didn't know there was more for me or what direction my professional development would take, but when in my lowest moment having lost that precious job my trusted mentor said, "Remember who you are. You are a master teacher", I went out seeking it all the same believing that there was something yet to discover and there was.
I suspect that advocacy found Sam as well. He knew the insides of the church he's been involved in likely since birth, he knew something was wrong. He took a stand. He's losing his church in much the same way that I lost my beloved job but he'll be able to walk away with a clear conscience for doing what is right just like I did. When I went into a new job interview and was asked about why I left my previous position and told the story, they wanted me right away. Someone is going to want Sam when he is ready. There's more for him to do.
I want to add this too and this is coming from a believing perspective. Actually everything I've written above is from the standpoint of a believer, but I try not to harp on it to spare the masses here. ;-) The job that I lost was a church owned program. In the 13 years since then, they have "replaced" me 4 times already. They're actually seeking a candidate for the fourth right now. I was vindicated by a regional council too late for me to return. The person who replaced me stayed for ten years and there ensued a controversy that actually made the major area newspaper--the death punch to a program like that. Her staff resigned just like mine did. The program has shriveled up and is dying. Why? Because the church, much like the LDS church that Sam is opposing, is motivated by power, authority, greed, and out of touch with what is best for children. There are some underlying parallels to be had in Sam's story and my own. When I look back, I feel like the God that I believe, got me out of the way of a runaway train and then took me beyond what I ever imagined. Maybe that same God I believe, is getting Sam out of the way because there is more in store for him to do on a wider scale and he need not be attached to the church to do it. I would go as far as to say there could be a ministry of some sort ahead of Sam, a type of calling that he never saw coming. We'll have to wait and see how that goes because surely he is going to be ex'd from something he once loved.
In any case...
Why aren't you making the connections between the Nov 15th policy and Protect LDS Children? How could you miss it? How could you miss what is right in front of your brain and your eyes, Cam? Let me know when you see it.
You are more insightful than this.
by the way, no extra charge for the in real life and testimony. I'm giving it away for free these days. :-)
