Excommunication for blogging

[_Mister Scratch]

This is fascinating. I wonder very much if his bishop will receive a "packet" or "dossier" from the SCMC. I would be interested in finding out if such a thing exists. Could someone familiar with his blog perhaps pass this information along to him, or get him to ask his bishop about it? This could potentially be huge.

[_wenglund]

Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak, not freedom from consequences resulting from speech--which may include the excercise of the freedom to associate or not associate with whomever.

If you had a friend who set up a blog to freely badmouth you and vent his/her anger against you, would it be worrisome for you to privately confront your so-called friend and potentially end the friendship on that basis?

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

[_OUT OF MY MISERY]

No I would start a Blog about him.....free speech is free speech...actually I would waste my energy on this angry person

And why would I be friends with someone that was badmouthing me in the first place

There would be nothing end because nothing would have started

[_wenglund]

No I would start a Blog about him.....free speech is free speech...actually I would waste my energy on this angry person

And why would I be friends with someone that was badmouthing me in the first place

There would be nothing end because nothing would have started

I think I understand what you are saying. To you, a real and faithful friend wouldn't badmouth and vent on a blog about you, and anyone who did, wasn't a real and faithful friend to begin with. You can't really end what hadn't really begun. Essentially, the person doing the badmouthing had, by their actions, compromised or already severed the so-called friendship.

This is an excellent point...and one that I agree with for the most part (I happen to believe that people can change, and where once they were a true and faithful friend, they can, for reasons of their own--presumeably based on how they may have perceive my actions, stop being a true and faithful and believing friend.).

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

[_gramps]

This is fascinating. I wonder very much if his bishop will receive a "packet" or "dossier" from the SCMC. I would be interested in finding out if such a thing exists. Could someone familiar with his blog perhaps pass this information along to him, or get him to ask his bishop about it? This could potentially be huge.

Hey, Mister Scratch, you may also want to check out Scottishboy's thread over on RfM. He is being called into court as well for his blog. If I remember correctly, the area presidency told him that the first presidency wanted something done about it.

********Again, I don't know if I remember this correctly. But, it is worth checking out.*********

It's a very recent thread, maybe yesterday or so, but is still up at the top, I believe.

[_Runtu]

This is fascinating. I wonder very much if his bishop will receive a "packet" or "dossier" from the SCMC. I would be interested in finding out if such a thing exists. Could someone familiar with his blog perhaps pass this information along to him, or get him to ask his bishop about it? This could potentially be huge.

Hey, Mister Scratch, you may also want to check out Scottishboy's thread over on RfM. He is being called into court as well for his blog. If I remember correctly, the area presidency told him that the first presidency wanted something done about it.

********Again, I don't know if I remember this correctly. But, it is worth checking out.*********

It's a very recent thread, maybe yesterday or so, but is still up at the top, I believe.

Here's my guess as to what happens. I very much doubt that the SCMC goes out trolling for people to report. Rather, I suspect that someone high up got wind of Scottishboy's blog and asked SCMC to look into it.

On a related note, I finally killed off my blog entirely. My daughter said it bothered her, so I deleted it.

[_gramps]

Well, here is Scottishboy's post from RfM:

I am interested in what the letter from the first presidency is all about? Why would an issue over a blog go up to the first presidency, whether they initiated it or not? Intriguing.

You may have noticed I've been a little quieter over the past few weeks. Here's why:

A few weeks ago I came back from a trip to the Continent. I flew home on a Sunday afternoon and got to the house before anyone returned from Church meetings. I knew something was up when my mother asked my younger brother to go round to his grandma's house which is less than 5 min away.

Turns out that the SP had approached my father clutching print outs. They were from my blog and my story from exit story from RfM. I've put it back up over here now too.

It seems like a former SP from Edinburgh 'stumbled' accross my blog and was so offended by it's content that he felt it necessary to have me tracked down. There was a letter from the 1st Presidency asking the area guys to take care of the issue. From there copies were bounced around the 5 stake presidencies in Scotland until I was identified from the information in the story.

I'd like to point out now that in Scotland it is illegal for someone to seek out your identity from information in the public domain if the person put the information in the public domain with the clear intent to remain anonymous. It is covered by some anti-stalking legislation which was badly worded and so covers many issues.

Here is where is gets personal. The idiot ex-SP read the story and took it as a confession that I was and am a homosexual. I think it is irrelavant and no-ones business. Certainly it cannot be inferred from the text unless one has severely limited english comprehension skills.

So now I'm being accused of being gay and so the SP feels the church needs to take action - ie. Court of love. Then there was the blog. I do not post on my blog very frequently, I am openly social democratic and generally pro-Labour. I also sometimes talk about LDS church related issues. The guy who 'found' my blog is an active conservative party member. A lost cause in Scotland, he has stood for parliament in the past.
Apparantly my writings about the changes to the Book of Mormon text are offensive and worthy of ex-communication.

I have let it be known that I intend on resigning from the LDS church but frankly have better things to do with my time. I had a telephone conversation with my SP for over an hour. We discussed various matters and I politely told him that I disagreed with most of his assertions about the LDS church and that at some point faith has to give way to reason - a la Galleao. I also pointed out how unethical every-one's behavious has been an asserted my right to say and publish whatever I want.

The SP says I have an arrogant attitude to think anyone would be interested in anything I have to say! So I pointed out how unethical their behaviour had been. At the time I did not know it was illegal. I have found that out since seeking legal advice.

So, in conclusion, yes the internet is monitored by the church. Whether by individual members who drone like feel obligated to inform their Stasi-like masters of dissention within the ranks or centrally by SLC, it makes no difference. Yes they can and will excommunicate you for it. They only reason they've not ex-d me is because I have told them I was going to resign.

[_harmony]

Since when is being gay an excommunicatable offense? Even fornication (acting on the homosexual tendencies) is not an excommunicatable offense. One must be endowed to be excommunicated for fornication.

The 1st Presidency sent a letter? Was that before or after the former SP found the blog? Did the former SP send a letter to the 1st Presidency first or did they send a letter to him first?

Is he being ex'ed for apostacy or for homosexuality?

[_Runtu]

Wow, two in less than two weeks. Apparently, the bloggers are touching a nerve.

[_Mister Scratch]

You know, this is all very troubling indeed. In fact, I would be willing to bet that the FP or SCMC was in some way involved with FAIR's severing its relationship with the old MB. Of course, DCP, juliann, "Scottie Dog" Gordon, and all the rest of the crew will never, ever admit to it, but I would not be surprised if the Powers that Be in SLC are going to start applying pressure throughout cyberspace.