I see this as one reason the church just will not talk outside their own parameters, since that causes them (in their tribal eyes) to lose power. Hence all others' light is false light whilst only their own "sanctioned" (by the dudes n gents, of course) is the only "true" light God ever gives. Such tribalistic short-sightedness....sigh.
I don't know, Philo.. Tribalistic, yes. At one time this tribe was able to use the "geography cure" to de-escalate any issues they once had with their neighbors, or with their own dissenters. However, physically, there's just no place that they can go to huddle up and get back on the same sheet of music. Because of the internet, this tribal family squabble, with all its dirty laundry, is being aired in real time for all the world to see. For an honest, dispassionate observer who simply wants to study the pros and cons of Mormonism, I can only imagine that such an online endeavor might be accompanied by an aesthetic sensation similar to that of reading The Lord of the Flies. One would have to wonder: Where are the adults in this room?
