BIG wobbles in Salt Lake as member ship levels fall so low, the big three have decided to make huge changes to the new leaders handbook.
"After changes to handbook terminology, LDS Church members no longer 'excommunicated'
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will no longer face church "disciplinary councils," and will not be "disfellowshipped" or "excommunicated" because of new terminology.
Instead, after changes to the world-wide church's handbook of instructions for the organization's leaders, members with their membership in question will be called to "Church membership councils," according to the information published at the Church's newsroom website. It says:
Instead of being "disfellowshipped," members are given "formal membership restrictions." Excommunication, or being removed from the organization, is labeled a "withdrawal of membership." The action is the most serious spiritual action the organization can take against a person."
In effect
Church Court of love OUT
Excommunication OUT
Disfellowship OUT
Gays IN
Gay marriage tolerable, but civil unions banned
Compulsory discipline of the church only for Actual criminal offenses such as murder, rape and spousal abuse
Discretionary discipline for Robbery, embezzlement, adultery and "attempted murder" (I kid you not)
On the Upside being LBG(but not T) is no longer an excommunication (ahem sorry) Membership withdrawal matter, it is simply a slap on the wrist offense comparable with adultery or premarital sex.
Transpeople will now be asked to take a sabbatical until transitions are complete, and then will be allowed to come back but cannot hold the priesthood.
Public displays of affection are banned in church property
Outing yourself in Fast and testimony meetings is banned
Strange that they consider LBG a slap on wrist. Are they considering LBG a choice similar to adultery or premarital sex? I lived in Utah a couple of years and many of the families had dirty secrets of molestation and child abuse. Families kept is secret because of the repercussions by the church if "found out".
A good argument for evolution. Even religion evolves with the times.
If you want to understand evolution, study religion.
It's all about cash flow. But the Moron Church is already sitting on billions of dollars in charitable donations.
Ah yes but that money is ear marked for Jesus when he comes back, according to LDS press releases any old how
Good, sign of the times. People are starting to wake up with the heavy handed moves by religion intruding in our way of life.
I could not possibly care less about these changes. All BS.
Why are we as agnostics / atheists , working so hard to keep abreast of church policies ?
It is a good measure of the failing of cults and religions in the west.
I grew up Mormon. My whole family is still Mormon. My little sister is a progressive Mormon. She hopes for these kinds of changes, but every time a change is made due to social pressure, it raises the question of whether or not the “prophet” is actually divinely inspired. It raises doubt of an unchanging God.
I don’t keep up with the bullshit as much as I used to, but major changes like this give me hope that some of my family members will finally see the church for what it is. The problem there is that when the Mormon church makes major changes, they downplay it. They often don’t announce the changes, and when questioned they say “it’s a policy change, not a doctrine change” despite members being told previously that those were doctrines that could never be changed. That leaves it up to nonmembers to point out that the leaders were either lying before, or they’re lying now.
It sounds like they are afraid to go out of business
I don't care how they (the LDS) try to dress it up, they are still a bunch of pathetic people.
This is one of the cynically mercenary organizations ever -- 'as member ship[sic] levels fall so low'? They wouldn't consider acting because of moral conscience, they're just trying to be more marketable.
If I remember right wasn't it in 1978 that their prophet had a revelation that black people were human too? They haven't changed at all.
When will being white cease to earn "brownie points", I wonder.