Let your light shine or Keep it on the DL?

[snowcat]

Thanks Byron. Tkd was losing steam. A little quick to pull out Hitler though...

[jay santos]

As an example: Jay Santos seems essentially like an atheist (correct me if I'm wrong), but he tends to function as a big Mormon attack dog if anyone acts too critical of the Church. Reminds me of my mother for all the world. I don't get it. Instead of telling Dave to get his ex-mo stuff out of here, why don't he and others make an attempt to discuss the topic on the merits?

I admit I go in attack dog mode sometimes. I'm plenty critical of the church. But, I have a few attack dog type issues. The criticism of the #lighttheworld campaign is one of those things that has put me over the edge. I look at what the church is doing with this, and I think it's one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Look it up yourself and spend some time looking at what the church is recommending. For example, day 3: Jesus healed the blind and you can follow him by doing these things, one of them is "Take a disability awareness course", one is "Learn here about raising a guide dog." Day 5 was Jesus healed the sick, here's how you can follow him. some of the suggestions: "Volunteer at a local hospital or nursing home.", "Take a CPR or life-saving course.", "Take time to learn more about mental illness."

Give me a freaking break. You show me a church who is getting this many people (who knows 100K+?) involved in an organized effort to do this kind of good in the world. And you've got all these Exmo's that just can't let the church do anything good, grasping at straws for any criticism they can possibly muster to fight this. Seriously, you want to fight a campaign where a church is encouraging its members to take time learn about mental illness and raise guide dogs for the blind?

We don't have very many wooden, black/white, groupthink type active Mo's here. If we did, you'd probably see me losing it with them on occasion too.

[CardiacCoug]

When I think about letting your light shine and this board I think about HFN keeping his friends here updated on the saga of of he and LDC bringing home their adopted kids. What an awesome and inspiring thing that got us interested in something similar.

And I'll defend Dave a little here and say that letting your light shine and doing good things only in secret can seem like contradictory advice but yeah it comes down to motivation.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

That's very humbling. Thank you.

[Crockett]

Nazis. Haha.

[Topper]

Look at this thread and how everyone attacked Dave.

Dave is asking a fair, insightful question. This board has become absolutely pitiful with how the apologist types immediately issue ad hominem attacks against anyone who asks insightful questions that are even slightly critical of the Church.

I have posted things comparing Mormonism to Scientology here, and people my consider that "rude." But I honestly think that Mormonism and Scientology have a lot in common. Some people may find that rude, but I don't mean it that way. I'm mostly fascinated by the comparison.

My exit from the Church started with a vacation from the Church, and eventually I came to feel that I had woken up from a bad dream. That's my experience, and I fully accept that others may have a completely opposite experience and that is no more or less valid than my own experience, but that shouldn't invalidate my view or my opportunitiy to express my view in a forum.

People justify so many things on all sides of this issue.

But if you think it's rude of me to criticize a plainly anti-gay, discriminatory Church to which I gave so many years of my life, I would may take it as a compliment. It reminds me of this Naomi Shulman quote:

"Nice people made the best Nazis. My mom grew up next to them. They got along, refused to make waves, looked the other way when things got ugly and focused on happier things than politics. They were lovely people who turned their heads as their neighbors were dragged away. You know who weren’t nice people? Resisters.” -Naomi Shulman

Think of how this general principle applies to all the nice Mormons who have, over the decades, quietly looked the other way as blacks and gays were mistreated by their Church. There is no virtue in silently looking the other way.

Every time you don't like somebody you compare them to Nazis.

The culture is very imperfect, but so are all cultures. There are some authoritarian aspects to the culture, there is dishonesty, but there is beauty in the culture, goodness and kindness, sacrifice and love. And it is not for everyone.

What you found is more a reflection of you and how you interact with people than of the culture itself.

[Green Monstah]

TKD going next level on his Sermon on the Mount analysis. Solid.

[CardiacCoug]

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/470859...h-does-much-to

Personally, I have never seen the LDS Church discriminate against anyone in need, regardless of their beliefs, and I could not do half of what I do helping homeless individuals and families without their help. The problem I have with the LDS Church is that they "hide their light under a bushel," so many people are unaware of the great humanitarian services they donate on a daily basis!

Pamela Atkinson is a very well known full-time advocate for the homeless in SLC.

[Blueintheface]

That's awesome, CC. I do think the Church is doing a much better job of demonstrating a commitment to serve, giving the world a glimpse of that light, all without the normal aggrandizement demonstrated by other organizations.