Mormons Losing Members Over Anti-Gay Campaigns

[IndianaGreen]

Mormons Losing Members Over Anti-Gay Campaigns

By: Lisa Derrick Saturday November 29, 2008 1:45 pm

While the Mormon Church hierarchy was responsible for organizing millions of dollars and thousands of hours of manpower to pass California's Proposition 8 and Arizona's Prop 102, the church's tactics haven't sat so well with some of its members--including families, members with Mormon heritage going back 150 years, and gay members---who began speaking out in July on the website signingforsomething.org.

Many have public resigned from the church, citing reasons like these:

*I think the church has no right to assume the inner thinkings of its members and take such an open stand of any political issue.

*The Church's involvement in the effort to rescind a basic Constitutional right from California citizens is shameful and misguided.

*The position the church took on this particular issue went against everything I learned from the church. Not only was the church's position discriminatory, but it was also hateful.

*The leadership fights for bigotry and hate. The God I grew up with was perfect in His Love and Justice. Shame on the men who act so disgracefully in His name.

Since July almost six hundred LDS Church members have expressed their disapproval and/or resigned. In October a copy of the site's petition and emails were delivered to the Mormon Church headquarters, but the site is still accepting signatures and letters, since this is an issue that won't go away.

http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2008/11/29/mormons-losing-members-over-anti-gay-campaigns/

[RetiredTrotskyite]

1. It's good to know that some people out there have a conscience!

[bluedawg12]

2. Wow. I'm impressed. Goes to show people have a choice

not to accept hate and bigotry.

No excuses.

[FreeState]

3. Also keep in mind the 600 number is from people who posted to the blog, the actual number is higher

probably much hight. There are those also that will now just not go to church anymore - you have to write a letter to get your name off the records, you cant just stop going - and they keep you listed as a member until you 110 birthday if they lose track of you (50% of members in the US never attend church - its much higher outside of the US - many places it only 30%).

[msongs]

4. lds church = one of the fastest growing churches - it won't miss the heretics one second nt

[rpannier]

5. True

The only way they'll care is if very wealthy, high profile members quit and do it with a lot of bravado.

Two examples (both sports related):
If Steve Young quit that would get a lot of attention because sports enthusiasts would pay attention and Steve is a direct descendant of Brigham Young.

Jim McMahon's Wife. While Jim is a Catholic his wife is the daughter of a well connected member of the LDS Church. Again sports people would also pay attention.

[FreeState]

8. Fastest Growing? I've got a bridge to sell you...

The LDS Church has stated this over and over for 20 years now. When I went on my mission, nearly 20 years ago now, the Church had 11+ million members and 60K missionaries. Fast forward to 2008 the Church has... 13 Million members and 52K missionaries. Freedom isnt free! The LDS Church is the fastest growing church! Nice slogans for an image makeover - not reality. Even the Church is now backing away from the claim because its not even close to the truth.

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/church-statistics-reflect-steady-growth

"These figures were announced just weeks after the National Council of Churches published its 2007 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches,where it listed The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the fourth-largest religion in the United States. However, the Church itself makes no statistical comparisons with other churches and makes no claim to be the fastest-growing Christian denomination."

also see:

http://www.mormoninfo.org/news-info/news/lds-church-really-fastest-growing-church

Conclusion: The Church of Jesus-Christ is not the fastest growing religion, nor is it the fastest growing U.S. based religion. The truth is that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is loosing steam. The Church, while still growing, is growing at a much slower pace today than it has over the last 30 years. The indicators include much slower membership growth, a decline in conversions, a decline in conversions for each missionary, and a lack of retention...

[Fearless]

6. 'Scuse me whilist I warm up the band...

:nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity:
:nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity:
:nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity:
:nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity:
:nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity:

Idiots.

NTF
:kick:

[Zuiderelle]

7. And I will gladly patronize any business owned by someone who has resigned the Mormon Church

for these reasons. I'm pleased and encouraged by this.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[FreeState]

10. Your Church was instrumental in taking away civil rights from a whole group of people

bigotry and close mindedness? Look in the mirror.

“We do not believe it just to mingle religious influence with civil government, whereby one religious society is fostered and another proscribed in its spiritual privileges, and the individual rights of its members, as citizens, denied.” Doctrine and Covenants 134:9

Guess that does not mean anything now does it? Better take it out of the D&C.

[bluedawg12]

12. When religions act like poltical groups they get treated like policical groups.

[MNBrewer]

13. HAH! Poor fellow, tombstoned already.

[Zuiderelle]

15. Aww, I missed it!

[FreeState]

14. After just one post too! wow - the mods are on it tonight! n/t

[MNBrewer]

11. oh dear. religion getting what it deserves... wah!!!!!!