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Mormon missionary calendar-maker facing discipline
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About free speech, it only applies to rights as a public citizen, not rights as an employee, member of a religion or any other "personal" affiliation.
If people are more accepting of the gospel message because of these shirtless missionaries, then they are accepting them in all for the wrong reasons.
We need to take a stand for virtue and modesty. Continuos questionable behavior will lead to immoratlity.
For a while there I was begaining to think I could not think according to them, heaven forbid I should think for myself or even consider it, what was I thinking? What do you think? What are they hiding?
Could it be true we can think, I'll have to think about it and get back to you, now let me think, now that I can think, I think.
But just like Disney, beneath it all, the church is nothing more than a member builder for the purposes of collecting more money from their tithing, etc, and it's therefore, anytime someone risks their position in anyway, they're more apt to excommunicate in order to preserve their money.
It's all down to money, simeple as that.
Well, I'm glad to hear about this, more proof that the LDS church is not the God that I believe that is portrayed, and it's a good time for me to move on from my membership.
I've written my letter to please remove my membership records permanently, and expediently.
I've now to counsel with an attorney to make sure that the wordings of my letter is clear and precise about not having a remnant of my existence have any remains.
Thank you LDS church, and its people for letting me know your true colors.
I've wasted too much of my life being a member.
Considering how many in the other forty-nine states handle their stress and problems - by drinking like fish, overeating, gambling, or smoking, snorting, shooting up drugs, things most LDS don't do - yeah, it makes sense. For one thing, no one's keeping track of how often you head down to the liquor store for another fifth of vodka or how many hours you spend in your local casino. Prescriptions for anti-depressants are documented by the state.
The Las Vegas stake high council in charge of this calendar case made the right decision.
I'm not a Mormon but an evangelical Christian. While the calendar looks tame I think men shouldn't pose in suggestive or half naked b/c believe it or not women and gay men may look with lust upon those pics. It's weird and seriously - if you say this opens up dialogue with non-mormons it begs the question : can't you talk about your faith without resorting to sexuality?
How naive can you be to think the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints would stoop to the level of the world to gain PR?
And the Church did not turn its back on him. It just forgave him of all responsability he had to the church and its tenants.
I think you are missing the fact that this is just what Hardy wants us to think the issue is about. I am sure that there are things that are not revealed.
Now, please, let no one say they were not sought out and invited back. You are invited, even though you do not need an invitation. The Lord awaits you with open and loving arms and heart.
I don't know the guy, personally, but I feel that his calendar was inappropriate.
The church is led by the Savior and it is his will manifested through the Holy Ghost that guides its leaders.
Well, I guess beaches in the entire country are hardcore porn, and even the community swimming pools are hardcore porn.
By the way, the Beijing Olympics, don't watch it, because there will be people who dives, rows, run, swim, and whatever else, and they'll be shirtless, and isn't it amazing the now the olympics allows porn, and on international TV!!
Shallow minded people, from made and taught by shallow minded religion.
Excommunication because of a calendar of shirtless men are so nothing to do with Christ, that if Christ were here, I know that He'll say, how come you haven't excommunicated the Marriotts with the real porns in their hotels.
Oh, this LDS church is so yucky, I am ashamed, embarrased, horrified, and feel like an idiot that I was once a part of it.
Are there inconsistencies in LDS Church discipline?
Sure. That is what happens when you have the decisionmakers spread all over the globe and no appeals process to create some semblance of consistency.
I personally would have taken the missionaries, tied them to a tree & horsewhipped them in front of the media. But, I'm not their mission president. He probably had some rather interesting, tearful discussions with each elder and decided that was enough.
The Marriott corporation is a hard one. This is a corporation closely associated with the Church --- the Marriotts are significant givers to BYU and other causes. Many of the board members are LDS. And, the corporation is one of the most recognized in the U.S. with LDS ties. And, they are one of the biggest purveyors of porn in the U.S. through their in-house pay-per-view movie network.
What would be appropriate? Maybe stripping the Marriotts of their membership and burning their HQ. But, business decisions -- with many actors -- are hard to examine. I'd rather leave this one to God.
But the Marriotts are super rich, they get away with anything. Chris Hardy isn't rich, so he had to be dragged in for ex-communication.
I think it is even harder for many Mormons. Consider:
* Steve Young playing and commenting on Sundays.
* Marie Osmond's less than modest costumes on "Dancing with the Stars"
* Donnie Osmond's chest & leg-baring outfit in "Joseph & the Technicolor Dreamcoat".
* Kirby Heybourne's Miller Light commercial
* Marriot's drive to develop a profitable mix for their franchises, involving alcohol, porn, etc.
* Mr. Hardy and his infamous calendar.
People like to recoil, claiming that they would never do such a thing.
The mistake we make is that we want to take our values, our beliefs and our judgments and hang them around the neck of others. Pretty human but, in the end, unproductive.
It is not the role of anyone to deride another. Each individual must decide what compromises are right for them and their situation.
We all must struggle to understand that our own individual sense of right and wrong is exactly that --- our own. We need to take deep breaths and let others live their lives. God will resolve each situation in his own due time. And, his judgment may be remarkably different than our own.
Here are some headlines:
"Mormons mortified by missionary positions"
"Mormons make missionary position clear"
I've seen the calendar's website and it strikes as just a bit of fun, not obscene at all. This situation was not handled right and will make it harder to reach young people.
Do you really think that RMs, posing shirtless side by side with pictures of them in their missionary gear, or reading the scriptures, is what the Lord had in mind when He told us to bare our testimonies?
Swimming, playing sports or doing yardwork without a shirt on is one thing. Posing for pictures specifically designed to arouse and titilate (whether you find it obscene or not), is quite another. And doing it in the name of the Lord is a further separate thing entirely.
The point being...these young men have an example of Christ to honor. They were on a mission for two years of their life to do Gods work and be Christlike. There is a process here and a commitment. I am sure the Church frowns upon the dishonor here and nothing more. You talk about rights and freedom. These men have there rights, we call it "Free Agency". It is between them and their Creator as to what they do with it. I get tired of my religion being bashed for every little thing. Oh well, I am happy we are of such interest to so many. Religion is a personal property...I think we need to worry about something more important like whats all going to happen to us here in this life. Realize we are all in it together and just do the best we can. Doesn't anyone see any good in anything? Lets look at the grand scheme of things here. No matter what anyone says, thinks are does, someone has to remark about it...
are we that bored??? Geeez.
No one has to buy the calendar!
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I am Anti Anti LDS. The missionary calendars don't bother me whatsoever. So what?