SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) is notoriously secretive about the inner workings of its ruling hierarchy, the First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve Apostles. With an estimated annual income in the billions and assets in the tens of billions, the church does not release financial statements to its members or the general public. The meetings and decision-making processes of the Mormon leaders are similarly undisclosed.
That changed Sunday when a group called Mormon Leaks posted more than a dozen videos to YouTube, containing briefing sessions with the hierarchy. The briefings were apparently recorded "live" and include candid comments and discussion from the apostles in attendance. The leak appeared to be timed to coincide with the church's semi-annual conference that took place over the weekend.
Ironically, one of the briefings discusses WikiLeaks and the possibility of a similar leak targeting the church, but the apostles shown in the video appear to more concerned about Chelsea (nee Bradley) Manning's sexuality than they are about threats to their own secrets.
One briefing that is particularly troubling was given by a former U.S. senator from Oregon, Gordon H. Smith. Smith, a member of the church, admits that he values obedience to the hierarchy and loyalty to the church more than he does his office. He also describes using his office and staff to gain political favors for the church, and justifies the Iraq War by claiming that it will allow Mormon missionaries access to Middle Eastern nations. At one point (around the 26 minute mark), Smith possibly reveals classified information to the group, or at least his willingness to do so.
The videos appear to come from the same whistle blower who leaked a trove of church documents on-line about a week ago. Those documents are here and the leaker has announced that many more are coming.
(Score: 1) by lcall on Tuesday October 04 2016, @07:26PM
As members, we are repeatedly reminded to be kind to all, regardless. The Golden Rule is a big deal. At the same time, membership requires that we maintain certain behaviors, because we believe God gives commandments and the integrity of those is important, and the organization has to protect its own integrity or lose its nature, and could put individuals in danger. Some behaviors, if universal, would end the race in a single generation.
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Tuesday October 04 2016, @07:50PM
I'm sorry, but nearly all Christian Churches make that a part of their spiel, but in my observation the church members are actually slightly LESS kind to non-members than are non-Church members. It's not *usually* dramatic, but there's a definite shift in the mean.
That said, I suspect that this is true of every club where the members get to know each other, so it's not a direct mark against the Christian churches, so much as a claim that their propaganda about how decent they are is just propaganda. Perhaps it's mainly directed at the members, too, as I don't hear it very much as an outsider, but I hear it reported frequently by those who are members of some Christian church or another.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 1) by lcall on Tuesday October 04 2016, @08:06PM
No apology needed. So...I can only really say how we are taught to be. What we actually do is individual. In forums like our General Conference (lots of talks from leadership), this is often pointed out that we need to be better neighbors, all the time. We are all individually a work in progress (sounds a lot like "piece of work" I know...and some as individuals might agree, especially when one has really blundered at something). So true...
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Wednesday October 05 2016, @09:27AM
As an igtheist (yes, I'm in that extremist cult that makes Dawkins look moderate!), I'm generally more friendly towards other atheists than the religious of any flavour, simply because they have demonstrated an ability to critically analyse the world around them, and not base their views and attitudes upon unfounded woo-woo. (I include buddhism as a religion, as I don't believe wording everything in the passive and not naming the agent of the woo-woo processes as being superior to pinning a label on and defining it/them explicitly. In some ways it's weaker - it's a "we don't (and cannot) know" - but for a religion, perhaps that's a more honourable stance.)
Tons of atheists are arseholes, of course. Same as most groups.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 1) by kurenai.tsubasa on Tuesday October 04 2016, @08:52PM
Some behaviors, if universal, would end the race in a single generation.
Thank you for at least being honest about the brand of hysteria present in the Church. I'll need to assume that discovering you've been invaded by an advanced infiltrator would elicit about the same response as John Conner's unit discovering a T-900 loose in the barracks. Anyway, blessed be~