A letter to the Mormon President

I found this on a press release service and decided I just had to share it on Notamormon


A letter to the Mormon President requesting a name to be removed --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DANIEL EVANS dano@open.org (Please feel free to write) Nov. 15, 1993 Ezra Taft Benson, President The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Dear President Benson: This letter is to inform you that I wish to be removed permanently from membership in, and the rolls of, the Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).

I request that this be done immediately. This is not an action that I take lightly, but it is something I do gladly, as I have found great joy, peace and freedom in my Lord Jesus Christ. I wish the members of the Mormon church well, and will always think of them as fine, upstanding, and loving people.

I was an earnest and faithful Mormon for many years. I got married in the Temple, believed in the Church wholeheartedly, and sacrificed for it. The following are a few of my reasons for leaving the Mormon Church. I know they will not be easy for you to read, but please try to do so with an open mind.

I am concerned about discrepancies between what the Church teaches, and the teachings of the Bible. The Mormon church teaches that there are many Gods. The Bible teaches that there is one only. Joseph Smith taught "that God the Father of Jesus Christ had a Father," and that "you may suppose that He had a Father also." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith) Orson Pratt said, "If we should take a million worlds like this and number their particles, we should find that there are more Gods than there are particles of matter in those worlds." (Journal of Discourses, vol.2, page 345)

The Bible teaches throughout it's pages of there being only one God. Even the Book of Mormon teaches monotheism: "And Zeezrom said unto him: Thou sayest there is a true and living God? And Amulek said: Yea there is a true and living God. Now, Zeezrom said: Is there more than one God? And he answered, No." Alma 11:26-30 "...I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end." 3 Nephi 9:18 "so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD and there is no other." Isaiah 45:6 " ...I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me." Isaiah 46:9 "...Is there any God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any." Isaiah 44:8

"Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein..." Nehemiah 9:6 The God who made the universe says he is LORD alone. I believe he leaves no room for doubt. If God had a father wouldn't he know of him? If there really were other Gods why is there no mention of them in the Book of Mormon or the Bible? The message God sends time and time again is that he is the only God.

The Mormon Church teaches heretically that man can become a God, and that God was once a man. Joseph Smith taught, "First God himself who sits enthroned in yonder heavens, is a man like unto one of yourselves, that is the great secret.... I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined that God was God from all eternity.... God himself; the Father of us all dwelt on an earth the same as Jesus Christ himself did,... You have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves;...No man can learn you more than what I have told you." This teaching is one of the root evils of Mormonism. Think about it- isn't this very idea, that man can work his way up to being a God, a major tenant of humanism and new age belief?

Think about it again- where is the first place in the Bible that one finds the idea of a man becoming like God? It was whispered by the serpent to Eve; saying eat of the apple and "...ye shall be as gods..."(Genesis 3:5) This was not whispered as a good thing, but as an enticement by the father of lies himself! The Bible does not teach about a changing God who once was a man, once died, and once sinned. I

t does not teach that a man can become a God. It teaches exactly the opposite. Again the Book of Mormon is in agreement: "For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity." Moroni 8:18 "For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting,.." Moroni 7:22 "Behold I say unto you, he that denieth these things knoweth not the gospel of Christ; yea, he has not read the scriptures; if so, he does not understand them.

For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?" Mormon 9:8,9 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8 "(God has)...no variableness, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17 " ...I am God, and not man..." Hosea 11:9 "Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God." Isaiah 44:6 "God is not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind..." Numbers 23:19 "O LORD are you not from everlasting?..." Habakkuk 1:12 "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." Psalms 90:2 "I the LORD do not change..." Malachi 3:6 "Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD...before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me." Isaiah 43:10 This is clearly the first and last God. We have not "imagined" that God was God from all eternity, the Bible says so definitively. The Bible leaves no room for other "Gods" to be formed.

It emphatically states throughout its pages that God has always existed as God and has never changed. How could the Bible have made it more clear? God is God alone, and there never were, nor will there ever be any others. Also see Mosiah 3:5, Alma 11:39, Psalms 41:13, 93:2, 103:17, Proverbs 8:23, Revelation 1:8. It is important to note that when you study one of these passages in Hebrew, the case is made even more unambiguous. In Isaiah 43:10 for example, the word used for God is El meaning " mighty one".

Once this is understood, it is obvious that the scripture is not talking about idols per Se, but about Gods. Thus read the scripture would say: "... Before me there were no 'mighty ones' formed, neither shall there be after me." The Mormon church does not understand grace, faith or salvation, and in fact teaches doctrine turned 180 degrees from the Biblical truth. The Mormon church teaches that "

There are sins that men commit for which they cannot receive forgiveness in this world, or in that which is to come...(Sermon by Brigham Young given Sept. 21, 1856, Journal of Discourses, vol. 4, pp.53-54) It teaches a works oriented salvation that "puts the cart before the horse" in its approach. It denies the power of Christ and exalts the pride of man. I learned as a Mormon to try to "make myself perfect".

I learned that I needed to follow a laundry list of do's and don'ts. I believed that I needed to follow a highly organized system of men placed between me and my maker to obtain God's forgiveness or work within his authority.

I learned that these men had control in my life, and that when one of them in authority spoke I was to take it as having come from the mouth of the LORD. When my ears were open enough for me to really understand the New Testament I understood that you had lied to me. Men are sinners- born into it- and cannot make themselves perfect. The Bible teaches that men are accepted by Christ in their sins, that he loves them, and takes them how they are. It teaches that this is a result of faith in him.

It says that though their nature still remains sinful, Christ changes them from the inside as a result of faith, but not as a result of their works. The Bible teaches that Christ's infinite atonement covers all sin of all men who believe in him. It teaches that the Old Testament order of having to have an intermediary between man and God is done away with, and that Christ is the only way to God. All through the New Testament the pattern of faith preceding an unwarranted action is set. Jesus never says anything like, "you've done very well in your keeping of the word of wisdom - therefore I'll heal you."

But he frequently says things like, "Take heart, daughter...your faith has healed you." (Matthew 9:22) When a woman who "was a sinner" came to see Jesus, and washed his feet with her tears, he did not say, "That's a good start, now go and undo all the sins you've committed, clean up your life, clean up your thoughts, do some worthy work and when you are finished come back to me and I'll appoint some people to see about forgiving you."

No, he very simply said, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." You see, she was already forgiven. Nothing she could do could earn it, and she didn't have to; Jesus gave it to her freely because of her faith. Can't you see how simple and beautiful this is? Jesus has done this for me also and I weep when I think of it because I am so very grateful. I plead with you to let him take you just as you are too.

Please see Matthew 8:10-13, 9:2, 9:29 and 15:28. The Bible teaches plainly that we are saved by grace through faith. It teaches that no one will be saved by their good works. Truly, faith that produces no good works is a dead faith, but when there is a real faith it produces its work as a result of Christ and the changes he makes in the believer.

The Bible is definitive in its argument for faith as being the ingredient for salvation: "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Romans 3:20-24 "THEREFORE BEING justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1 "What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works..." Romans 9:30- 32 "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Galatians 2:21 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 It fits well within Mormonism's humanistic model that they have put the emphasis on becoming perfect.

After all, they have put the emphasis on becoming a God. When we seek goodness through our works we try to say to Christ, "I know you couldn't pay the whole debt - here let me pay it too." We deny his power to accept us as what we are. We say, "hands off- I can change myself into what you ( I ) want."

But the fact is that HE makes the changes in us through faith. The Bible teaches the simple truth on this matter: When we believe in Christ he sets us free. When God looks upon us in judgment he sees only an imperfect man, but one saved by faith in Jesus Christ. Please see Acts 15:8-11, 26:18, Romans 1:5, 4:1-10, 4:14-16, 5:7-9, 10:4, 10:9, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Galatians 2:15-16, 3:22-25, Philippians 3:7-9, Titus 2:11-12 The Book of Mormon is a largely plagiarized document with no historical, anthropological, ar archaeological basis in reality. The Mormon church claims that the Nephites had the Old Testament books which were written prior to the time they left Jerusalem (around 600 B.C.).

Therefore it comes as no surprise that the Book of Mormon contains many quotations taken right from the Old Testament (over 18 chapters of Isaiah alone). What is surprising is that many of these passages were quoted word for word from the King James version of the Bible. What is more surprising still is that the Book of Mormon authors were able to quote from books written after 600 B.C.

Let's think about this: How could Joseph Smith have translated exact word for word quotes from "reformed Egyptian" into King James style English? Why would these match word for word with the King James translation of the Bible which itself had been translated from Hebrew and Greek? The King James translators who unfortunately lacked the "Urim and Thummim" did very well to produce the exact translation Joseph Smith did!

The Book of Mormon contains many examples of stories and ideas lifted from the Bible (see Alma 19 and John 11). The Book of Mormon proves itself a forgery when it quotes from King James version New Testament verses word for word: "...to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life..." 2 Nephi 9:39 "... to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life..." Romans 8:6 "...O wretched man that I am..." 2 Nephi 4:17 "O wretched man that I am..." Romans 7:24 "...steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works..." Mosiah 5:15 "...steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work..." 1 Corinthians 15:58 "...seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." Moroni 7:45 "...seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." 1 Corinthians 13:5-7

There are many more examples of plagiarism in the Book of Mormon. One study found over four hundred. Remember, these are New Testament scriptures that the Nephites did not have. How could they have gotten into the Book of Mormon word for word? Not only does the Book of Mormon use the exact same wording (even unusual wording like "stinketh" found in Alma 19:5 and John 11:39) as the New Testament, but it frequently uses it in exactly the same order! Mark Twain, in his book Roughing It remarked that the Book of Mormon "seems to be merely a prosy detail of imaginary history, with the Old Testament for a model; followed by a tedious plagiarism of the New Testament."

I think he hit the nail right on the head. The Book of Mormon condemns itself. The Book of Mormon purports to be the record of ancient Jews who came to the new world. This being the case, where in its text is there evidence of Jewish religion and tradition such as Passover, Circumcision, any of the Jewish festivals, etc.?

These things were very important to the people of that time and are mentioned frequently in the Bible. Why not in the Book of Mormon? Also, why would these Israelites have written their record in Egyptian? Lehi had lived all his life in the city of Jerusalem, where they only spoke the Hebrew language. The Jews hated the Egyptians, and even if he could have written in their language (highly unlikely) he certainly wouldn't have; The Jews were known to have an unusual love for their mother tongue. Also, is there any biological evidence connecting the American Indians with the Jews? There is none.

In fact the genetic evidence suggests quite the opposite. When a city, a sight of battle, person's name, or even a type of coin is written about in the Bible, there is archaeological evidence to support it. I have seen coins mentioned in the Bible with my own eyes, right here in Salem, Oregon. When the Bible talks of the city of Jericho - there is evidence to support that it existed; namely Jericho itself!

The Bible states that Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and an inscription has been found with the name of Pontius Pilate in theater excavations at Caesarea. There are mountains of physical evidence to support biblical archaeology.

Why is this not the case with the Book of Mormon? The Book of Mormon talks about names and places. It contains the story of entire civilizations, and their cities, their battles, their leaders names, their religion, even the value and names of some of their coins. In all this mass of civilization, where is even one single piece of anthropological evidence to support the claims of the Book of Mormon?

There are no coins. There are no inscriptions of leaders names. There is no evidence of the huge battles mentioned in its text. There isn't even evidence of the cities mentioned in The Book of Mormon! Where are Zarahemla and Bountiful?

There is plenty of anthropological evidence of the civilizations that really were present during Book of Mormon times. Unfortunately, none of this evidence even suggests a Christian civilization present in America. Many Mormon anthropologists have dedicated their lives to finding Book of Mormon archaeology, and the Mormon church has financed many expeditions and much research to prove its case. Still, there remains not one piece of evidence in support of the Book of Mormon.

Why not? Because it simply is not there. The Mormon Church's history, doctrine, and even scriptures have been changed many times to suit the present needs of its leadership. There have been many deliberate changes in the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, History of the Church, etc. The Church has made a deliberate effort to distort its own history, and keep its members in the dark.

As a Mormon I learned about Joseph Smith's martyrdom. I learned that he went to his death "like a lamb to the slaughter." I was taught that he went humbly and without resistance just as Jesus did. Can you imagine what a shock it was to me to learn that he had in fact died in a gunfight, doing his level best to kill his attackers?

The following accounts from the History of the Church are given of Joseph Smith's death: Immediately there was a little rustling at the outer door of the jail, and a cry of surrender, and also a discharge of three or four firearms followed instantly...Joseph sprang to his coat for his six-shooter, Hyrum for his single barrel.... When Hyrum fell, Joseph exclaimed, "Oh dear, brother Hyrum!" and opening the door a few inches he discharged his six shooter in the stairway (as stated before) , two or three barrels of which missed fire. (History of the Church, vol. 6, pp. 617- 18) John Taylor, who was to become the third president of the Church, added his testimony concerning Joseph Smith's death: He, however, instantly arose, and with a firm, quick step, and a determined expression of countenance, approached the door, and pulling the six-shooter left by Brother Whellock from his pocket, opened the door slightly, and snapped the pistol six successive times; only three of the barrels, however, were discharged.

I afterwards understood that two or three were wounded by these discharges, two of whom, I am informed died. (History of the Church, vol. 7, pp.102-3) This was not the Joseph Smith you had taught me about. He did not go like Jesus Christ, "who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not..." (1 Peter 2:23)

No, Joseph Smith went out shooting. Why don't you teach the truth about this? I learned as a Mormon that while the Bible was not reliable because it had been changed, (with later study I learned it was indeed reliable) the Book of Mormon was reliable and, "the most correct of any book on earth." Why then has it been changed over three thousand times? Many of these changes are grammatical, or spelling errors, but this book was supposed to have been translated directly by the power of God.

I remember the missionaries asking me how a boy could have written such a book without mistakes, without to help of God. Well, the first editions of the Book of Mormon are chock full of mistakes!

All one has to do to prove it to themselves is compare. My wife Stacey, was surprised when she looked up 2 Nephi 30:6 in a copy of The Book of Mormon that her grandmother had given her, and then in a newer copy of mine, and found that it had been changed. There is no footnote to explain why, no asterisk, or anything else. At the time of this change the church had been embarrassed by their teaching that the Indians who received the Gospel would turn white! Stacey's edition reads, "...and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and a delightsome people."

My edition reads, "...save they shall be a pure and delightsome people." This is just a recent change. There are other important doctrinal changes in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants.

For more information see The Changing World of Mormonism by Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Moody Press, Chicago. Where are those good old doctrines of the early Mormon Church like Blood atonement, and the Adam-God doctrine? How come they aren't taught with the zeal that the "prophets" had for them?

As a Mormon I knew nothing about things like Blood atonement. You taught me that a prophet would never lead his people astray. That God would prohibit it. Well, lets look at what the "Prophet" Brigham Young taught: There are sins that men commit for which they cannot receive forgiveness in this world, or in that which is to come, and if they had their eyes open to their true condition, they would be perfectly willing to have their blood spilt upon the ground, that the smoke thereof might ascend to heaven as an offering for their sins; and the smoking incense would atone for their sins... (Sermon by Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 4, pp.53-54; also published in the Desseret News, Oct. 1, 1856, p.235 ) J.M. Grant, a member of the first presidency under Brigham Young, followed up on this idea: ...there are men and women that I would advise to go to the President immediately, and ask him to appoint a committee to attend to their case; and then let a place be selected, and let that committee shed their blood. (Journal of Discourses, vol. 4, pp.49-50)

Brigham young proposed this situation in which Blood atonement might occur. As you read it think to yourself if it in any way relates to the Savior of love and compassion written about in the Bible.

The "let he who is without sin cast the first stone" Savior. The Savior who is powerful enough to save all men from all sin, and paid the ultimate price to do so for you. (1 John 1:7-9) Let me suppose a case. Suppose you found your brother in bed with your wife, and put a javelin through both of them, you would be justified, and they would atone for their sins, and be received into the kingdom of God.

I would at once do so in such a case; and under such circumstances, I have no wife whom I love so well that I would not put a javelin through her heart, and I would do it with clean hands... There is not a man or woman, who violates the covenants made with their God, that will not be required to pay the debt.

The blood of Christ will never wipe that out, your own blood must atone for it... (Journal of Discourses, vol. 3, p.247) Is this true? If we are to atone for our own sins, then Jesus died for nothing!

What is our blood worth to God? What good does it do for our salvation? If it is true, then why isn't the Mormon church teaching and practicing "God's doctrine" of blood atonement today? No, the Bible totally repudiates this heretical teaching of blood atonement, and Brigham Young led his people astray.

One need only read it to find out. Brigham Young also taught that, "When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize this world.

He is MICHAEL, the Arch-angel, the ANCIENT OF DAYS! about whom holy men have written and spoken - HE is our Father and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do." (Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, pp. 50-51) Brigham Young reaffirmed this doctrine and taught it many times.

It is even found in the journals of the Mormons of that time. If this "Prophet" didn't lead people astray, then why does the church teach that this is a false doctrine today? There are those who believe, or say they believe, that Adam is our father and our God,... The devil keeps this heresy alive... It is contrary to the plan of salvation...and anyone who has received the temple endowment and who yet believes the Adam-God theory does not deserve to be saved." (Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, talk given at the BYU Marriot Center on June 1, 1980)


Okay, who's lying? The "Prophets" and "Apostles" of Brigham Young's time, or the "Prophets" and "Apostles" of today? I was married to Stacey in the Seattle, Washington temple on May 3, 1984.

I attended that temple with the belief that I would be instructed in sacred and ancient ceremonies, right from the Lord himself. As was expected of me, I obediently promised to slit my throat etc., rather than reveal the secrets of the temple. I was very surprised to learn in 1989 from a Mormon who wanted me to "come back to the temple, because I would like it better now" that the Lord had changed his mind yet again, and redone his sacred temple ceremony.

Even as a Mormon who did not yet understand that the temple ceremony is really a Masonic ceremony copied word for word, I knew that something was wrong! Why would God just suddenly change his mind about his own "sacred ceremony", eliminating the "penalties" and other sacred portions? Maybe God is rather a "politically correct" God. When confronted with opposition on the issue of polygamy, he simply changes his stance on it.

When confronted with Civil Rights he ignores his "prophet" who said, "If there was one drop of Negro blood" a black man could never hold the Priesthood, and caves in under the pressure. When people like me are made uncomfortable with the temples' bloody oaths, God just rewrites the program.

How convenient for the leadership of the Mormon Church to have such a changeable, malleable, saleable God. The God of the Bible is a much different God. He doesn't change his mind. He doesn't change. I hope you get to know him. (John 17:3) In closing I wish to tell you my greatest reason for leaving the Mormon Church.

It is in finding Jesus Christ. He also found me. He pulled me toward him and made me ready to listen. I tell you, reader of this letter, that he will do the same for you. I pray this for you. It will be my great joy to bring his message to all the people (including Mormons) I can.

The Gospel is simply that Christ lived, was crucified for each and every one of every man's sins, and was resurrected on the third day. (1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Galatians 1:8-9) Those who take away from this Gospel; who mock Christ's suffering on the cross by saying that it was not sufficient for all men and all sin; and those who would add to this Gospel legalism, secret (not sacred) ceremonies and signs as condition for salvation are terribly wrong. They are making a literally hellish mistake.

Jesus is my hope and my joy. I love him with all my heart, and am glad to let him make of my life what he wants. This is the truth, and I leave it with you in His name. Thank you, Dan Evans dano@open.org"

I am not quite sure why it was posted up so many years after it was written, but, there is is, I hope you found it interesting.

Get Real with Blue Banyan Courses and Events in 2007

Blue Banyan (www.bluebanyan.co.uk/realtime), one of the UK’s most renowned suppliers of meditation, yoga, Reiki and other mind-body-spirit products, is launching a programme of courses and events throughout 2007 that help people develop alternative skills and 'get real'.

In line with the company's reputation for quality and value for money, the courses will be held in a beautiful rural location some ten miles from Chester (in Mold, Wales) in Blue Banyan’s own venue, and will cover a wide range of practical and spiritual topics including: crystals, Reiki, setting and achieving goals, organic growing, herbs, keeping chickens and pigs, textile, crafts and many more.

Laura Carstensen, co-founder of Blue Banyan and courses director for Blue Banyan Real Time, says: "Our programme follows the traditional Wheel of the Year. The courses are designed to integrate with the turning of the seasons and the natural cycles of life.

"On January 27, for example, we explore ‘Imbolc: Renew and Re-energise’ and the programme will include crystals, cosmic ordering and feng shui."

She adds: "We promise high content and high quality experiential learning in a great location. Through the courses, Blue Banyan’s reputation for excellence will certainly be maintained." For more information, see www.bluebanyan.co.uk/realtime or call 01352759111 and request a brochure.

Blue Banyan Ltd was incorporated in September 2003 when it acquired the Devon-based meditation products supplier, Meditation Designs.

Since then, the business has expanded into numerous new areas, launched its online store in spring 2005, and relocated from London to dedicated office/distribution premises in Mold, North Wales.

Blue Banyan owns and operates Bluebanyan.co.uk, the UK’s leading online supplier of meditation products and a premier supplier of mind-body-spirit products in the domestic and international markets.

The company also runs the Blue Banyan Healing Centre in Mold (www.bluebanyanhealingcentre.co.uk) - a regional centre for excellence in complementary and alternative therapies.

Close encounters facing the self

The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy presents an equality and diversity matters conference 'Close encounters - facing the self' 1 February 2007, The Hilton Coventry Hotel.

Yet again diversity is making the headlines with accusations of racist behaviour being levelled at the contestants in the Big Brother house.

Channel 4 is unable to decide whether racism has occurred, or if social differences are to blame for disputes between contestants. 'What constitutes racism is a complex question', Andy Duncan, chief executive, Channel 4.

This specialist conference will challenge delegates to examine their ownviews and to identify what diversity and equality really means to them.Leading thinkers from the fields of business and counselling will besharing their thoughts on diversity.

This year BACP is delighted towelcome Linda Bellos (OBE) and Professor Andrew Samuels as keynotespeakers in addition to a host of specialist workshop presenters.Linda Bellos, Director of Diversity Solutions Consultancy Ltd, will examine the ever-changing nature of diversity and whether what isconsidered relevant and topical now will remain so in the future.

Andrew Samuels, is an author and professor with over thirty years ofexperience, he will discuss how counsellors can get in touch with their"inner politician" and by doing so explore the possibilities andlimitations of equality and diversity.

The day will also feature a number of thought- provoking workshopsessions:

* Embedding diversity into personal and professional self
* Deconstructing sex and gender
* Identity development and identity recognition: who we are,particularly inrelation to 'they' and 'them'?

* Facing the self creatively

* Disability - how the self sees it

* Understanding the self- the lens through which we view our world

After gaining an insight into their own relationships on mattersconcerning diversity delegates will be invited to discuss how differenceimpacts on the counselling relationship - does it in fact provide more opportunities for change than challenges?

For further information about this event please visit the BACP website www.bacp.co.uk

To book place(s) please contact Richard Smith in the BACP EventsTeam on: 0870 143 0945 or email: richard.smith@bacp.co.uk

102 black African slaves rescued from Arab slave masters

Last week, 102 Black African slaves were liberated from Baggara Arab masters and returned to their homeland in Southern Sudan in an action supported by Christian Solidarity International (CSI - http://www.csi-int.org).

Most of the liberated slaves - mainly boys and young men - had been captured by Sudanese government-sponsored militias during two decades of civil war, pitting the Arab-Muslim dominated Government of Sudan against the predominantly Black African Sudan People's Liberation Front (SPLA).

Interviews reveal a strong pattern of physical and psychological abuse. The overwhelming majority of the liberated slaves had been subjected to beatings, racial and religious insults, forced labour and denial of the freedom to practice any religion other than Islam.

Most of the girls and women had been subjected to sexual abuse. Among the slaves were: 16-year-old Agor Deng. Agor was repeatedly raped by her master, and his associates. He and his wife excised her finger nails with a knife after she failed to obey an order to grind grain.

They also forced her, using death threats, to pray like a Muslim. 30-year-old Garang Akot Wiir. Garang's right arm and leg were partially paralysed after having been beaten and tied up tightly for 24 hours as punishment for attempting to escape. He was renamed Abdelrazik Ezzadin by his master.

45-year-old Achol Loc Wiel. Achol was shot in her leg during a slave raid. She also lost her husband and three children during the slave raid and forced march to Northern Sudan. Achol was gang raped by her master's friends. She was also forced to abandon the practice of her Christian faith and pray like a Muslim.

The liberation and documentation of the 102 slaves was the result of cooperation between Arab-Dinka Peace Committees, the civil authorities in Aweil State, local churches and CSI. The Sudanese Episcopalian priest, Rev. Tito Athian - a longstanding local CSI partner - expressed joy at the liberation of the slaves, stating: "Thank you for helping bring back our people from slavery. Now they are free to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ and choose their own religion."

After witnessing several CSI slave liberation actions, including last week's, anti-trafficking consultant and author of The Jubilee Prophecy, Aaron Cohen, said: "I have seen first hand, in 23 countries, the positive changes good programmes can have in the lives of enslaved people. CSI has created in Sudan a sustainable and effective programme which has liberated thousands of slaves, inspired anti-trafficking legislation, and brought hope to people in bondage. CSI's pioneering work in Sudan is an excellent example to all abolitionists."

(ED: And there was us, thinking slave trading was a thing of the past...)

Amusing, even if you are not religious? The Great American Book of Church Signs

This newly released book by Donald Seitz is getting attention from all over the USA. And beyond, too...

From coast to coast, in newspapers on the Internet, and on radio and TV, there's a buzz about The Great American Book of Church Signs.

It seems everybody loves talking about those quirky and inspirational roadside messages captured in this brilliant new full-color book by Donald Seitz.

Three years in the making, The Great American Book of Church Signs, takes us on a photographic journey of faith from California to Virginia, from Michigan to Georgia.

"Americans may not wear their faith on their sleeves," as Seitz says, "but they love to show it on the road."

In Seitz's beautiful book, every sign tells its own story--encouraging us to live better lives, to love more deeply, and to pray more often. And with the turn of every page, we're reminded to laugh along the way.

One sign of encouragement reads, "Don't give up. Moses was once a basket case."

"The average church sign is eight words long," says Seitz, and it's amazing how a few words of faith can touch us, challenge us, or even change our lives." One such sign inspired his pilgrimage to create this book.

"Driving home from a tough week at the office," he recalls, "I passed a church sign that said, "He who kneels before God can stand before anyone." At that precise moment, it was exactly the message I needed to hear.

"With his camera, his wife, and his three year old son, Seitz crisscrossed the country, covering more than twenty thousand miles to capture the heart and soul of faith on the road. The book's 100 signs, drawn from more than a dozen denominations, cover such topics as faith, forgiveness, prayer, love, and eternity.

Featured in the book are such gems as, "Life is fragile. Handle with prayer" (Nashville, TN); "Love God with all your heart, then do whatever you want" (New York City, NY), and "Where will you be spending eternity--smoking or nonsmoking?" (Stromsburg, NE).

The Great American Book of Church Signs is a wonderful celebration of the practice and art of the church sign. With his keen eye for detail, his exquisite photography, and his love for the subject matter, Donald Seitz has created the definitive work on church signs.

For more information on The Great American Book of Church Signs, please visit www.thisisyoursign.com.

What's YOUR favourite sign church or non-church? Please tell me, Matt!

Maio Offers Repeat Tea Seminar

Owing to the huge success of her December seminar, Joyce Maio will offer a repeat Tea Tasting and seminar at Kiva's Cafe in New York on January 28, 3007. Tea in A Bowl...Tea in a Cup (sm) will offer an entertaining, interactive look at tea throughout history, from different countries, and explain today's health benefits associated with drinking the beverage.

December's tea tasting and lively presentation by Joyce Maïo, tea consultant and advocate, was a great success and led to an encore engagement by New York's Kiva Café.

The event is scheduled for Sunday, January 28, 2007, from 4 - 6 p.m. and will be hosted by Tribeca's culturally acclaimed meeting place, Kiva Café, 139 Reade Street, (between Hudson and Greenwich), Manhattan.

Reservations for the $35 event are limited, and may be made by calling (212) 362-9074. At the request of its customers, Kiva Café is seeking to offer more information on tea, while expanding its offerings of fine quality loose leaf tea.

Joyce Maïo presents a stimulating, interactive two-hour presentation during which she notes the role of tea in its historical and cultural traditions, discusses characteristics of different types of tea grown from around the world, various methods of processing the tea and intersperses her lecture with anecdotes and myths.

She also focuses on the benefits of tea in health and beauty from old recipes and new scientific studies. "The name 'Kiva' is an ancient Native American term for a gathering place where people come together for meetings and ceremonies," Kiva Café's owner Beebe Oyoke stated after the highly successful event at the venue last month.

"What a perfect place to share the experience of tea!"Joyce Maïo was born in France and raised in diverse cultural traditions where tea is still revered as a "sacred moment".

She is currently writing a book on the cultural heritage of tea. Joyce organizes special cultural and educational events in the arts and most recently appeared on CBS Television to bring awareness to national viewers on the cultural & health benefits of tea.

Could You Be Psychic?

Ever wondered why a place seems familiar or you think you have been there before? Do you sometimes get the sensation of knowing what’s about to happen next? Well you are not alone; you are probably just more in tune with your psychic powers or are one of the many thousands of people in the world who have extraordinary sensitivities to spiritual energies.

Sound a bit like hocus-pocus to you? Well, read on. Nowadays everybody seems to be looking for some kind of direction and many of us are tapping into our spiritual side to try and find peace, happiness and guidance in life.

It is fair to assume that we all have some level of psychic intuition but that some people are far more accepting of it and embrace these extraordinary powers. Those of us who use these skills carefully and wisely can help others in many ways such as giving reassurance, finding love, helping with the death of a loved one, or simply giving guidance in difficult times.

Spirit guides have been reported since the year dot, and have found mainstream acceptance through many religions, including Christianity.

Using their psychic abilities, mediums, clairvoyants, mystics and spirit guides have helped
thousands and thousands of people over the years, in everyday life and in times of great troubles. World Leaders, Famous Actors, Politicians and Sports Stars have all benefited from spiritual guidance of some kind.

In fact the term clairvoyance is a French word that literally translates as ‘clear seeing’ and this is exactly what mystics and mediums can help us to achieve. One of the UK’s leading mystics Paul Perris discovered his powers as a medium early in life at the age of 4 when he clearly witnessed the spirit of his deceased Grandfather sitting on his own coffin. From then on his
links with the spirit world developed and now Paul spends his life helping others by harnessing his energies and passing on messages from the spirit world.

“It is part of everything I do. Sometimes things can be distressing but mostly my work is of a positive and healing nature. If you have these natural skills why not try and use them? If you are meant to be a medium, at some point in your life you must accept your role and learn to love it.”

So next time you walk a familiar path or recognise something rather peculiar in an as yet unvisited place, take a step back and dwell on it for a moment - maybe there is more to you than meets the eye…

Paul Perris is one of the UK’s leading mediums and runs www.mysticalmediums.co.uk a team of mystics and mediums offering guidance on life, love, loss and career.

Of course, it might just be coincidence...

Those poor, dumbed Mormons. Their church is dooming them to poor health!

“Coffee: The New Health Food?
Plenty of health benefits are brewing in America's beloved beverage.
By Sid Kirchheimer
WebMD Feature
Reviewed By Michael Smith, MD

“Want a drug that could lower your risk of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and colon cancer? That could lift your mood and treat headaches? That could lower your risk of cavities?
If it sounds too good to be true, think again.

Coffee, the much maligned but undoubtedly beloved beverage, just made headlines for possibly cutting the risk of the latest disease epidemic, type 2 diabetes. And the real news seems to be that the more you drink, the better.”
http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/80/96454.htm

And the following is a story on the health benefits of drinking tea. Not just Green “health” teas but ‘ordinary’ black teas, too.

“Tea Provides Nearly 90 Percent of the Flavonoid Antioxidants Per Capita in U.S. Diet

- Symposium Explores Health Benefits of Flavonoids -

DAVIS, Calif., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Not only is tea refreshing and soothing, new research suggests that it may be a major contributor of health-promoting nutrients in the U.S. diet. At the Second International Conference on Polyphenols and Health held at the University of California, Davis, on October 4-7, scientists reported that tea provides more flavonoids to the average American diet than any food or beverage in the U.S. food supply.

Using data from the national nutrition monitoring surveys that are representative of the U.S. population, researchers from Exponent, a scientific research firm, calculated an average per capita flavonoid intake by U.S. consumers of approximately 134.0 mg/day. Based on the foods recorded in the surveys, the researchers also concluded that beverages contribute the most
dietary flavonoids, providing on average approximately 125.0 mg/day, with tea providing approximately 117 mg/day, or 87 percent of the dietary flavonoids on a per capita basis.

While there is no current recommended dietary intake for flavonoids, clinical and epidemiological studies suggest that consumption of 600 to 1000 mg of flavonoids (3-4 cups of tea) are associated with potential health benefits and fit as part of a healthy diet.

Flavonoids are a major class of dietary phytonutrients, found predominately in fruits, vegetables, tea, cocoa and wine. They have been shown to be potent antioxidants which help neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are scavenging cells that over time, are believed to damage the body's genetic makeup and are associated with various conditions relating to aging, as well as diseases such as heart disease and certain cancers.

Significant scientific research suggests that flavonoid antioxidants may confer myriad health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and diabetes, as well as bolstering the body's immune system.

With respect to heart health, ongoing research suggests that flavonoids may help lower harmful blood cholesterol levels, reduce inflammation and improve blood vessel endothelial function.

Other research suggests that flavonoids may help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. There is also mounting evidence that the phytonutrients in tea stimulate the immune system and help maintain the balance of healthy bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.

According to the USDA flavonoid database, brewed tea -- both black and green -- contains 150 to 190 milligrams of flavonoids per cup. Another benefit of tea is that, unlike many other popular beverages, tea contains virtually no calories, fat or sugar. Tea also provides trace amounts of healthful minerals such as potassium and fluoride.

"This is another piece of the puzzle that may help explain why tea drinkers tend to have a lower incidence of heart disease and other chronic conditions," said Joseph Simrany, president of the Tea Council of the USA. "The other good news is that drinking more tea is simple and tasty, so there's no compromising taste for health."

While consumers should certainly continue to eat a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables, tea can be a healthy beverage selection offering beneficial phytonutrients in a healthful diet.”


“Tea And Cardiovascular Health

“For years, research in populations has suggested that tea drinking is associated with improved cardiovascular health. Recently, both clinical and population studies have found similar positive cardiovascular effects among people who include tea as a part of their daily diets.”

Read the rest of the article here http://www.teausa.com/general/204g.cfm


And there’s more!

“Masturbating may protect against prostate cancer”
“…the latest research has even better news for young men: frequent self-pleasuring could protect against the most common kind of cancer.”
Read the rest of the article here http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn3942

There was even a report of a TBM who declared that when his doctor advised him to reduce his risk of prostate cancer by masturbation that he would rather die from prostate cancer than “polluting his body.”

The problem is, of course, not so much about polluted bodies but minds polluted with years and years of lying by Mormondumb.

Let's hear it for Joseph Smith and his Word of Wisdumb. (sic)

Turn to Tea for a New Year health kick

New Year will see people turning to tea for their post Christmas detox, if past trends continue, says the UK’s favourite tea producer.

Last year sales in green teas rose by around 40% and fruit and herbal sales rose by almost 15% during January reflecting the trend for healthy New Year resolutions. Ray Duffin, Marketing Controller, from the nation’s favourite tea producer Tetley says, “At this time of year people are thinking about their healthand wanting to choose a resolution which is easy to stick to and packed full of health benefits. Tetley Green teas can help you ease into your new regime as they are packed with goodness and a great way to kick off a healthy new year.

“Consumers in the UK are beginning to recognise the important health benefits of green tea. Tetley green teas are as hydrating as water, naturally rich in antioxidants and are a natural source of theanine. Early research suggests that antioxidants may help maintain the body’s defence systems and suggests that theanine may create a feeling of relaxation and alertness at the same time. This makes green teas from Tetley the perfect accompaniment to a healthy regime, particularly during the New Year.”

Tetley Green Tea Pure is made from only the best quality leaves and uses the gentle process of steaming to produce a tea that has a smooth and round flavour unlike the harsh taste consumers associate with other green teas.

Tetley has a green tea blend for everyone – apart from Green Tea Pure, there are three other varieties – Green Tea Lemon, Green Tea Decaf and Green Tea Mint.

Tetley also makes fruit and herbal teas which are in fact infusions, rather than tea, as they are produced from flowers, fruits, herbs and spices. They are naturally caffeine free and are traditionally believed to have added benefits, such as Tetley Peppermint Punch which is thought to aid digestion.

Tetley has a large variety of fruit and herbal teas ranging from the more traditional infusions of camomile and summer berry to the exotic tastes of lemon tangerine, redbush & vanilla and blackberry.

“We welcome the sales boost to newer varieties in the new year but know that all teas are ultimately healthy which is good news for Tetley tea drinkers,” Duffin concludes.

Tetley's green teas (99p for 25 bag pack) and fruit and herbal infusions (79p for a 20 bag pack) are available from larger branches of Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrison's. All are packaged in Tetley’s unique stay fresh resealable canisters which ensure that the last bag of Tetley
remains as fresh as the first.

Overview of Britain's favourite tea maker Tetley is the biggest manufacturer and distributor of tea in the UK. It is the nation’s favourite tea brand with a 28% volume share of the total tea market, and its tea bags are regularly bought by about every third household in the UK.

Tetley has a range of Green, Fruit & Herbal and Speciality teas along with black teas including Decaf, Organic and Extra Strong. With a range of teas to suit every taste, Tetley is well placed to consolidate its place as Britain's favourite tea maker. Tetley really is ‘Everyone’s cup of tea’.
www.tetley.co.uk
www.tetley.com
www.teaexperts.co.uk

Tea (especially Green Tea) is also becoming increasingly popular in the USA, due to the ongoing research into the health-giving properties of both ordinary black tea and Green Tea.

"Churches and temples are no longer safe in America" claims Reverend Craig X. Rubin

"Churches and Temples are no longer safe in America," claims the Reverend Craig X Rubin of Temple 420, who was arrested November 8, 2006, at his religious establishment by over one dozen 'heavily armed' officers of the LAPD.

"If they can do this to us, they can do it to any church that the government disagrees with." The Reverend known for his reoccurring role on Showtime's hit series "Weeds" said arresting officers did not treat Temple clergymen as required by California Penal Codes 1524 and 1525.
The Reverend Rubin (pictured) is known as the General Pharmer to his congregation.

The investigation of Reverend Rubin began only days earlier. An undercover officer joined Temple 420 on November 3, 2006, and immediately purchased 3.5 grams of sacrament, "PurpleErkle." This was the basis of the arrest warrant for defendant Rubin; the seizure of all sacrament and money from the church; and, the freezing of all financial assets before conviction. As a result, Temple 420 may be forced to close.

(Note: Video of the arrest is available at: youtube.com/watch?v=Mw8W4wJcGOg).

"What if this was my church?" Rubin's lawyer asked. A key tenet of Temple 420 is that members receive communion by burning a sacramental herb, marijuana. However, the plant contains THC, regulated under the Controlled Substances Act by the Federal Government; the sect is currently being barred from engaging in the practice of its religion on the grounds that it violates the California Health & Safety code.

Temple 420 claims the Religious Freedom Restoration Act affirmed by the Supreme Court for protection. By law the Government is prohibited from substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion, unless the Government demonstrates that application of the burden to the person represents the least restrictive means of advancing a 'compelling interest.'

This was affirmed in the case of "Gonzales v. O Centro Espirita Beneficiente Uniao Do Vegetal" when the church's Schedule I hallucinogenic sacrament was seized. But, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of the church's sacrament being returned and them being allowed to continue their religious practices.

Temple 420 has retained civil rights attorney La'Chelle Monique Woodert, who plans not only to defend the church, but to then help the Temple sue the city for violating Temple 420's religious freedom rights when they beat the criminal charges.

A new voice in Pagan Literature emerges LINK FIXED!

A new voice in Pagan Literature emerges. Refreshing, direct and a little bit mad Valley of the Cynllaith 2006.Emerging from the shadowy mists of the Welsh / Shropshire Borders , Rob Chapman, Druid, Counselor has spent the last Five years creating workshops, ritual and group experiences for people around the UK.

The culmination of this Five years is his new Book.Llyfr o Cythrawl a Awen by Rob Chapman, is his first offering to the world. It presents on one hand a new and refreshing look at some of the ideas and conc,epts of modern druidry, whilst also giving a metaphoric description for the emergence of the true self, through actualization.

"It includes sections upon ritual as well as ideas of free expression as a means of growth and healing. One reader said “Just downloaded and read your book...! Have to say, makes loads of sense, and its refreshing to see someone approaching druidry from a unique perspective (though I suppose we all do anyway...)

"It's very easy to write and include all that has gone before, though in some respects you have done that, just finding your own definition and way of working which is definitely (not that I deal in definite anything really), a welcome change from the usual garbage that’s perpetuated in the name of Paganism in general."

"You have a firm grasp of the nature of things, this comes across really well, and its nice to hear these subjects covered from a Druidic perspective and simply rather than a lengthy tome ... very succinct and "to the point"."

Rob Chapman wrote Llyfr o Cythrawl a Awen to help relieve the fire in the head that comes when you spend all your time thinking and exploring the ideas and ways of Druidry. Also because as a Druid he sees that an important role is to teach, but also to push the boundaries and not let things stagnate.

He came to Lulu because he wanted to be in control of the publishing process and found Lulu’s print-on-demand tools to be fast, easy and, most importantly, free. Llyfr o Cythrawl a Awen is available for purchase at www.lulu.com, in a marketplace filled with other unique and wonderful surprises. Link to Publication http://www.lulu.com/content/569765

Rob Chapman has over twenty years experience within the occult and pagan Traditions. 10 Years of which have focused largely upon Druidry. He has over the last Five years trained as a Person Centered Counselor as well as running workshops and spiritual camps.

I thought I'd share this with you! Post Mormon enough for you, eh?

Thank you to Gunner for pointing out the problem with Lulu. I have now attacked this from a different angle and put in a different link which takes you directly to the book.

Mormons and Mormonism in the news

For the first time in a long, long time I have decided to do a trawl for Mormon-related news items. Here they are!

Mormons ignore Mary, mother of Jesus!
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4757591

“ For most of the year, though, Mary is largely tucked away - respected for her submissiveness, admired for her faithfulness, but largely invisible. She does not adorn their chapel walls, nor stare down from stained-glass windows. She is not part of their weekly worship or routinely mentioned in prayers. And she barely merits a mention in LDS books. True to the Faith, a recent compendium of Mormon teachings, moves from "marriage" to "Melchizedek Priesthood" without a line about Mary. Ditto for Preach My Gospel, the handbook of doctrine used by LDS missionaries worldwide, even in the section on Jesus' earthly ministry. She's nowhere to be found in Mormonism for Dummies, either. "There is next to nothing official about Mary from the modern LDS perspective, so we wanted to err on the side of caution rather than offering our own speculations that may not have been doctrinal," says Jana Riess, Dummies co-author with Christopher Bigelow. "When it does offer teaching about Mary, the church tends to emphasize her role in the fulfillment of prophecy, and particularly her being of the Davidic line."



Mormon temple to get rates (property tax) bill

http://www.lep.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=73&ArticleID=1898273

“Mormons must pay full rates
The Mormon Church has suffered defeat in its legal campaign to stop rates bills being slapped on its massive temple in Chorley.
Top judges ruled against the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, saying the temple did not qualify for a rates exemption – because it can only be used by selected Mormon believers and is not "a place of public religious worship."The Appeal Court decision is a bitter blow to the Church whose 6,300 square metre temple is just one of a number of very large buildings set amidst 15 acres at Temple Way, adjacent to the M61 motorway.”


Mormon necrodunking satirised by UK publication
http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i11826
“WASHINGTON, DC -- Rabbi Jacob Baer stood before his congregation at Temple Sinai on Military Road yesterday morning, poised to perform a ritual that he had perfected just hours before. On a long table before him were a silver bowl, a small dark blue bottle, a lighted candle, a lockbox, and a blow dryer.”

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/11/30/231605.shtml?s=lh
The Rev. Jerry Falwell quickly distanced himself from a published report that claims he has endorsed Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for president in 2008….
"It has come to my attention that a statement attributed to Governor Mitt Romney suggests that I have endorsed his candidacy for president... I have not endorsed or offered support for Governor Romney or any other candidate…”

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_4747901
Man charged in library bombing said he was studying Mormon faith, not blowing up library.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/19/CMGTTLVBEJ1.DTL
Jeffs described as: "...pope of Mormon polygamy"

Monson attacks BYU football coach for failing to seperate religion and sport. (That's Gordon Monson, by the way)
http://www.sltrib.com/sports/ci_4753437

"Even - no, especially - at an institution owned by a church, there has to be separation between righteous living, earning or invoking God's blessings, and kicking tail on the football field. There is no connection."


Oops! Book burning goes too far! (Don't they ALL?)
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2006/11/30/book-burnings-potter-tech-media_cz_ds_books06_1201burn.html

In August 2003, two Michigan pastors, T.D. Turner Sr. and son T.D. Turner Jr., took a stand against sorcery by burning a Harry Potter book outside their Jesus Non-Denominational Church. The younger Turner, Tommy, says that while he hadn't read the book... The fire so inflamed parishioners' passions that, according to the Detroit Free Press, some of the 50 spectators proceeded to burn the Book of Mormon..."


http://www.slweekly.com/editorial/2006/ae_3_2006-11-23.cfm

"When Brian Evenson began writing The Open Curtain, he was a Mormon. By the time he finished the book, he was not. Leaving the religion one grew up in can be fertile ground for a novelist to explore. "


http://www.ocweekly.com/music/music/purpose-beyond-crap/26259/
"Musician Theo Hirsch has 30 years of frustration to get off his chest. Is it fair to call your songs rants set to music?I rant a lot. Yeah. Did you have stuff to get off your chest after being a Mormon for so long?" (Yes, it IS Theo from RFM)

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4599863
"Pearson's was a searing tale of her husband's battle against his homosexuality, their attempts to create a faithful Mormon family, his leaving to live as a gay man and his eventual death from AIDS. Her story of love, hope, betrayal, forgiveness and reconciliation put a human face on gayness. "

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11222006/news/nationalnews/14_year_olds_polygamy_nightmare_nationalnews_.htm
"November 22, 2006 -- ST. GEORGE, Utah - A 14-year-old girl cried and was clearly troubled in the weeks preceding an arranged marriage to an older cousin, her sister testified yesterday at a hearing that could lead to a criminal trial for the leader of a fundamentalist Mormon sect.
"She was 14," said Rebecca Musser, whose sister has a different last name. "It was just shocking and horrific . . . She didn't want to get married." "

As covered in the New York Post

Paranoid? Yes. But what if they ARE after you?

Someone wanted to know if the Recovery From Mormonism board is monitored. The short answer is yes, of course it is.

But what is the long answer? The long answer is, yes it is monitored, but not only by the Mormons and their external PR consultants.

The RFM board is very, very busy. Something like an average of 350,000 + hits every year. That’s why posts are not kept for very long (ten days, I believe) before being dumped as they just do not have the server capacity to keep them for any longer than that.

But who else monitors the RFM board? A poster on the board has reminded me that there are certain “hot button topics” which, if they are mentioned in a post, all hell usually breaks loose.

There’s an experiment that I suggest you don’t try for risk of compromising Eric’s rather precious bandwidth and server capacity.

Write an article in praise of one of the following topics: Acupressure, Acupuncture, Alexander technique, Aromatherapy Art therapy, Auricular Acupuncture, Australian Flower Essences therapy, Ayurvedic medicine, Bach Flower Remedy, Chelation Therapy, Chiropractic, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Colour therapy, Craniosacral Therapy, Herbal medicine, Homoeopathy, Indian Head Massage, Iridology, Kinesiology, Medical Herbalism, Naturopathy, Osteopathy, Reflexology, Reiki, Rolfing, Yoga and pretty soon there will be a firestorm of critics raining fire brimstone and fire down upon your head!

Why is that? There are some theories that people who give up believing in God and leave Mormonism also give up believing in everything. Oh, wait! No. That’s a BAD thing. You have to believe in science.

But that doesn’t explain why so many people would attack you for expressing praise for any alternative health model. Especially when you realise that all is not quite what it seems. For you will be attacked by people who have never posted on the board before and the majority of whom might not even have heard of Joseph Smith. A tiny minority will add something vaguely “exmo-like” to keep up the pretence that they are former Mormons.

How or why do they know when these “hot button topics” come up? Many PR companies now have highly sophisticated computer software that will analyse the World Wide Web to see where and how –for example- the name of a client shows up somewhere, anywhere, in the world.

And I think that is what is happening with the “hot button topics.” (This is based on experience as there’s a firm not far from my office that specialises in this line of work.)

Am I paranoid? Perhaps. But just because you are paranoid does not mean they are not after you...

Talking to God: Carnival of the Veil #28

Talking to God: Carnival of the Veil #28

"FREE CHANDRA Campaign. Innocent girl kidnapped and held against her will

“On Nov. 1st our sister Chandra was forcibly abducted from her bed by a stranger, handcuffed and taken away to a Behavior Modification Teen " Boot Camp" called Turnabout Ranch,” writes Wendy Berg.Wendy goes on to add: “She has done nothing wrong....No drugs, No alcohol, a good student. She has never been in trouble with the law or her school, nor has she even kissed a boy.“Turnabout Ranch is in Escalante Utah and they are keeping her for a minimum of 90 days. This is a camp for teens with severe behavior problems, juvenile record, drug abuse and out of control behavior. Here is a link to an article that describes the type of hard core juvenile offenders that are sent to Turnabout Ranch.

(http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/comment/story/0,9828,1414997,00.html)

“Chandra is none of these things. She has never done drugs, drank alcohol, or been in trouble with the law or school. She is a good student that has never even kissed a boy. Chandra has expressed interest in becoming a Vet, and has volunteered at a local vet clinic.

"Turnabout Ranch does not offer traditional schooling, so this 16 year old will receive no math or science education for the next 90 days. Chris Fudge the admissions director at TAR was contacted to discuss the inappropriate placement of Chandra at their facility. Chris stated that the mom has the power and wants her at TAR so she will stay.

"There is no screening in place so any child can be sent to this facility with no way out. Chandra's Father Kevin Robb of Spanishfork, Utah, Passed away on June 5, 2006. Chandra is left with no support and as a result her mother has absolute power.

Kevin's mother, Chandra's Grandmother, Hatty Jo Robb was interviewed and stated "Kevin would have never, never allowed this to happen to Chandra, absolutely not. If Kevin were alive today he would have Chandra live with him and would never have agreed to this".

TAR is licensed by the state of Utah, Office of Licensing, Department of Human Services run by Ken Stettler. The problem is that there is no oversight or monitoring of children that are sent to these schools. Chandra is allowed no contact with the outside world, so even though Chandra is old enough to file for emancipation under Utah law at age 16, there is no way for her to ask, Turnabout Ranch keeps their students in total isolation.

The Licensing department provides no avenue for these jailed teens to ask for a appeal or review. Even terrorists in custody get visits by the red cross, Chandra gets nothing.She was sent to TAR by her mother, Lori Robb-Allen because she did not get along with her stepdad, Steve Allen. There are abuse allegations made by all four children, Chandra has 3 younger sisters.

Chandra was sent away to Turnabout Ranch just days after a reported incident involving physical abuse of Chandra and her sister Mikayla. The CPS worker assigned to this case is Chelsea Smith of the American Fork Office. When contacted, Chelsea stated that there is nothing she can do to help get Chandra out, she essentially washed her hands of any responsibility.

Please help free our sister by joining our email and voice mail campaign. The only way under the law she can be released is if her Mother, CPS or the state requests it. You can help Chandra by calling the state and CPS offices and requesting a guardian ad litem (GAL) be assigned to Chandra.

A GAL has the power to visit her at Turnabout Ranch and represent her in the court system. Without the support of her Mother this is Chandra's only way out. Help us get the word out that our sister is not disposable, and people do care about the treatment of minor children. Click on the following link for information on what you can do to help Free Chandra: http://www.freeshandy.com/How2Help.htm

Photograghs taken before and after show that, after her abduction, Chandra had a severe bruise to the middle of her forehead.As Wendy points out, “There is a stark difference between the two pictures. Help us see Chandra happy again.

To contact me with information, thoughts about Chandra, or wanting to help email me at this address: freeshandy@gmail.com. It has become apparent that although Chandra is held as a de facto prisoner at the facility, she was not subject to any independent assessment before she was taken to the facility.

Questions are being asked about the propriety of the actions of the so-called boot camp.It is to be hoped that the Turnabout Ranch will be able to survive the possible firestorm of negative publicity that their actions are likely to engender.

PLEASE NOTE: We would be very greatful for this blog article to be reposted on your blog and forwarded to anyone you know who you think could hlep, including alll media outlets, print and broadcast. Thank you.

My experiment

I tried an experiment with my mother, recently.

I called her in July, I think it was. She told me how much she loved talking to me, how much she missed our conversations and my sense of humour. (That's not quite how I remember it, as she was always critical of my sense of humour. (Apparently I was too rude!")

So, I thought, OK, well let's see how this works. I decided to use the old British tradition that if someone phones you then that means, in general terms, that they owe you a phone call.

So, I waited for her call and to continue the communications that she said she wanted. I waited in vain. In fact, after four months I got bored and phoned her. And got more of the I miss speaking with you blah blah blah, etc., nonsense.

I then came to a sad realisation. My mother wants to talk with me... but not really!

My mother wants to talk to the Mormon me who has not existed since I was 22 or so. I am now 49 and have not been a Mormon for the best part of 30 bloodly years!

But my exmormonism is still just a phase, of course.

I feel sorry for her. But there's nothing I can do .

Ghostly gift for the person who has it all!

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For more information on these experiences and hundreds of other gift ideas please visit www.buyagift.com

But… what if it’s NOT your fault and not your problem?

OK, let’s see… Your brothers and sisters never see you, they do not like their children being alone with you, your parents think you are one of Satan’s minions.

What are you? A murderer? Child molesterA rapist? A convicted fraudster? No. Just a former Mormon.

When my brother found out that I was talking to my nephew at a family (nevermo) party he could not wait to run over to us at the party (knocking an elderly nevermo relation out of the way in his indecent haste. Way to go, bruv!)

Apparently he thought I was an evil influence on my nephew and would try to lead him to the pathway to Hell.

The truth was that within minutes I found out more about my nephew than his stupid father (my brother) had in his life.

I had found out that he had been binge drinking with a mate several times and I was actually advising him to take it easy with alcohol. Not that my brother would believe that. But that’s HIS problem!

But of course, as I am a filthy, degenerate apostate ™ © then I can have no good intentions and no noble objectives. Of course not. Because, of course, only Mormons know The Truth ™! The Truth? Sadly most Mormons would not know the truth if it bit them on the arse.

But we feel guilty when we do something non-Mormon like drink coffee or have a glass of beer with our meal.

But this is NOT our fault, nor is it our problem.

They are, after all, the ones who are following the example of a rapist and child molester and convicted fraudster, not us...

Are Mormons Christians?

Are Mormons Christians? That’s a subject that comes up quite often over at the RFM board. Some people say no, some yes.

But are they? I like to use analogies. So let’s try this one.

You feel the need to help fight against crime. It is something that has concerned you for years, and whilst you are figuring out what to do, there is a knock at the door. “Hello. We are in your neighbourhood promoting crime fighting. Are you interested in becoming a crime fighter?” says the young man on your doorstep.

Wow. What a coincidence! You invite him in. He tells you he is from a body called National Crime Fighters. He explains that National Crime Fighters is the only body for civilians who want to become crime fighter.

You decide you will join. After all you want the opportunity to help fight crime and this organisation called National Crime Fighters seems perfect.

You sign up. You get a cardboard badge to wear and some leaflets that have titles such as: “Crime. We are against it”. It is your job to promote the National Crime Fighters by handing the leaflets out at country shows, craft fairs, on the street, etc. You attend meetings every week with other National Crime Fighters volunteers and hear talks on “Crime. We do not like it,” and so forth.

You begin to have doubts. After all, you wanted to help fight crime. But with the National Crime Fighters all you ever do is hand out useless leaflets and attending boring meetings.

Eventually, while you are out you come across a smartly dressed man. He is wearing a very shiny metal badge with the words International Crime Fighters on it. You approach him and ask him about his organisation.

He tells you that it is an organisation dedicated to fighting crime. They provide help to the victims of crime, install free burglar alarms in people’s homes, and act as the eyes and ears of the law enforcement agencies around the world.

So. You were lied to. National Crime Fighters was NOT the only organisation you could have joined. So why did they lie to you? And how come you only got a crappy, flimsy badge and to attend boring meetings whilst the members of International Crime Fighters got to help prevent and help crime.

But there is worse. The next day you see newspaper headlines that reveal that the National Crime Fighters organisation was set up by a convicted fraudster and that the National Crime Fighters was nothing but a front to help him defraud people.

You then join International Crime Fighters and help fight and prevent crime.

Question. When you were a genuine crime fighter whilst you were with the National Crime Fighters or not?

Picture this

Picture this. You and your family all live in a small and very cramped one room home. There are spaces where there should be windows, but they are boarded-up and no light ever come through them.

Although you share the home with other members of your family, you find it really hard to see them, as the only illumination comes from a small, 5 watt bulb suspended from the middle of the room. So the room is very dimly lit and you can only ever catch glimpses of the other members of your family when they walk directly beneath the .light bulb.

Every-so-often water starts to drip down on to you and your family. This, you are told, is special water sent from God to bless you. Funny. But to you it feels cold and unpleasant. And not much of a blessing at all.

At regular intervals your family is visited by a pair of men who come to check on you and your family to ensure that all is well. They wear strange, thick clothing and have goggles on their faces to protect them from the evil that is outside of your hut.

They knock on the door with a special knock and are quickly hustled in, lest the evil influence of outside contaminate the home.

But still, you sometimes wonder what outside actually is and how evil it might really be. One evening, someone is a little slower than normal in closing the door and you catch a glimpse of outside. All you were able to see was that it looked really interesting. So, you decide to leave the safety of your family home to find out what outside was like.

When the others are praying with the visitors, you sneak out through the door, closing it behind you. You gaze around you. All you can do is say: Wow!” You see the remains of the setting sun in the West, watch the first stars coming out, twinkling in the gathering night.

You wander away, looking at everything. It all looks so beautiful. Presently, overcome by exhaustion, you fall asleep under a hedge.

The next morning you are awoken by the singing of many different types of birds. And you see the sun rise. You look around you, shielding your eyes. You are unaccustomed to such brightness, but your eyes gradually adjust.

You retrace your footsteps as best you can. Eventually you find your home. What a terrible shock. Your home, of which your parents are so proud, is, you see, nothing but a small and cramped shack. But worse than that.

It is quite clear that it is built out of a variety of strange materials, all from different sources. Old packing crates, randomly sized bits of wood, all held together with bent nails, bits of old string. From where you stand you can see the flat roof of the hovel that you have called home all your life. There were so many holes in it that there was no wonder water fell on you and your family.

As you walk towards your home, you see a pair of the visitors staggering down the street, in their thick clothing, clutching each other. You wonder if one of them is ill. But then you notice that they are both wearing goggles that are totally painted over with black paint. They are clutching each other because they can barely see where they are going.

Somehow they make it to a neighbouring hovel that is similar to the one you call home. There are, you notice, a small number of these hovels all gathered together in a piece of rough land bounded by a tumbledown fence. There is a rickety slam as they are hustled into the hovel.

All around them there is fantastic beauty. Trees, vales, open pastures, farmland, gorgeous hills, valleys, majestic mountains. Everything. As your gaze shifts toward your home, the hovel, you start to weep. How could you and your family have lived in such a horrible home, whilst all around was not great evil and horrors but a truly beautiful world?

You resolve to tell your family the truth. You run to your door and open it. The action of your family surprises you. Shocks you, even. As the light of the day falls on them, they scream in terror. They push you out, shouting that you had been tainted by the evils of the world. They slam the door behind you, and you see the whole, pitiful shack shake and vibrate with the force.

You spend hours and hours hammering on the door, shouting for your family to join you in the light. But they do not even deign to give you a direct response. Instead they sing hymns to drown out the sound of your voice.

Eventually, you realise that you will never reach your family. So you turn to leave, noticing that it is already coming upon the evening time, again.

As you stand outside the hovel, wondering what to do next, several people approach you. They identify themselves as fellow former dwellers in the hovels with their own families. Some had their entire family with them, others one or two family members but most were like you, with only themselves having been able to escape their family’s hovel.

They invite you to join them. So you do, wandering off to see what great adventures might exist outside of the hovel that your family called home. Picture this.

“OK, Matt! Apart from posting on RFM and your Notamormon blog, what exactly do you do?”

I write. All day long at work I write. I work as a journalist for a small publishing company. Although the company is small that doesn’t stop it from publishing five different magazines every month. (Actually, 2 are published 17 times a year, rather than 12 times) Unfortunately I am the only full time journalist employed by the company. We use some freelance writers, (some are a hinderence rather than a help as I have to sub-edit their work and do some re-writes) but I write most of the copy for the magazines, all of which are between 40 something to 64 pages, depending on advertising sold.

So, what do I do when I get back home? I write. Why? Because the way I earn my living is also my hobby. Great. I found someone kind enough to pay me for my hobby!

One of the things I run is my own News Portal, which is found at www.thatsnews.org.uk which leads on to a variety of news channels. News, health and nutrition, building and construction, business news, book reviews, etc.

There’s even a special section for Apple Mac users (called Apple Mac Heaven!) and I have a weekly humour column by Jason Love.

You know something? Although my lifestyle is a bit high stress, I love it to bits! Would I have been able to do the same kind of stuff had I been a Mormon? Hell, no! There’s no way my life would have worked out the way it did with the dead hand of Mormonism laying its rotting hand on my shoulder.

This is shameless self promotion. If you like my www.thatsnews.org.uk website, would you be able to help me by linking to it? (I’ll do reciprocal links, of course)

Also, does anyone have a bit of simple html code that I could use to create a linkable banner so that I will be able to replace the simple html link on the top of each portal entry page with a nice banner? If you do, please email this to me at matt_exmo@yahoo.co.uk Thanks!

I have decided to write a book.

It will be based on my Ex-Mormon blogging here at Notamormon. I think that I will called it Not a Mormon, anymore.

Those of you who have followed my blog since the early days (it seems like years, but it is only several months, honestly!) know what kind of material it will cover. To others? Well, it may come as a surprise.

Will I use my real name on the book? (That is always provided I can find someone willing to publish it!) I have thought long and hard about this. I was very tempted to use my real name.

But what if I don’t? What if I just sign myself as Matt? Now, if I do that, then nobody will know who I am. I could be that person who a TBM has not seen in church for a while. Maybe it is their cousin Billy? Or perhaps I am that British missionary they met whilst they were on their mission in Australia?

You see, if I were to say: “I am so-and-so”, every TBM could be tempted to think: “His story would never have happened in MY ward!” When, in fact, every ex-Mormon knows that our kind of story happens in every ward and branch all over the world.

In closing this blog post anyone got the contact details of a publisher who would be willing to look at publishing an exmo book? Just email me the details, please! Ta!

Fictionalised references to Mountain Meadows massacre

Jack London wrote directly about the infamous moment when Mormons inflicted this secret mass murder upon innocent men, women and children.

But exactly how secret was it? Jack London wrote an outstanding novel based on it and even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle msde an oblique reference to it in A Study in Scarlet.

Do you know of any other books that make mention of the Mountain Meadows Massacre?

Here is Conan Doyle' obliuque mention of the Mountain Meadows Massacre.


"Arthur Conan Doyle
A Study in Scarlet
Chapter 3
John Ferrier Talks with the Prophet
Three weeks had passed since Jefferson Hope and his comrades had departed from Salt Lake City. John FerrierÂ’s heart was sore within him when he thought of the young manÂ’s return, and of the impending loss of his adopted child. Yet her bright and happy face reconciled him to the arrangement more than any argument could have done. He had always determined, deep down in his resolute heart, that nothing would ever induce him to allow his daughter to wed a Mormon. Such marriage he regarded as no marriage at all, but as a shame and a disgrace. Whatever he might think of the Mormon doctrines, upon that one point he was inflexible. He had to seal his mouth on the subject, however, for to express an unorthodox opinion was a dangerous matter in those days in the Land of the Saints.

Yes, a dangerous matter— so dangeous that even the most saintly dared only whisper their religious opinions with bated breath, lest something which fell from their lips might be misconstrued, and bring down a swift retribution upon them. The victims of persecution had now turned persecutors on their own account, and persecutors of the most terrible description. Not the Inquisition of Seville, nor the German Vehmgericht, nor the secret societies of Italy, were ever able to put a more formidable machinery in motion than that which cast a cloud over the state of Utah.

Its invisibility, and the mystery which was attached to it, made this organization doubly terrible. It appeared to be omniscient and omnipotent, and yet was neither seen nor heard. The man who held out against the Church vanished away, and none knew whither he had gone or what had befallen him. His wife and his children awaited him at home, but no father ever returned to tell them how he had fared at the hands of his secret judges.

A rash word or a hasty act was followed by annihilation, and yet none knew what the nature might be of this terrible power which was suspended over them. No wonder that men went about in fear and trembling, and that even in the heart of the wilderness they dared not whisper the doubts which oppressed them.

At first this vague and terrible power was exercised only upon the recalcitrants who, having embraced the Mormon faith, wished afterwards to pervert or to abandon it. Soon, however, it took a wider range. The supply of adult women was running short, and polygamy without a female population on which to draw was a barren doctrine indeed. Strange rumours began to be bandied about — rumours of murdered immigrants and rifled camps in regions where Indians had never been seen.

Fresh women appeared in the harems of the Elders — women who pined and wept, and bore upon their faces the traces of an unextinguishable horror. Belated wanderers upon the mountains spoke of gangs of armed men, masked, stealthy, and noiseless, who flitted by them in the darkness. These tales and rumours took substance and shape, and were corroborated and recorroborated, until they resolved themselves into a definite name. To this day, in the lonely ranches of the West, the name of the Danite Band, or the Avenging Angels, is a sinister and an ill-omened one.

Fuller knowledge of the organization which produced such terrible results served to increase rather than to lessen the horror which it inspired in the minds of men. None knew who belonged to this ruthless society. The names of the participators in the deeds of blood and violence done under the name of religion were kept profoundly secret.

The very friend to whom you communicated your misgivings as to the Prophet and his mission might be one of those who would come forth at night with fire and sword to exact a terrible reparation. Hence every man feared his neighbour, and none spoke of the things which were nearest his heart.

One fine morning John Ferrier was about to set out to his wheatfields, when he heard the click of the latch, and, looking through the window, saw a stout, sandy-haired, middle-aged man coming up the pathway. His heart leapt to his mouth, for this was none other than the great Brigham Young himself. Full of trepidation — for he knew that such a visit boded him little good — Ferrier ran to the door to greet the Mormon chief. The latter, however, received his salutations coldly, and followed him with a stern face into the sitting-room.

Is the Notamormon blogsite exmo website list up-to-date?

Some time ago with a great deal of help from several people, I compiled a list of exmo blog and websites.

You can find the link to the list here:- http://notamormon.blogspot.com/2006/04/ex-mormon-websites.html


I believe that there are some new websites that need to be added. Do you have any candidates you would like to have included?

If you would like to link the list to your own blog or website, please do so. If you want to email me with some more websites or blogs, please do so at: matt_exmo@yahoo.co.uk

Thanks for your help.

Has my mother being driven mad by years of Mormonism?

The reason I ask is because she seems unable to employ rational thought processes. The woman who used to be bright and clever is now, well, acting stupid, for want of a better word. And has been doing so for at least ten years.

Some examples of what I mean.

I caught glandular fever. My mother advised me that as she did not want my nephews catching this that I must on no account visit her. I thought this was a little harsh, but I acquiesced to her instruction.

Some time later she range me up, tearfully, berating me for “not visiting her.” When I pointed out that I was only acting on her instructions she said in an odd, cold voice: “Oh. Yes. That’s right. That’s what I said” almost as if she resented my remembering it.

When she went on her mission several years ago my brother and my sister and their families both moved house and took the decision not to tell me their new addresses or new phone numbers. For the full time she was away (with a holiday at the end it was 24 months) they made not one effort to contact me or tell me how they were. Suddenly when she comes back the family and my mother both express shock and concern that I do not feel willing or able to have a family relationship with them. As I said to my wife at the time they all took the decision to cut me out of their lives: “I can take a hint. They obviously have no room for me in their lives.”

Whenever I phone my mother she says: “Oh, I do miss speaking with you.” But she can’t really miss speaking to me, or why would she not just pick up the phone and call me? I mean, she is Internet savvy, has done a legit online university course and sends email to everyone in the family (but not me) so yes, she could call me and speak with me, if she really wanted to.

And my mother (when I phone her up) says: “We do miss you at family events. You should come to them.” That’s a real great idea, mother. Except, of course, I have only been invited to a family event once in three years. It was my mother’s birthday over two years ago and I was invited by accident. The party was actually a Sunday lunch crammed between video showings of a General Conference, so was not really a fitting way to mark her 70th birthday, but then, as an exmo, what would I know?

Are Mormons trained to be liars?

Mormons are apparently taught not to lie. More specifically, in the Biblical terminonlogy, they are taught “not to bear false witness.”

How strange it is for us ex-Mormons to keep finding that Mormons descend on the ex-Mormon bulletin board (www.exmormon.org) with the express intention of lying and bearing false witness to us?

They use a variety of guises. The gentle seeker after truth. The ex-Mormon who has some sincere questions about the faith, the believing Mormon who is struggling with attending church, and there are even people who were born into Mormonism who pretend that they were converts from another faith when they visit www.exmormon.org.

Why do Mormon feel it necessary to visit www.exmormon.org and to lie to the people there? Do they not realise that, in the lies that they tell, they are condemning themselves?

Is it perhaps possible that they do not consider lying to “apostates” (sic) to be an real lie? Do they consider that “being a liar for Jesus” is somehow justified in the arid and vacuous theology that appertains to Mormonism?

Do they really, honestly think that the people who use www.exmormon.org are so stupid and gullible that they will not be able to spot that they are not what they claim to be, but are, instead, nothing but filthy liars?

They attempt to re-convert ex-Mormons by trying to blind us by throwing dirt in our eyes. As a tactic, it is mind numbingly dense. Stupid, even. But when Daniel C. Peterson, a lecturer at BYU decides to use such subterfuge at www.exmormon.org, one realises that the “being a liar for Jesus” programme is one that is approved of at the very highest levels of the Mormon church.

The Mormon church. Condemned as a hotbed of lies and liars out of its own , filthy mouth.

(A slightly different version of this post was published in February. But I thought the points could do with being raised again.)

Calling IAmThat

You wrote:

"Matt, Interesting that you chose the exact same name and surprisingly have the exact same merchandise for sale, by the exact same supplier. And you have the same name as the NAM site owner. You even end your emails with the same salutation as the other Matt did. Such a coincidence.

Whatever."

Interesting? Only to someone who does not get out enough.

Do I have the same merchandise for sale? No. It would seem that you claim that Matt and myself both use or used the same online shop, Cafe Press (as do thousands of other people and organisations). But NOT the same goods. (The goods I have for sale were designed by me only a couple of months ago, so your claim that we have the SAME goods on sale is untrue. You DID check the goods that are on sale, didn't you? Because I do not think you did.)

What? There are more than two exmos using the name Matt? Do you know how many people use the name Matt or Matthew on the Exmo board? Do you? You do not have to check. I'll tell you. It is 16. And that's only 16 that are registered, there are unregistered ones, also.

Wow. Two people use the same salutation! Is that really "such a coincidence?" Not to anyone with an ounce of common sense. (How many salutations can there be?)

Of course, had you been arsed to email me as I asked you, I could have supplied you with my private UK email address. (Mind you, one would have thought that the fact that I use a UK Yahoo address might have been something of a clue...)

Carnival of the Veil Week 13 is up!

http://the-thought-spot.blogspot.com/2006/08/carnival-of-veil-week-13.html

All thanks to the hosts!

The current Carnival of the Veil is up!

Thanks to Mr G for running this fantastic service!

http://sinisterporpoise.blogspot.com/2006/08/carnival-of-veil-week-12-bread-and.html

Why DO so many Mormons enter MLM schemes?

Why do so many Mormons get into MLM schemes or other direct selling schemes and try to sell Amway, Noni Juice, Nu Skin, Mary Kay, Nature’s Sunshine Products, Herbalife, Nutra-Smart, XanGo, Living Scriptures, 4Life Research, NSA, Pharmanex, Quixtar, Shaklee, Kirby, Unicity International, USANA Health Sciences, Inc., and Old Mother Jones’ Baked Goods by Mail? (OK, although it sounds like a good idea, I just made that last one up!)

Now, some ex-Mormons say that this is because Mormons are stupid. This must mean that either they, the ex-Mormon, is also stupid, or somehow when they became an ex-Mormon miraculously became non-stupid and magically intelligent.

However, as most ex-Mormons do not believe in miracles or magic (they drag out that lovely little hobby horse, the Invisible Pink Unicorn) then we must look for another explanation as to why so many Mormons get involved with MLM schemes and scams. The answer is so simple that I am surprised the “Mormons are stupid/gullible” theory has held sway for so long.

The real answer is, I believe, because the Mormon church, in relative terms, keeps its membership ‘dirt poor.’

Every faithful (and some less-than-faithful) Mormon pays 10% of their income to the Mormon Church in a tithe. Now, in strictly Biblical terms, the Mormon tithe is not “legal”. This is because it tithes income before tax; Federal, State, Income Tax, Sales Tax, VAT and Council Tax in the UK, so it tithes gross income and not net/increase as a genuine tithe would.

Therefore the situations for Mormons is worse than it would at first appear to be. Depending on local taxation regimens, the real cost of a Mormon tithe could be anything up to 25 to 50%. And this does not take into account mission fund, fast offering, etc., which takes an even larger chunk of money out of the typical Mormon family budget.

So in comparison to their non-Mormon neighbours (even those of other Christian denominations who might pay a tithe based on increase, rather than gross income) many Mormons are “dirt poor.”

So in order to live any kind of meaningful life and to not have to rely on food stamps, social security handouts or Mormon church welfare, an extra source of income is required.

What about a second job? An attractive idea, true. But as for the practicalities of a Mormon getting a second job? As Austin Powers would say: “Oh, behave!” Most faithful Mormons spend almost all of their free time in meetings, or even in meetings about meetings. Not to mention, home/visiting teaching, missionary splits, etc., etc. They would not have time for an extra job.

So what to do to ensure their children have some luxuries in their life, such as food to eat, a roof over their heads, and so forth? Try MLM. You can run it in your spare time. (What spare time?!) and even if you do not have spare time, you can try to have a whispered conversation in the hall in between three hour block meetings with Brother Zee or Sister Wye, about how you are SURE that Wonder Cure Mineral Drink will just change their lives forever! (And all for only two cans a week, at $14.00 per can.

Do they make any money? The answer varies from not much to zero. So not only do they not get out from the Mormon Church poverty trap they end up even more miserable and depressed. And then what happens? More Prozac, anyone?

So, next time someone says to you that Mormons are stupid for getting into MLMs, ask them where they parked either their Bible or their Invisible Pink Unicorn? Ask them when (or if!) THEY stopped being stupid. Or point out that Mormons are not necessarily stupid, but are kept in the Mormon poverty trap. After all, a poor person is often more pliable than a wealthy one.

The day a Mormon missionary got the $%£$ beat out of him by a surgeon in Shropshire, England

Wellinton, Shropshire, surgeon J. F. Steedman was famed and highly regarded throughout the area of Wellington, Shropshire, for his skills as a surgeon.

However in 1854 Mr Steedman caused a sensation in Wellington when he was on trial for attacking and severely beating a Mormon missionary.

The trial of Thomas Williams v J. F. Steedman took place in the County Court, under “that indefatigable” member of the judiciary, Uvedale Corbett, Esq., as the Welllintton Journal described him.

The case was brought against Mr Steedman by Thomas Williams, a “Mormonite” –as they were then often described- from Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire, some twelve or so miles from Wellington.

Due to the high feelings of people against the Mormons in Wellington and the popularity of Mr Steedman, the case had to be removed from the Wellington County Court to the picturesque medieval town hall of Newport, Shropshire.

On the day of the trial the courtroom was packed out with a large crowd of interested parties.Mr Craig was the advocate for the plaintiff, T. S. Smallwood for the defence. The damages claimed were fixed at the then princely sum of £50.

After the jury was sworn in Mr Craig stated the case of his client, claiming that he had been the subject of an unprovoked attack by Mr Steedman. (In Britain surgeons are always addresses as Mr., never doctor, by tradition.) He concluded his opening speech by questioning Williams as to his belief in the New Testament, which he professed to believe in.

Williams gave the following deposition to the court: “I am a thread-finisher in the employ of Marshalls of Shrewsbury, where I have been employed for 15 years. On Sunday 1 January this year (1854) I was in Park Street, Wellington, in the company of a young man named Henry Shaw, going from house to house, distributing tracts belonging to my sect.

“I called at the house of Mr Steedman who is a surgeon, alone. Mr Steedman answered the door himself. (many employers in Victorian times gave their servants Sunday off) I presented a tract, and asked him if he would have the kindness to read it, and I would call on him on the next Sunday, and renew it if agreeable. He glanced over the outside of the tract and asked if I would walk in.

“I said I had no objection, and he shewed me into a room on the left side, There was no one in the room. He went to the window, opened it, looked up and down the street for a moment or so. And then shut the window.

He opened the tract, turned it leaf after leaf and said; “What does this tract contain?” I said; “It contains the initiatory principles into the sect of which I am a member of.”

He said: “What is that?” I answered: “”Faith, repentance, baptism, and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

He said: “You believe in miracles, don’t you?” I said I did. He said: “You believe in the gift of tongues?” I answered that we did. He said: “What reason have you for believing that?” I replied, “because I had received them myself.” He said: “You believe in the gift of healing, don’t you?” I said: “Yes, we do.”

He then rushed at me, gave me a blow with his clenched fist over my left eye and said, with an oath, “Get that healed!”

The blow nearly stunned me, and caused me to kneel, but before I fell, he again struck me. That floored me.

He then commenced kicking me; the first kick was on the calf of my leg, the second was in the ribs. The room appeared to spin round, and I seemed to be losing my senses. His kicks took the breath out of me.

When my senses returned he was standing over me, and again commenced kicking me.With the assistance of a chair, I got into a half-standing position, and he then began striking me, about the head, face and shoulders with his fist.

I called “murder,” and made for the door, which I got open about an inch. He rushed at me, put his foot against the door and shut it, and recommenced kicking and striking me. I shouted: “Oh, dear sir, have mercy upon me; or do you intend to kill me?”

He took no notice, but gave me a blow on the left temple that sent me bouncing against the wall. I felt myself going again. He then stepped back a yard or so, and I got the door open.

He rushed at me, and with a kick on my posteriors, sent me from the door to the causeway, and said: “There, _______, you devil, take that!” I went over the intermediate steps, clear.

I saw no one but the defendant while in his house. I did not strike him, the first blow put me past striking. He is a much larger man than I am. While I was against the palisading (in front of the defendant’s house) Shaw came up. I saw also a man and a boy.

Shaw assisted me. We walked a few yards, and then I vomited three mouthfuls of blood. We went to Mrs Butler’s in New Street. Mrs Butler fomented my face with hot water for about half-an-hour, and gave me a glass of spirits.

“I lay on the sofa till about a quarter past seven. Mr Shaw assisted me upstairs and looked at my ribs. I had much difficulty in getting home that night by rail. My mother got me to bed and sent for Mr Pidduck, the surgeon. He could not come, but sent directions for my treatment.

“On the next day, I went with my father to Wellington, and saw Mr Jones, the surgeon, there. On our return I fell fainting into my father’s arms.

“Mr Gill first saw me on Wednesday the 4. In the meantime I was fomented and poulticed, as Mr Pidduck directed, by my mother. Mr Gill attended me till the 28 or 29 of January, the day before I resumed my employment.

“During that time I was constantly attended by my mother. I could not dress or undress myself for a fortnight. I am now wearing a strengthening plaster on my side, by Mr Gill’s orders.

“I cannot work overtime as I formerly did, and now follow my employment with difficulty. Before the injuries I earned 15s a week, including overtime.”

He informed the court that he had been made overseer (“of the saints”) in the district and claimed that no tracts were delivered without his knowledge. “I never saw Mr Steedman before.”

In his cross-examination, he admitted that the dissemination of the doctrine of “plural marriage” had caused many disturbances in Wellington. He denied that he had offered religious instruction to Mr Steedman, or that he had claimed that the “gift of tongues” was “exclusive to Mormons.”

Henry Shaw, who was also employed as a thread-finisher at Messrs. Marshall’s, PC Smith of Wellington; Mary Butler of Wellington, formerly a 'Mormonite,' (as she put it) but who was, she told the court, now a Roman Catholic (“I have not been a saint since last October”) and Mary Williams, the mother of the plaintiff; all gave evidence that corroborated some of the parts of the statement by Williams.

The controversial Mormon doctrine of polygamy, where one man could take as many wives as he wanted, did seem to influence the development of the case.

George P. Gill, who had examined Williams said; “I examined the plaintiff. The principal injury was merely a bruise, extending from the fourth to the seventh ribs. It was a good deal swollen and very tender. It might have been produced by a blow or a kick, most probably the latter.

He had complained of some difficulty in breathing. I did not see him spit blood. If the vomiting took place, it most likely proceeded from the rupture of a small blood vessel. I saw no reason to apprehend any bleeding had taken place.

"There was a contusion on the left eye, not of any very serious extent. The plaintiff appeared to have had a good beating. A small enlargement of the gland took place about a fortnight after I was called in.

"During the first part of his illness, he appeared to suffer a great deal of pain. I saw him twice at his own house. He came to me about three weeks. During that time I think he was not able to work.

“He seems a poor, feeble, sickly person. From the nature of his constitution, the injuries may be felt for some time, but it is not very probable. The enlargement of the gland has almost subsided.

“The distance between my house and the plaintiff’s is about a mile and a half; he came to me three or four times. My attentions were so slight that I only charged a guinea.”

Mr Craig, for Williams told the court that the sole reason for the attack was personal animosity towards his client by Mr Steedman. However, the defence advocate, T. C. Smallwood, painted a wholly different picture. He scoffed at the idea that there was any personal animosity by Mr Steedman for Williams.

He told the jury that Mr Steedman had been affronted by having someone of the beliefs of the plaintiff promoting his religion in the town in which he, Mr Steedman, lived. The words T. C. Smallwood used were reported thus: “Mr Steedman felt indignation at having the privacy of his home invaded by disseminators of doctrines of the horrible nature that had been disclosed.”

According to the local press, the speech was skilful at playing on the passions of the jury. He asked them, as husbands and fathers, to put themselves in the place of Mr Steedman.

Consider, he asked, if his resentment at the “lewd and blasphemous creed, which this sect propagates, was not pardonable?”

The impression he made on the jury was strong and the calm and clear summing up by Judge Corbett was unable to remove the effects from the minds of the jury members. After only a few moments consultation the jury rose and returned a unanimous verdict.

Although they found in favour of the plaintiff (Mr Steedman had not after all, denied that he had assaulted Williams) in the sum of £5 .Mr Steedman was also known for his great work for Christ Church, Wellington.

This is a re-worked version of a similar article.

Blogger IamThat PLEASE READ

I am NOT the Matt from www.notamormon.com

I am Matt from the UK, on the RFM board.

As I have explained previously, I did NOT know about www.notamormon.com before I started my blog. Had I known, I would have chosen a different bloody name for my blog.

Oh. And that comment you said I would not publish? Here it is.

" sure wish you would have taken us up on the offer to buy notamormon.com from you before you let the site lapse. NYMarshall and I would have kept it going. Instead, you did not notify your users -- some had been with you as much as five years -- that you intended to let the site die. You didn't answer your emails. There were those of us who would have like to archive the messages elsewhere.I doubt this post will make it on your blog and I don't expect a response. I just wanted to let you know how disappointed I am in your actions. I think many of us deserved better than this."

Maybe the Matt who ran that board is ill? Dead, even? Have you considered that possibility?

Email me at matt_exmo@yahoo.co.uk if you want.