4 ms·

In a way, that's kinda what the article is about. In a different perspective, the author is saying that journalists these days are just telling us what we want

In a way, that's kinda what the article is about. In a different perspective, the author is saying that journalists these days are just telling us what we want to hear, or whatever controversy sells. The idea that the leader of the Mormon church is a misogynist and a homophobe, that he stood in the way of LGBT rights, well, that's a story that sells these days. That goes against my own moral values, but that's not the be-all end-all. This is a man who lived until he was 90, and accomplished Amazing Things within his niche social institutions and also in how that social institution impacted the world around it. Ninety Years of life and accomplishments, and yet his obituary by the New York Times was minimized into the social controversy of the past five years. I would stand totally opposed to this dude on a moral level, but I can't help but think that's kind of sad. The author's issue isn't about the fact that the news covered this controversy. The author's issue is that this man's obituary spoke nothing about his actual life, but only the controversy. It'd be like if Elon Musk, in the years before he died, came out as a raging racist homophobic misogynist, or whatever people think is controversial in that future. And his obituary in the NYT talked about how he was a shitty controversial person, instead of talking about SpaceX, or Tesla, or any of his actual accomplishments in his Life. If you accomplished great, impactful things that changed the world for the better, should that be absolutely invalidated if you were an asshole by the social/cultural/moral standards of the time period in which you died?

thomastjeffery 7y ago
> The idea that the leader of the Mormon church is a misogynist and a homophobe, that he stood in the way of LGBT rights, well, that's a story that sells these days. This isn't just an idea: it's a core aspect of Thomas S. Monson's (and every LDS leader's) legacy. We have a significant number of LGBTQ+ children committing suicide over the LDS Church's doctrines of homophobia. The LDS Church likes to tout its $40 million per year charitable donations while hoarding $100 billion in a tax exempt investment fund. The LDS Church is very successful in creating a positive image that is extremely misleading. It's no surprise to me that an active member sees an honest accounting of Monson's life as misleading, because he himself has been so thoroughly misled. I know because I have been in his shoes.
- lcall 7y ago
  At the risk of overkill, not sure if this is going out of line, but the above is stated strongly and I think other info could provide some balance. Corrections/questions welcome, and there is an email address at my site below if that is helpful. Church members are repeatedly and strongly taught to love and serve everyone regardless of agreement or disagreement, and that every human being is a precious child of God who should be treated with courtesy. The Church has encouraged legislative action to protect LGBT people from discrimination in housing, employment, etc, while simultaneously protecting religious rights (the "utah compromise" etc, such as maybe at https://www.npr.org/2016/06/01/480247305/how-the-utah-compromise-could-serve-as-a-model-law-for-other-states https://www.npr.org/2016/06/01/480247305/how-the-utah-compro... ). Here is some alternative info (a Church-owned media outlet) on the finances: https://www.ksl.com/article/46693779/church-presiding-bishop-details-how-tithing-and-donations-are-used https://www.ksl.com/article/46693779/church-presiding-bishop... https://www.ksl.com/article/46692221/church-responds-to-allegations-made-by-former-employee-in-irs-complaint https://www.ksl.com/article/46692221/church-responds-to-alle... And my own notes (a simple site): http://lukecall.net/e-9223372036854587333.html http://lukecall.net/e-9223372036854587333.html (or more broadly: http://lukecall.net/e-9223372036854605861.html http://lukecall.net/e-9223372036854605861.html ).
  - pseudalopex 7y ago
    Working to curtail the civil rights of LGBT Californians was unloving and discourteous. Working to exclude LGBT and nonreligious people from the Boy Scouts was unloving and discourteous. Civil rights groups endorsed the Utah compromise because it was the best bill that could passed in Utah at the time. They don't consider it a model for the rest of the country.[1] [1] https://thinkprogress.org/utah-bill-would-ban-lgbt-discrimination-with-some-big-exceptions-767990f9a9fc/ https://thinkprogress.org/utah-bill-would-ban-lgbt-discrimin...
    - lcall 7y ago
      Thanks for your comment. In case it's useful to anyone, this outlines the Church's beliefs on the importance and nature of the family (not intended to be "against", so to speak, anyone): https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/family-home-evening-resource-book/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world?lang=eng https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/family-home... ...and one with related quotes/comments on specifics, following it: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/eternal-marriage-student-manual/the-family-a-proclamation?lang=eng https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/eternal-mar... (A big factor is that we don't feel authorized to change the commandments, which we believe come from God, our Father.)

thomastjeffery 7y ago

> The idea that the leader of the Mormon church is a misogynist and a homophobe, that he stood in the way of LGBT rights, well, that's a story that sells these days. This isn't just an idea: it's a core aspect of Thomas S. Monson's (and every LDS leader's) legacy. We have a significant number of LGBTQ+ children committing suicide over the LDS Church's doctrines of homophobia. The LDS Church likes to tout its $40 million per year charitable donations while hoarding $100 billion in a tax exempt investment fund. The LDS Church is very successful in creating a positive image that is extremely misleading. It's no surprise to me that an active member sees an honest accounting of Monson's life as misleading, because he himself has been so thoroughly misled. I know because I have been in his shoes.

lcall 7y ago
At the risk of overkill, not sure if this is going out of line, but the above is stated strongly and I think other info could provide some balance. Corrections/questions welcome, and there is an email address at my site below if that is helpful. Church members are repeatedly and strongly taught to love and serve everyone regardless of agreement or disagreement, and that every human being is a precious child of God who should be treated with courtesy. The Church has encouraged legislative action to protect LGBT people from discrimination in housing, employment, etc, while simultaneously protecting religious rights (the "utah compromise" etc, such as maybe at https://www.npr.org/2016/06/01/480247305/how-the-utah-compromise-could-serve-as-a-model-law-for-other-states https://www.npr.org/2016/06/01/480247305/how-the-utah-compro... ). Here is some alternative info (a Church-owned media outlet) on the finances: https://www.ksl.com/article/46693779/church-presiding-bishop-details-how-tithing-and-donations-are-used https://www.ksl.com/article/46693779/church-presiding-bishop... https://www.ksl.com/article/46692221/church-responds-to-allegations-made-by-former-employee-in-irs-complaint https://www.ksl.com/article/46692221/church-responds-to-alle... And my own notes (a simple site): http://lukecall.net/e-9223372036854587333.html http://lukecall.net/e-9223372036854587333.html (or more broadly: http://lukecall.net/e-9223372036854605861.html http://lukecall.net/e-9223372036854605861.html ).
- pseudalopex 7y ago
  Working to curtail the civil rights of LGBT Californians was unloving and discourteous. Working to exclude LGBT and nonreligious people from the Boy Scouts was unloving and discourteous. Civil rights groups endorsed the Utah compromise because it was the best bill that could passed in Utah at the time. They don't consider it a model for the rest of the country.[1] [1] https://thinkprogress.org/utah-bill-would-ban-lgbt-discrimination-with-some-big-exceptions-767990f9a9fc/ https://thinkprogress.org/utah-bill-would-ban-lgbt-discrimin...
  - lcall 7y ago
    Thanks for your comment. In case it's useful to anyone, this outlines the Church's beliefs on the importance and nature of the family (not intended to be "against", so to speak, anyone): https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/family-home-evening-resource-book/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world?lang=eng https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/family-home... ...and one with related quotes/comments on specifics, following it: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/eternal-marriage-student-manual/the-family-a-proclamation?lang=eng https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/eternal-mar... (A big factor is that we don't feel authorized to change the commandments, which we believe come from God, our Father.)