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MikeWaters · 06-12-2014, 04:11 AM

I feel unsettled about the direction the church is headed in:

1. De-emphasizing original Mormonism and the restoration and Joseph Smith and the aspects of belief that are heretical to mainstream Christianity.

2. Lack of growth. I think a lot of this, probably most of this, is just the trend of the world. We are not living in a religious age.

3. Defining ourselves around the politics of gay marriage. Why in the world would we want to do that?

4. Just the sense that we are treading water, that we could swim, but we're just not sure which way to swim.

5. My fear that the core of the church membership = members of cougarboard. I like the average church member. I think I can make peace with the average church member. But I want more than the average church member. I want people like me. Part of this whole internet/cougarguard experience has been testing the notion--are there people like me? Yes there certainly are. A lot of them. But maybe people like me don't have a robust place in this church. Will we ever? And what would that mean? To be a modest believer is something. It's a big thing. It means that you are a BELIEVER. And let's face it, there aren't that many out there. Modest because faith entertains doubt and vice versa. If God didn't want me to have any doubt, he'd have removed it from me. Maybe God wanted me to struggle and that was part of the whole thing. That the struggle is good. The scriptures teach of the gift of faith. It's a gift. It's not something that is earned. It's not available to everyone. Some people have it, some people don't. Some have the gift of believing those that have the gift of faith. There will be those among us, and even ourselves perhaps, that do not have these gifts. We have other gifts. And that's ok. You're here? Stay here. You're not here? Join us. This conversation about the excommunicated is going to be one-sided. The church will not speak, but many will speak for the church in ways that endorse their politics and philosophies that have nothing to do with Christ and his gospel. That's the shame. Each of us must act according to our conscience, with humility, always recognizing that there may be a better way. This court or that court--who cares--God will judge. And some may be surprised at the final outcomes.

06-12-2014, 04:11 AM	#8
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	I feel unsettled about the direction the church is headed in: 1. De-emphasizing original Mormonism and the restoration and Joseph Smith and the aspects of belief that are heretical to mainstream Christianity. 2. Lack of growth. I think a lot of this, probably most of this, is just the trend of the world. We are not living in a religious age. 3. Defining ourselves around the politics of gay marriage. Why in the world would we want to do that? 4. Just the sense that we are treading water, that we could swim, but we're just not sure which way to swim. 5. My fear that the core of the church membership = members of cougarboard. I like the average church member. I think I can make peace with the average church member. But I want more than the average church member. I want people like me. Part of this whole internet/cougarguard experience has been testing the notion--are there people like me? Yes there certainly are. A lot of them. But maybe people like me don't have a robust place in this church. Will we ever? And what would that mean? To be a modest believer is something. It's a big thing. It means that you are a BELIEVER. And let's face it, there aren't that many out there. Modest because faith entertains doubt and vice versa. If God didn't want me to have any doubt, he'd have removed it from me. Maybe God wanted me to struggle and that was part of the whole thing. That the struggle is good. The scriptures teach of the gift of faith. It's a gift. It's not something that is earned. It's not available to everyone. Some people have it, some people don't. Some have the gift of believing those that have the gift of faith. There will be those among us, and even ourselves perhaps, that do not have these gifts. We have other gifts. And that's ok. You're here? Stay here. You're not here? Join us. This conversation about the excommunicated is going to be one-sided. The church will not speak, but many will speak for the church in ways that endorse their politics and philosophies that have nothing to do with Christ and his gospel. That's the shame. Each of us must act according to our conscience, with humility, always recognizing that there may be a better way. This court or that court--who cares--God will judge. And some may be surprised at the final outcomes.