Comments on: Dear Mr. Church http://latterdaymainstreet.com/2007/07/01/dear-mr-church/ A Community for Anyone Interested in Mormonism. Tue, 22 May 2012 06:56:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: markii http://latterdaymainstreet.com/2007/07/01/dear-mr-church/comment-page-1/#comment-1182 markii Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:38:57 +0000 http://latterdaymainstreet.com/?p=116#comment-1182 a post to go in the canon of <i>classics</i>. a post to go in the canon of classics.

   0 likes

]]> By: SML http://latterdaymainstreet.com/2007/07/01/dear-mr-church/comment-page-1/#comment-1001 SML Thu, 05 Jul 2007 21:19:47 +0000 http://latterdaymainstreet.com/?p=116#comment-1001 Thanks for all the positive comments, everyone. Thanks for all the positive comments, everyone.

   0 likes

]]> By: MagicCicero http://latterdaymainstreet.com/2007/07/01/dear-mr-church/comment-page-1/#comment-1000 MagicCicero Thu, 05 Jul 2007 21:13:19 +0000 http://latterdaymainstreet.com/?p=116#comment-1000 SML, this is absolutely brilliant. You've really put it in perspective here. Though I think that the analogy is especially appropriate for women in the church, who have it much worse than men, it holds true for all of us. You've really nailed the way I felt in the church for a long time, being promised the universe, but abused and trampled on in the process. SML, this is absolutely brilliant. You’ve really put it in perspective here. Though I think that the analogy is especially appropriate for women in the church, who have it much worse than men, it holds true for all of us. You’ve really nailed the way I felt in the church for a long time, being promised the universe, but abused and trampled on in the process.

   0 likes

]]> By: JulieAnn http://latterdaymainstreet.com/2007/07/01/dear-mr-church/comment-page-1/#comment-970 JulieAnn Wed, 04 Jul 2007 13:42:44 +0000 http://latterdaymainstreet.com/?p=116#comment-970 Amazing, SML...you're MY hero. :0) Kick the bastard out, that's what I say! Amazing, SML…you’re MY hero. :0) Kick the bastard out, that’s what I say!

   0 likes

]]> By: CV Rick http://latterdaymainstreet.com/2007/07/01/dear-mr-church/comment-page-1/#comment-952 CV Rick Tue, 03 Jul 2007 00:27:24 +0000 http://latterdaymainstreet.com/?p=116#comment-952 Bravo!!!! You have conveyed the unhealthy, abusive relationship the church has with all of its victims . . . ahem, I mean members. Bravo!!!!

You have conveyed the unhealthy, abusive relationship the church has with all of its victims . . . ahem, I mean members.

   0 likes

]]> By: Jonathan Blake http://latterdaymainstreet.com/2007/07/01/dear-mr-church/comment-page-1/#comment-935 Jonathan Blake Mon, 02 Jul 2007 18:56:06 +0000 http://latterdaymainstreet.com/?p=116#comment-935 I've been having <a href="http://www.blakeclan.org/jon/greenoasis/2007/07/02/im-not-angry/" rel="nofollow">a similar conversation on my blog</a>: <blockquote>I want to say that the relationship between the church and its members is unhealthy: it’s helpful, comforting, familiar, limiting, controlling, abusive. It makes sense to imagine the LDS church as an abusive lover and the members as codependent enablers. There are good things about the relationship. The good times keep you going. You make excuses for the bad times. Sometimes the abuser tells you how much they love you. Sometimes they tell you how worthless you are. You hide all the signs that something might be wrong. You turn a blind eye to the ways that the abuser hurts you. You try to maintain a public front of perfection. You can’t imagine leaving the relationship. You’re sure that your life will be empty without the abuser. No one else will love you. The analogy isn’t perfect, but the similarities are striking.</blockquote> I’ve been having a similar conversation on my blog:

I want to say that the relationship between the church and its members is unhealthy: it’s helpful, comforting, familiar, limiting, controlling, abusive. It makes sense to imagine the LDS church as an abusive lover and the members as codependent enablers.

There are good things about the relationship. The good times keep you going. You make excuses for the bad times. Sometimes the abuser tells you how much they love you. Sometimes they tell you how worthless you are. You hide all the signs that something might be wrong. You turn a blind eye to the ways that the abuser hurts you. You try to maintain a public front of perfection. You can’t imagine leaving the relationship. You’re sure that your life will be empty without the abuser. No one else will love you.

The analogy isn’t perfect, but the similarities are striking.

   0 likes

]]> By: Hellmut http://latterdaymainstreet.com/2007/07/01/dear-mr-church/comment-page-1/#comment-930 Hellmut Mon, 02 Jul 2007 15:45:39 +0000 http://latterdaymainstreet.com/?p=116#comment-930 I love the analogy of the unfaithful lover. He needs to be dumped if for nothing else for reasons of self-preservation. I love the analogy of the unfaithful lover. He needs to be dumped if for nothing else for reasons of self-preservation.

   0 likes

]]> By: hm-uk http://latterdaymainstreet.com/2007/07/01/dear-mr-church/comment-page-1/#comment-929 hm-uk Mon, 02 Jul 2007 12:04:32 +0000 http://latterdaymainstreet.com/?p=116#comment-929 I'm going to second Pompous's thoughts on your post here - beautifully written piece. When freeing yourself from the chains of dogma, you find that your world has a greater chance of becoming a place of peace and light. Go on, carry on marching to the beat of your own drum! I’m going to second Pompous’s thoughts on your post here – beautifully written piece.

When freeing yourself from the chains of dogma, you find that your world has a greater chance of becoming a place of peace and light.

Go on, carry on marching to the beat of your own drum!

   0 likes

]]> By: Pompous One http://latterdaymainstreet.com/2007/07/01/dear-mr-church/comment-page-1/#comment-928 Pompous One Mon, 02 Jul 2007 10:07:05 +0000 http://latterdaymainstreet.com/?p=116#comment-928 SML: Love, love, love your writing and this is yet another example of why I love your writing. You manage to capture so many concepts within Mormonism--theological, philosophical, and cultural--with such eloquent and elegant simplicity, it always takes my breath away! Excellent post, my friend. Excellent! SML: Love, love, love your writing and this is yet another example of why I love your writing. You manage to capture so many concepts within Mormonism–theological, philosophical, and cultural–with such eloquent and elegant simplicity, it always takes my breath away! Excellent post, my friend. Excellent!

   0 likes

]]>