I am liking the China "Standing Committee" comparison. In talking with outsider folks about Fairfield describing the meditating community here and how it works I've used the analogy to Latin American "Juntas", a committee of generals acting without bylaws. Older people get the analogy. One journalist I was talking with recently immediately said, "Oh, a dictatorship". I think I am going to start using the China "Standing Committee" comparison to illustrate our TM movement leadership structure. It's proly a better illustration that is current.
> > > "Transitions in Leadership" > > > Those who have the authority within a communal group, whether by charisma or > by some formal organizational position, lead members of their communities to > uphold core visions and values, to adapt to changing social conditions, and > to maintain social cohesion. However, not all leaders are equally successful, > which can be reflected in the growth or demise of community's themselves. > > As a rule communal groups which persist establish formal organizations which > alter the character and style of leadership. > > > > > > > > > 'Shakers' would label "Not in Union with the Gospel" members they were > > > judging apostate and showing the door. Of course the member might not > > > feel that way! It's one thing to offer a suggestion for 'how things > > > might be better' and then administratively be judged apostate for > > > becoming negative and overly critical of someone or something > > > organizational. > > > > > > > Last week on NPRadio they spoke with someone who watches China about the > > transition coming up in the China leadership. A comment was that anyone in > > leadership methodically keeps their cards close to their chest so little is > > known about any one coming up. That it is political suicidal to have > > opinions out on the table less you get labeled a reformer or negative and > > "Not in Union with the Gospel". A lot like the Standing Committee of > > TM-Rajas. Can you imagine being in a meeting with Bevan around a > > theocratic table and unless Bevan says so, someone offering saying that > > someone else had a good idea? > > "Never do we entertain negativity and never do we denounce anyone". It's a > > pretty rigid system. > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Buck" wrote: > > > > > > > > "Out damned spot.." Looking back at The Daily Beast article that is > > > > quoted from below the Beast article it seems is not available on-line > > > > anymore about this Mormon apostasy incident. Any word on the > > > > ex-communication? The gradation of practicing members going from some > > > > making suggestions to being critical over to being judged an apostate > > > > is real interesting and sobering. > > > > -Buck in the Dome > > > > > > > > > > The links got mangled in the follow-up quoting, but they all work fine in > > > the > > > original post: > > > > > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/message/320819 > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Buck" wrote: > > > > > > > > > > 'Apostasy', this is a really interesting article about coercing a > > > > > group culture of membership faithfulness through administrative > > > > > fealty testing. > > > > > > > > > > "...their view that he is an apostate, which means a person who > > > > > renounces a religious or political belief or principle." > > > > > > > > > > The article does a good job of displaying spectrum of being either > > > > > just critical, negative, apostasy (loss of belief), being > > > > > antagonistic, outright combative, and then even terrorist-ick to > > > > > either a movement administrator or as an organizational fanatic might > > > > > see it. You can see the full spectrum of this in writers on FFL here > > > > > too from practicing meditators, to critical meditators, to TM > > > > > apostates to even TM-hater terrorists. It is a really interesting > > > > > short comparative article about things. Thanks. > > > > > -Buck > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > This article brings up for me the thorny question of what would > > > > > > happen > > > > > > if he became President and his most trusted adviser Eric Fehrnstrom > > > > > > (shown below as Batman to Romney's Robin) said to him, "Mitt, I > > > > > > don't > > > > > > really think it's a good idea to nuke both Iran and the American > > > > > > Homeless the same day?" Would he consider this advice as valid and > > > > > > useful, or would he call the bishops and have Fehrnstrom > > > > > > excommunicated? > > > > > > [featureimg] Mormons Want to Excommunicate Romney CriticAfter > > > > > > writing > > > > > > negative articles about the Republican candidate, the managing > > > > > > editor > > > > > > of MormonThink.com says he faces excommunication. Is the Church on > > > > > > a > > > > > > witch hunt? Jamie Reno reports. > > > > > > David Twede, 47, a scientist, novelist, and fifth-generation > > > > > > Mormon, is > > > > > > managing editor of MormonThink.com <http://mormonthink.com/> , an > > > > > > online magazine produced largely by members of the Mormon Church > > > > > > that > > > > > > welcomes scholarly debate about the religion's history from both > > > > > > critics and true believers. > > > > > > A Mormon in good standing, Twede has never been disciplined by > > > > > > Latter > > > > > > Day Saints leadership. But it now appears his days as a Mormon may > > > > > > be > > > > > > numbered because of a series of articles he wrote this past week > > > > > > that > > > > > > were critical of Mitt Romney <http://mormonthink.com/politics.htm> . > > > > > > > > > > > > On Sunday, Twede says his bishop, stake president, and two church > > > > > > executives brought him into Florida Mormon church offices in > > > > > > Orlando > > > > > > and interrogated him for nearly an hour about his writings, telling > > > > > > him, "Cease and desist, Brother Twede." > > > > > > > > > > > > Mormon leaders have scheduled an excommunication > > > > > > <http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Disciplinary_Procedures> "for > > > > > > apostasy" > > > > > > on Sept. 30. A spokesman for the church > > > > > > <http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/06/17/mormon-church-scramble\ > > > > > > s-in-romney-spotlight.html> told The Daily Beast that the church > > > > > > would > > > > > > not be commenting for this story. > > > > > > > > > > > > In an exclusive interview with The Daily Beast, Twede says that > > > > > > during > > > > > > the interrogation he felt "attacked, cornered, and very anxious." > > > > > > > > > > > > The four church leaders verbally chastised him, he says, for > > > > > > hiding his > > > > > > identity on MormonThink and his personal blog in order to avoid > > > > > > discipline. Twede, who writes using only his first name, says they > > > > > > kept > > > > > > asking him why he didn't identify himself online if he had nothing > > > > > > to hide. > > > > > > > > > > > > "I told them I hide my name precisely because of things like > > > > > > this," he says. "I said, `Look how fast you got to me.' > > > > > > I know a lot of members don't want their life disturbed. In the > > > > > > Mormon church, if you're not part of the uniform group > > > > > > <http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/06/10/david-frum-on-how-romn\ > > > > > > ey-s-religion-is-his-greatest-asset.html> , you are ostracized." > > > > > > > > > > > > Twede asked church leaders how they came up with his name so fast > > > > > > after > > > > > > posting the articles. They wouldn't tell him, but he says he's since > > > > > > been told by a church insider that a contributor to the pro-Mormon > > > > > > Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research > > > > > > <http://www.fairlds.org/> , many of whose members are professors at > > > > > > Brigham Young University, alerted church officials in Salt Lake > > > > > > City, > > > > > > who apparently informed his local ecclesiastical leaders. > > > > > > > > > > > > "When they interrogated me, they denied that they were on a witch > > > > > > hunt, but they kept asking me, `Who are the other individuals you > > > > > > work with on MormonThink?'" he says. "They continued demanding > > > > > > that I tell them. But I didn't." > > > > > > > > > > > > Twede's situation was first publicly disclosed this week on an > > > > > > ex-Mormon > > > > > > online discussion site by Steve Benson > > > > > > <http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/benson/> , the > > > > > > Pulitzer Prize–winning editorial cartoonist for The Arizona Republic > > > > > > and grandson of former secretary of agriculture and Mormon prophet > > > > > > Ezra > > > > > > Taft Benson. > > > > > > > > > > > > Benson, who left Mormonism in 1993, the same year he won the > > > > > > Pulitzer, > > > > > > is now a vocal critic of the church and is an active voice on the > > > > > > ex-Mormon sites. > > > > > > > > > > > > "What you're seeing with David is not atypical of what the > > > > > > church has done in the past, where local leadership becomes > > > > > > focused on > > > > > > riding into battle under the flag `out damn spot' and ridding > > > > > > itself or perceived apostates," Benson tells The Daily Beast. > > > > > > "I was under this kind of investigation when I left in '93. I > > > > > > didn't want to give them the satisfaction of an excommunication. I > > > > > > no longer wanted to be a member of that organization." > > > > > > > > > > > > In his role as managing editor of MormonThink, Twede wrote an > > > > > > article > > > > > > about Romney last month titled "The God of Mitt Romney: Why Do Some > > > > > > Claim He's Not Christian?" > > > > > > <http://mormonthink.com/christian.htm> > > > > > > > > > > > > Then last week he posted several stories about the political > > > > > > history of > > > > > > LDS and how the church may or may not influence Romney > > > > > > <http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/06/10/david-frum-on-how-romn\ > > > > > > ey-s-religion-is-his-greatest-asset.html> , as well as a few blog > > > > > > posts > > > > > > that were tongue-in-cheek takes on the church. And that was > > > > > > apparently > > > > > > all it took for church leaders to intervene. > > > > > > > > > > > > "When they brought me into the office, they told me they were upset > > > > > > by the way I had portrayed myself," he says. "They didn't like > > > > > > that I was writing a blog critical of the church, and they were > > > > > > upset > > > > > > by the fact that I was discussing the temple, which is connected to > > > > > > Mitt Romney in my article. I revealed things about the temple, and > > > > > > secrecy, and other things that they just don't want anyone to talk > > > > > > about." > > > > > > > > > > > > Twede took down his blog in an effort to compromise with church > > > > > > leaders > > > > > > and even pulled some material off MormonThink. But he says it > > > > > > apparently > > > > > > didn't change their view that he is an apostate, which means a > > > > > > person who renounces a religious or political belief or principle. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
