"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. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
