Post one of Two
1) OVERGENERALIZATION OF ANGER AND OVER BROAD LABELING OF "EVIL" DOES HARM
Clear said : “… nonspecific and incorrect moral generalizations and condemnation of a group of people that are actually good is another way to victimize and harm good people that you lump into your claim.
For example, the labeling of Christianity as a "bad thing" simply because some bad people try it on for size and find it doesn't fit does not mean that Jesus was not the Christ nor does it mean that his gospel cannot do a great deal of good for individuals who actually are faithful to Jesus and the principles he taught.
If someone bad in an organization harmed you, it does no good to try to inflict revenge upon all the other good people of the organization.
There are plenty of good and honest and kind individuals who believe in Christ and are trying to do good in Christianity in it's various movements.” (post #111)
Idea responded : “Hate the organization, love (most) of the people in it.” (post #112)
While I understand the concept of overgeneralized anger and overgeneralized hate, the less decriminating overgeneralization of hate and it's irrational over-generalization that an entire organization is the object of your hate then victimizes those who are good people who make up the greater portion of the organization you hate and generalize as being bad.
It makes much more sense for example to be angry at a specific person or persons and describe them as bad people rather than label the entire organization as evil simply because of one or two bad apples.
You claim “There is rampant child abuse in it." and you say you “Hate the organization” because of this claim.
“rampant”. Really? Is that REALLY what the LDS church teaches its members and allows its members to engage in?
2) WHAT THE LDS MEMBERS ARE ACTUALLY TAUGHT BY ITS ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERS
Gordon B. Hinkley, The prior president of the LDS church taught “
No man who engages in such evil and unbecoming behavior is worthy of the priesthood of God. No man who so conducts himself is worthy of the privileges of the house of the Lord. I regret that there are some men undeserving of the love of their wives and children. There are children who fear their fathers, and wives who fear their husbands. If there be any such men within the hearing of my voice, as a servant of the Lord I rebuke you and call you to repentance. Discipline yourselves. Master your temper. Most of the things that make you angry are of very small consequence. And what a terrible price you are paying for your anger. Ask the Lord to forgive you. Ask your wife to forgive you. Apologize to your children.”
In another speech he taught : “It was the Master himself who said, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). How could he have spoken in stronger terms? “If there be any within the sound of my voice who may be guilty of such practice, I urge you with all of the capacity of which I am capable to stop it, to run from it, to get help, to plead with the Lord for forgiveness and make amends to those whom you have offended. God will not be mocked concerning the abuse of his little ones.”
Boyd K Packer of the 12 apostles taught :
“Among the strongest warnings and the severest penalties in the revelations are those relating to little children.”
Howard W. Hunter of the 12 warned :
“No man who has been ordained to the priesthood of God can with impunity abuse his wife or child. Sexual abuse of children has long been a cause for excommunication from the Church.”
Spencer W. Kimball, a church president warned : “We are much concerned that there would be a single parent that would inflict damages on a child. The Lord loved little children, and he said: ‘Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 19:14.) Let no Latter-day Saint parent ever be guilty of the heinous crime of abusing one of Christ’s little ones!”
Gordon B. Hinkley, a prior church president warned : “As you know, we have recently issued a booklet on child abuse. We deplore this terrible thing which seems to be growing in the world. Of course, it is not new. It has gone on for generations. It is serious, and we so regard it. Sexual abuse of children on the part of fathers, or anyone else, has long been a cause for excommunication from the Church. No man who has been ordained to the priesthood of God can with impunity indulge in either spouse or child abuse. Such activity becomes an immediate repudiation of his right to hold and exercise the priesthood and to retain membership in the Church.
I am glad that there is a growing public awareness of this insidious evil. The exploitation of children, or the abuse of one’s spouse, for the satisfaction of sadistic desires is sin of the darkest hue.”
Thomas S. Monson, a Prior church president taught : “A physician revealed to me the large number of children who are brought to the emergency rooms of local hospitals in your city and mine. In many cases guilty parents provide fanciful accounts of the child falling from his high chair or stumbling over a toy and striking his head. Altogether too frequently it is discovered that the parent was the abuser and the innocent child the victim. Shame on the perpetrators of such vile deeds. God will hold such strictly accountable for their actions.”
Gordon B. Hinkley, a prior church president taught : “We are doing everything we know how to reduce it. We are teaching our people. We are talking about it. We have set up a course of instruction for our bishops all across the nation. All last year we carried on an educational program. We have set up a help-line for them where they can get professional counseling and help with these problems. We have issued a journal dealing with child abuse, spouse abuse, abuse of the elderly, the whole problem of abuse. We are concerned about it. I am deeply concerned about the victims. My heart reaches out to them. I want to do everything we can to ease the pain, to preclude the happening of this evil and wicked thing. … I know of no other organization in this world that has taken more exhaustive measures, tried harder, done more to tackle this problem, to work with it, to do something to make a change. We recognize the terrible nature of it, and we want to help our people, reach out to them, assist them.”
Thomas S. Monson, a prior church president taught : “Local hospitals everywhere receive these little ones, bruised and battered, accompanied by bald-faced lies that the child “ran into the door” or “fell down the stairs.” Liars, bullies who abuse children, they will one day reap the whirlwind of their foul deeds. The quiet, the hurt, the offended child victim of abuse, and at times incest, must receive help.
A district judge, in a letter to me, declared, “Sexual abuse of children is one of the most depraved, destructive, and demoralizing crimes in civilized society. There is an alarming increase of reported physical, psychological, and sexual abuse of children. Our courts are becoming inundated with this repulsive behavior.”
The Church does not condone such heinous and vile conduct. Rather, we condemn in the harshest of terms such treatment of God’s precious children. Let the child be rescued, nurtured, loved, and healed. Let the offender be brought to justice, to accountability, for his actions and receive professional treatment to curtail such wicked and devilish conduct. When you and I know of such conduct and fail to take action to eradicate it, we become part of the problem. We share part of the guilt. We experience part of the punishment.”
Gordon B. Hinkley, a church president taught : “Now I wish to mention another form of abuse that has been much publicized in the media. It is the sordid and evil abuse of children by adults, usually men. Such abuse is not new. There is evidence to indicate that it goes back through the ages. It is a most despicable and tragic and terrible thing. I regret to say that there has been some very limited expression of this monstrous evil among us. It is something that cannot be countenanced or tolerated. The Lord Himself said, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6).”
The church president also taught : “There appears to be a plague of child abuse spreading across the world. Perhaps it has always been with us but has not received the attention it presently receives. I am glad there is a hue and cry going up against this terrible evil, too much of which is found among our own. Fathers, you cannot abuse your little ones without offending God. Any man involved in an incestuous relationship is unworthy to hold the priesthood. He is unworthy to hold membership in the Church and should be dealt with accordingly. Any man who beats or in other ways abuses his children will be held accountable before the great judge of us all. If there be any within the sound of my voice who are guilty of such practices, let them repent forthwith, make amends where possible, develop within themselves that discipline which can curb such evil practices, plead with the Lord for forgiveness, and resolve within their hearts henceforth to walk with clean hands.”
Multiple, prior organizational leaders of the LDS organization and current leaders teach plainly that it is evil and that one should be excommunicated from the church if any such evil is found in any church member.
This clear teaching of the organization AGAINST such abuse is inconsistent with your claim that child abuse is unchecked (and spreading and flourishing) in the LDS community (e.g. your claim that it is “rampant”). The organization actually teaches that those who are guilty of such abuse should be excommunicated since their practices are NOT that expected of members.
3) IS CHILD ABUSE "RAMPANT" OR "RARE" IN THE LDS ORGANIZATION AND MEMBERSHIP
Idea said : said that “…. many current members abuse children.”
Does the word "many" mean a "majority" or is such abuse actually a small "minority" of members?
Even if a small minority of individuals who claim membership in the church are not following the Church teachings, the important point is that if they abuse children, they are not following the teachings of the LDS church which teaches that such things are evil and warn that such members are to be excommunicated from church membership.
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