Don't know if any of you have seen this. By the time I had seen the link the post had been taken down but I was able to view it by Googling the URL and then clicking on the cached link.

http://stevebloor.wordpress.com/2011/04/10/resignation-letter-as-bishop/

Some on another board were discussing whether or not this guy was threatened with being exed if he didn't pull the post. Wonder if there's any truth to it?

It was posted on here a few days ago too. From what I read he was simply fearful about recriminations on him and his family.

I really enjoyed reading his story along with the compassion talk he gave the previous week before his resignation. He certainly nailed the topsy turvy world a post mormon has to deal with in deciding to follow a higher truth rather than remain a sheeple. He used plenty of quotes from Jesus and the Bible. I noted the lack of anything from the BoM or D&C.

As an aside, looking at his blog one could sarcastically accuse him of leaving the church simply because he didn't want to wear shoes and emulate the General Authorities. I gathered he is a bare foot proponent.

Thanks for the info.

...that even after listing off his legitimate issues with the church, he still feels it necessary to explicitly say "I'm not leaving due to unresolved sin..."
--tells you something about the culture of the church, that the believer will be able to listen to a laundry list of faith scuttling facts, ignore them, and shoot the messanger.

Read the talk he gave, so Christian, unlike much of what Mormonism is.

It is cached here: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:VHhFg9ZZloEJ:stevebloor.wordpress.com/2011/04/10/resignation-letter-as-bishop/+http://stevebloor.wordpress.com/2011/04/10/resignation-letter-as-bishop/&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.com

Unfortunately, a brilliant and stinging response to Ash, that was posted shortly afterwards, isn't there.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/2011 09:09PM by Simon in Oz.

And there's a reply from that suppurating boil on the face of Mormonism, Seth R.

Why the hell do they go around looking for ex-Mormons? Methinks they protest too much.

...but I guess it's okay to preface it with "not to be rude, but..."

I about fell over when Ash posted the following:

"Like most people who fail to put their minds to full use as God intends, they often take a black-and-white approach to religious issues. It’s either true or false. There either were horses in the New World, or the Book of Mormon is fictional. The Book of Abraham was either written by Abraham himself, or Joseph Smith created the text. Such a fundamentalist attitude is anathema to a healthy paradigm of how God works through fallible humans."

So,A Ash accuses Steve of having something terrible:
". . .a black-and-white approach to religious issues. It’s either true or false."

Has Asshat Ash listened to his own 'prophets'?

"Mormonism, as it is called, must stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith. He was either a prophet of God, divinely called, properly appointed and commissioned, or he was one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen. There is no middle ground. If Joseph was a deceiver, who willfully attempted to mislead people, then he should be exposed, his claims should be refuted, and his doctrines shown to be false."
-Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vo1. 1, pp. 188-189

And this from the Hinkster:
"Well, it's either true or false. If it's false, we're engaged in a great fraud. If it's true, it's the most important thing in the world. Now, that's the whole picture. It is either right or wrong, true or false, fraudulent or true."
- Gordon B. Hinckley interview, January, 2007

Ash, it appears you are a leading contender for the "Hypocrite of the Year" award. Congratulations - you have earned it!

If you Ask Ash on Black and White reasoning

"Did not your Church Prophets teach that it is all either true or false. If false, it's a great fraud etc,.... so It is either right or wrong, true or false, fraudulent or true."

Do you think he might reply with:

"I don't know that we teach it. I don't know that we emphasize it. I haven't heard it discussed for a long time in public discourse. I don't know. I don't know all the circumstances under which that statement was made. I understand the philosophical background behind it. But I don't know a lot about it and I don't know that others know a lot about it."

The Mormon chuch epitomizes black/white thinking.

Like mine or did you do one too? Mine said:

Bro. ASh
You had a very long post, I will fix it for you--
"I am very busy. And Smart. When you are ready to come back to Jesus, let ME know."
Did I get that about right?

He didn't respond to my response but did to several others.

Simon
You wouldn't happen to have a copy of it, would you?

Cheers

Grey

This is very close to my heart. I'm in England and love to read these 'exit' stories.

I hope this ex bishop and his wife fully resign from the church soon. I know they will begin to feel better once they get their lives back fully.

Come on you Brits say goodbye to that cult that has your mind.

Wow...that's fantastic! It closely parallels my own exit (I had been in the bishopric and was then on the high council), but is eloquently written much better and more clearly than I could have done.

Bravo!

Would anyone have a link to Micheal Ash's words to this poor bishop?

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:VHhFg9ZZloEJ:stevebloor.wordpress.com/2011/04/10/resignation-letter-as-bishop/+http://stevebloor.wordpress.com/2011/04/10/resignation-letter-as-bishop/&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.com


it's near the middle.