Posted by:
elderolddog
(
)
Date: June 13, 2023 01:25PM
It's my opinion that church leadership never heard from ghawd regarding what to do about a member's attempt to resign. From what they consider to be ghawd's perspective, there is no such thing as 'resignation' once you're a member. Their ghawd has never mentioned 'resignation' so it doesn't exist; you're in until ghawd's servants tell you that you've sinned sufficiently, lacked repentence, and so you must be expelled. From ghawd's supposed perspective, that's the only way out.
The fact that a state supreme court affirmed a personal injury lawsuit regarding a religion's requirement to not "do" anything to a member once that member announces his/her resignation is seen by mormonism as a way to take money from them, and since they don't like that, they 'obey' the court's decision.
I think it's pretty obvious that in mormonism's eyes, you're a member until THEY say you're not, and a letter of resignation only changes how they treat you outwardly; they still count you, because ghawd has never told them not to.
Then there's the practicality of taking action against them if they 'trespass' the limits set by that court decision, which limits consist of not causing undue damage to the person or the person's reputation in the community.
A classic example, in exmo lore, is getting notice of a Court of Love, showing up at the meeting, telling them off, and then pulling out your signed Resignation so that you get the last word, then walking out, supposedly leaving them powerless to try to hurt you, lest you smite them with a lawsuit...
People, it's mormonism; they will still smite you with their gossip, it just won't be 'official'...
And even if after you hand over your Resignation letter, what are your damages if, after you walk out, they go ahead and quietly excommunicate you? What's the 'injury' that requires the church to pay you money for doing that?
It's pretty much always the case in two-party disputes that each side wants the last word, and if your friends or relatives come to you with tales regarding the gossip at ward council and in the foyer about you, and it's TRUE, what are your chances of making a monetary recovery via a lawsuit?
Yes, I grant you that a set of circumstances can be constructed whereby a former member can be 'damaged' by church-sponsored retribution such that a jury can be convinced that "but for" official church action, the plaintiff's business reputation would not have been damaged and his income slashed, but that would take a brave jury if it was in certain parts of the morridor.
How we each handle our disengagement with the church can be as public or as private as we each decide...at least until the Second Coming, when we might have to fill out forms and check the appropriate boxes for the Neighborhood Watch angels.
Personally, I'm a mormon who doesn't believe in ghawd, nor in many of the religious practices of mormonism that, in my opinion, go against common sense and good taste. My brand of mormonism would play coed volleyball in the cultural hall twice a week, fishing trips once a month, and golf outings once a week... All in favor signify by raising the right arm. No, Gladys, your other right arm, dear!