George Pyle wrote:The church’s continued assault upon the dignity and humanity of LGBT folks, their hopes and desires, their attachments and marriages and families, makes no human or humane sense. It’s basically institutionalized cruelty. But, to some, it makes religious sense. Because that’s all that’s left.
If what this church, or any church, says on that or any other issue rings true to you then, by all means, follow along. It’s your right as a human being.
But my previous point stands. It won’t be God’s decision. It will be yours.
To believing members: Stop hiding behind "God says so...". If there is a god, you will be called to account for your continued assault on the dignity and humanity of your LGBT brothers and sisters.
The Church will be left behind and forced to play catch up on this, just as it was with plural marriage and racism, and as it is with misogyny. The Church must be the only institution claiming a Prophet, but which only ever looks backwards. About 50 years backwards.
“When we are confronted with evidence that challenges our deeply held beliefs we are more likely to reframe the evidence than we are to alter our beliefs. We simply invent new reasons, new justifications, new explanations. Sometimes we ignore the evidence altogether.” (Mathew Syed 'Black Box Thinking')
My apologies to Neanderthals but Oaks is a Neanderthal. His entire talk is built on the false premise that there are two kinds of truth. Secular truth and religious truth. He claims that secular truth is flawed because it doesn’t take advantage of or factor in the benefits of religious truth. This is just plain drivel and bull sh*t. Oaks should be ashamed of himself but I know that he isn’t.
He builds his attack on the lgbqt community from his position that his special privileged access and to religious truths gives him greater insight into his claimed realities that gender is eternal. God I loathe this man.
He rejects any science that conflicts with his religious truths yet ignores the fact that his claimed religious truths are in full blown retreat to scientific truths and have been since the beginning of the enlightenment. Oaks has his head so far up his a$$ he has to See through his belly button.
"...The official doctrine of the LDS Church is a Global Flood" - BCSpace
"...What many people call sin is not sin." - Joseph Smith
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away" - Phillip K. Dick
“The meaning of life is that it ends" - Franz Kafka
Craig Paxton wrote:My apologies to Neanderthals but Oaks is a Neanderthal. His entire talk is built on the false premise that there are two kinds of truth. Secular truth and religious truth. He claims that secular truth is flawed because it doesn’t take advantage of or factor in the benefits of religious truth. This is just plain drivel and bull sh*t. Oaks should be ashamed of himself but I know that he isn’t.
He builds his attack on the lgbqt community from his position that his special privileged access and to religious truths gives him greater insight into his claimed realities that gender is eternal. God I loathe this man.
He rejects any science that conflicts with his religious truths yet ignores the fact that his claimed religious truths are in full blown retreat to scientific truths and have been since the beginning of the enlightenment. Oaks has his head so far up his a$$ he has to See through his belly button.
Very much in the Dan Peterson mold. Invent a parallel universe in which you have authority and pretend everyone recognizes it. It's the kind of patter you'd expect from a con man or a con man's criminal associates. There ya go.
This was a great talk for the Mormon base...oops, I mean Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints base. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints wants people who agree with Oaks' talk to join the church and remain active in the church. Those who disagree with Oaks' talk are free to leave or never join the church. It's a wheat and tares talk. Most members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that I know are politically aligned with Oaks, and would have no problem with this talk. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has always been to the far right on social issues. It won't budge until a social issue becomes the societal norm for a generation or two, and all the old guys die off.
"We have taken up arms in defense of our liberty, our property, our wives, and our children; we are determined to preserve them, or die." - Captain Moroni - 'Address to the Inhabitants of Canada' 1775