Wednesday 30 October 2013

Accepting the obvious implications of "Big-tent mormonism."

If we want the church to become a 'broad tent' then we have to accept that the people all the way over on the other side of the tent need space made for them too. I'm quite glad that they're all the way over the other side... but they still need their champions.

I realise that at the moment the tent seems to be dominated by people all the way over the other side. But... I hear stories of units where (straight) unmarried-cohabiting active members were not excommunicated/disfellowshipped. Or a gay young adult (who might not be single/celibate) was still administering the sacrament and given a home teaching assignment. These are very few and very far between. I've heard of a few more but don't know enough about them to know if they're apocryphal or not. They usually go way under the radar.

This may evolve into one of those 'turn a blind eye' things for certain pockets. Like in the UK, 70mph is the speed limit but a policeman told me he would never book someone doing 80-85 on the 'motorway.'  On the other hand the official government speed cameras would as you can't build in official lenience.

Eventually there may be a cultural change in attitude first and then some change or lenience accepted (officiall or not). Until then we have to accept that the diversity we desire in the tent means the attitudes of others might clash with our own.

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