Nairobi, Kenya. August 7, 2014.

Yesterday I attended church for the first time in ages. I was doing a favor for my sister by delivering a wedding gift to a friend of hers who is getting married this week. I stuck around for sacrament meeting which happened to be fast and testimony meeting.

It was the usual party line. I was amazed how far the indoctrination reaches, all the way to Africa and it sounds just like a typical ward in Utah. I was especially disconcerted that all of the testimonies included the mantra, “We must be obedient and follow the brethren. They will never lead us astray.”

This unblinking obedience to authority is scary! Here we are next door to Rwanda where 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus where brutally hacked to death with machetes in 1994 simply because people were being obedient to their bourgmestres (mayors or village chiefs). Not to mention the post-election violence which occurred in Kenya in 2008 that was incited by political leaders. This is not the right part of the world to be promoting OBEDIENCE to AUTHORITY above all else, let alone any part of the world.

Then something interesting happened. A new convert, who has the reputation of “not being of sound mind” went up to the podium to bear his testimony. The Bishopric looked nervous but, let him proceed. He rambled on in religious babble for a few minutes then held up a pamphlet with the photos of all the modern day prophets from Joseph Smith on down to Thomas S. Monson. “These men are all false prophets” he asserted.

At that point the bishopric stood up, took him by the arms and escorted him out. The bishop then felt obliged to apologize to the congregation for the man’s heretical remarks. The bearing of testimonies then carried on as usual as if nothing had happened with the same motto being repeated, “Be obedient, follow the leaders, they will never lead us astray…”

Wow! To me he seemed to be the only sane one there! I decided I better not speak my mind either, or risk public humiliation. I was a bit creeped out by how surreal it all seemed. I left when the meeting ended and probably won’t ever be going back.

That is bizarre. Feel free to take the microphone but, opposing views will not be tolerated.

but actually speaking the truth as you see it is not allowed.

"Polly want a cracker"

I'm so sick of these religious parrots.

Actually religious parrots say "polly want a wafer" ;)

I think in LDSville the parrots say "Polly want some wonderbread"

because everyone know that if you say something often enough that makes it true.

I bet they regret the day they baptized that live wire!

I heard the bishop of the ward did not want to allow him to get baptized but, the mission president insisted. the mission pres. Gets his STATS. The bishop has to deal with the aftermath.

Well... you might have gotten up. What might you have said?

I suppose something in between the what the babbler and the rest of the Babylon poets said.

Some free agency
Even in the same world

We'd love to hear more details about the church in Kenya.

My life in Kenya has been gloriously church free so I really couldn't give you many details about "the church" in Kenya, other than that it is very insignificant and most people have never heard of it.

When my sister came to visit me last year she attended the local ward and made a few friends that she stays in contact with via Facebook.

al-iced Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> “Be obedient, follow the leaders, they will
> never lead us astray…”


This is one reason ChurchCo does better in less developed countries. The idea of obedience to leadership -- or at least subservience to dudes in suits -- is usually more deeply embedded in those cultures.

Big Man Syndrome runs rampant in Africa. Here is a very interesting link that talks about the problem and how to break the cycle.

http://www.pdx.edu/honors/sites/www.pdx.edu.honors/files/Watson.pdf

Seems to me that some of what is discussed in this paper could also apply to the Mormon church.

correction: That should read September 7, 2014.

if he thinks ward leaders will let him use their Mormon meeting time and facilities to preach against the faith.