| :title | EXTRA, EXTRA, Read all about it. Wease vs. Stake Prez. |
| Date: | May 19 22:51 2003 |
| Author: | Wease |
| My attire for the meeting with the President Ch...,
was my new silk flowered print Hawaiian shirt complimented with my light
colored pleated Docker pants. I arrived ten minutes late, as is the
proper fashion for LDS members to arrive late for their meetings. After the pleasant formalities of “How are you? And, I am please that you agreed to met with me” we began the charade. He stated that he did have my letter sent by my Bishop and that “I needed to wait another nine days before he could mail it off to Salt Lake”. My Response: “That seems pretty long, given the fact that I submitted my letter back in mid March, why is it taking so long?” His Response: “ I have to follow procedures, and you have a 30 day cooling off period.” I just smile, and stare at him. He then begins to ask how my family is and how is my good wife Brenda is doing; “she must be taking this very hard?” Mine response: Taking what very hard? His: “Your decision to resign from the church, I’m sure this must be hard on her and the children?” Mine: “Yes, it is hard to believe that a Church that promotes families are forever, and family values that there is a lot of support for my wife from her family and mine to leave me”. His: Many people who have made a decision, such as yours, wind up getting divorced. Mine: So much for Christian charity and love. His: Doug, I am not here to get in a debate with you. I just want you to know that I am concerned about you and your family? Mine: Concerned? Why would you be concerned about me? We have been in the same ward for over 4 years and you have not given me the time of day. We don’t really know each other. Now all of a sudden you have this great concern for me? His: Doug, you too have not given me the time of day? Mine: Yes, that is true, but I’m not the one pretending to be concerned about the other. His: Doug, this is not why I brought you in here. I just want you to know that I have you’re letter and that I will be mailing it in shortly. Mine: Great, I didn’t call for this meeting. Will you be mailing the letter to Salt Lake City tomorrow? His: No, like I told you, after the nine days, then I will mail it in. Mine: Are you not concerned about the liability issue that you are putting the Church under. Rolling his eyes and shaking is head: What liability issue? Mine: Well, I submitted a letter of resignation to my Bishop over 62 days ago, now you, inform me that I have to wait another nine days. Do you need the LDS Legal Department to help you in this matter? A very icy stare from the Prez. Silence…… Thinking to myself (this must be the silent game) I stare at one of his eyeballs and don’t smile and stare back. Silence….. After about 20 seconds, he breaks the silence… What do you plan to replace the Gospel with? Mine: Do you mean the Mormon religion, what religion do I plan to replace it with? His: Yes, you know what I mean. Mine: Nothing. His: You mean, to live the rest of you life without religious beliefs? Mine: No, I did not say that. His: Then what are you going to replace your beliefs on, your family (the children) will be raised LDS and your family will have no… I interrupt him. Mine: My children will be just fine despite the religious processing of your Church. I believe that it is more important to be spiritual than religious, and that an agnostic person can have more spiritual characteristics than a religious person or an organization with an agenda. His: The Church does not process… I interrupt again….. Mine: Yes, it does! My three year old can not even tie her own shoes or wipe her little bottom without some help, and in Primary she is given assignments for scriptures, praying and to give little talks. The Church starts them very young. I then ask who has provided better fruits that benefited mankind, the LDS faith, religions, or science? His: The Prophets, and the restored gospel have…I interrupt him again… Mine: Well, should we turn off the lights? He looks at me like I am on drugs, What are you trying to say? Mine: Well, no religion or Joseph Smith invented the light bulb or harnessed electricity. His: You are being silly. The Lord used Joseph Smith to restore the Gospel, and the Priesthood is here in the later days to gather the elect and bring the people of the earth to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Mine: Well, you do “not” have the Priesthood, it never was restored to the earth and Joseph Smith is not a Prophet of God. He made it all up. Your Church is nothing more than another man made Church. The next time, you bless someone who is gravely sick, just bless that person, and don’t have him or her go to the hospital. Let your FAITH do the miracle, not modern science. We strongly discuss for the next 20 minutes the issues that I have and that I must have faith in the Savior. I inquire as to which Savior, the Roman Sun God, the Persian God, or the Jewish myth of Jesus. He changes the subject. He informs me that the path that I have chosen will not bring me happiness and that I will not be happy. He has seen it many times of people rejecting the Gospel live an unfulfilled and unhappy life. Mine: You are being very condescending and arrogant and you do not know that. I have had a wonderful life, and I look forward to raising happy, and productive children with or without my wife. You only think you have manipulation, but you stand on a belief of falsehoods, pride, ignorance, shallowness, smallness, and a faith system that you can not perform miracles with. The Priesthood that you think that you have is only on your mind. You have no power and you never will. He reminds me “he did not bring me in to debate”… I interrupt again…and say...”Yes, you did”. He withdrew his comment that I would not have a happy or unfulfilled life. I did not withdraw any of mine. We stare at each other...more silence… He closes by stating that he “will mail my letter in shortly.” Mine: I inform him that I look forward to a letter from Salt Lake City within a week’s time. His: Don’t worry you will get your letter. Superficial pleasantries are then exchanged and I leave his office. I called Salt Lake City today (Greg Dodge), and he informed me that he will instruct the Stake Prez. to fax him the paperwork and that I should have a letter from SLC early next week. (Thanks SLDRONE) |
| Subject: | Re: EXTRA, EXTRA, Read all about it. Wease vs. Stake Prez. |
| Date: | May 19 23:03 |
| Author: | Joy |
| Way to go---- I don't think I could actually talk to a SP but I am definitely writing my letter and look forward to the final letter. I hate the threats of unhappiness and family separations Love and Joy to you |
| Subject: | Yeah buddy!!! You Da Man!!! Woof woof woof woof woof!!! |
| Date: | May 19 23:03 |
| Author: | Langdon |
| Loved it. VERY well met, my fine fellow. Rock on, dude! |
| Subject: | Excellent! |
| Date: | May 19 23:06 |
| Author: | Gail |
| You know, the Riverside Times Press (I think that is
the local paper up your way) or even the LA Times or Weekly could be
rather helpful if Mr Dufus does not quickly process the letter. I had
one attempt at contact, ignored it and am off the rolls. I have to
wonder if they started background checking and got to my employer and
said "Oh Shiz! This one might be trouble" (I work for a media
co locally that is not perceived as Morg friendly) Or perhaps it was my
attack Yorkie that scared the garmies off the visitors. Gail Amused Feminist Intellectual Californian! Heh heh heh! |
| Subject: | Way to go!! |
| Date: | May 19 23:10 |
| Author: | Zapotec |
| These officious bastards aren't used to having
somebody stand up to them and tell them they have no authority. He
probably shit his pants when you left. Keep up the pressure on him, and good luck with your family. |
| Subject: | I admire your resolve to have the face off, |
| Date: | May 19 23:16 |
| Author: | theAntiSprite |
| It turns my stomache to see and read of their
arrogance. It is so offensive how they think they have the patent on
happiness and eternal blessings. It's just not right that people with
such limited understandings of life and the world, can control so much
of a persons life by holding a couples relationship hostage. Good luck to you and your family in your next few months as you sort this through. theAntiSprite |
| Subject: | Excellent! when I first told my bishop |
| Date: | May 20 03:35 |
| Author: | G |
| about my unbelief he got very quiet and serious and said "you and your family are in grave danger." I said "IF thats what you believe then that's cool, but I don't believe that." What a bunch of brainwashed psychos |
| Subject: | Wease, nice job |
| Date: | May 20 08:58 |
| Author: | Søvnløsener - Insomniac (like Theo, always swearing) |
| It is empowering, isn't it? The local corporate bureaucrat called stake president said the same thing to me on March 16 2003. Said I would lose my family, and asked who was the other woman in my life. A quick and insincere apology after I told Mr SP to quit threatening my family. It felt good telling one of the monkies that I know the church is 100% not what it claims to be. And yes, I have the right to call President Andrus a monkey, I'm not the one who questioned his integrity over loss of testimony.....asshole. If that is the cause and effect then The Prophet Brother Joseph never had a testimony. But this is not about me. Wease, good for you! I KNOW the liberating feelings that come from telling your priesthood authorities that 'you have no power over me'. I had my first Polygamy Porter at Fats on Highland drive two weekends ago. When can I buy you one, Wease? It's roasted hops goodness is soothing to the soul. |
| Subject: | Did standing up to this guy give you a sense of closure?. |
| Date: | May 20 09:08 |
| Author: | Cheryl |
| You were outstanding! A star! The thing is, I would never consider attending such a meeting. I would advise others not to attend. But I can see that going in and facing the guy could bring closure. Is that the point? If so, I stand corrected. Let us know when the final letter arrives. Good luck. |
| Subject: | Re: Wease... |
| Date: | May 20 10:29 |
| Author: | SD |
| kicks ass. My God, man. You roasted his post toasties and served them to him for breakfast. He probably had to go change his garmies after you were done with him. |
| Subject: | Primo!! |
| Date: | May 20 10:34 |
| Author: | Tootsie |
| What a great report. Now, do your best to keep them
away from your family. There must be some way to give that precious
little three year old a balanced truth! BTW, those new threads sound really snappy! I hope your wife likes them!! |
| Subject: | Hawaiian shirt - nice touch! |
| Date: | May 20 10:44 |
| Author: | then again |
| Your verbal AND non-verbal communication was
excellent! Good luck. |
Recovery from Mormonism - www.exmormon.org |