NOM

I recently took another survey sent from the COBites.
This time there were some interesting questions about whether members know about the essays and supplemental materials in the SS curriculum. Some good questions asking how uplifting SS is, if we have been taught about Sabbath observance recently and how uplifting the sabbath is to us personally. Also some questions about what members would like to see addressed in future essays. As you can imagine, I had a long list for them. They also wanted to know where we get our news about the church, if we know about the mormonsandgays website, the phamplet "God loveth his children", and other resources about the topic. What members believe it means when someone says they are gay or lesbian, and whether we think it is appropriate to use those titles when discussing those with same sex attraction. At the end they asked all the normal control questions about prayer and FHE habits and then asked what the church can do to make missionary work more effective.

The Research Information Division must be hard at work trying to understand why the LDS product is becoming less relevant in these last days. I imagine they collect very valid research and information that could help the church transform itself into relevancy. However I imagine the information flows up and with each level gets filtered out.

For example:
Survey says: the youth think the church is extremely boring, the history is extremely weird, polygamy panties are uncomfortable, the members are leaving, and conference needs more women speakers.

The Quorum of the 12 hear: the members are happy, garments are awesome, conference is up lifting. Sundays are fun days...

The Quorum of the 12 respond to the members: keep the sabbath day holy.

If anyone is interested the Research Information Division is always hiring. Here's an old job description that documents the type of work they do for the church.

https://www.mormonsocialscience.org/wp- ... Spring.pdf

Executive Summary:

Everyone seems to be addicted to porn.
Must be the evil gay agenda.

FiveFingerMnemonic wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2017 8:10 am

What members believe it means when someone says they are gay or lesbian, and whether we think it is appropriate to use those titles when discussing those with same sex attraction.

Here's the actual question regarding the above paragraph:

• In your opinion, is it appropriate for church members who experience same-sex attraction to refer to themselves as gay or lesbian?

This is such blatant gaslighting that I almost can't believe that they actually published the question. (Almost...)

wtfluff wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2017 12:03 pm

Here's the actual question regarding the above paragraph:

• In your opinion, is it appropriate for church members who experience same-sex attraction to refer to themselves as gay or lesbian?

This is such blatant gaslighting that I almost can't believe that they actually published the question. (Almost...)

Wow. That's ... impressive.

I think this gets back to some of the other discussions in other threads about declining converts and other problems the church is facing. When you're that out of touch with society, that's a problem.

Red Ryder wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2017 9:47 am

Survey says: the youth think the church is extremely boring, the history is extremely weird, polygamy panties are uncomfortable, the members are leaving, and conference needs more women speakers.

The Quorum of the 12 hear: the members are happy, garments are awesome, conference is up lifting. Sundays are fun days...

The Quorum of the 12 respond to the members: keep the sabbath day holy.

They probably imagine that their data is being skewed by a few disingenuous gay-agenda-pushing malcontents, so they ignore those responses and bask in the love of the contented, butt-kissing respondents. If the rest would just pray and read the Book of Mormon more the polls would get back to saying what they're supposed to say.

wtfluff wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2017 12:03 pm

FiveFingerMnemonic wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2017 8:10 am

What members believe it means when someone says they are gay or lesbian, and whether we think it is appropriate to use those titles when discussing those with same sex attraction.

Here's the actual question regarding the above paragraph:

• In your opinion, is it appropriate for church members who experience same-sex attraction to refer to themselves as gay or lesbian?

This is such blatant gaslighting that I almost can't believe that they actually published the question. (Almost...)

I would love to participate in a survey like this where I can provide a dose of reality for the institutional church. Because, Yes, it is entirely appropriate for church members who experience same-sex attraction to refer to themselves as gay or lesbian. "Gay" and "Lesbian" do carry some cultural baggage, but they are more accurate and linguistically richer than describing how a person might "Experience Same Sex Attraction". Honestly, I consistenly "Experience Opposite Sex Attraction" every single day, but that phrase would carry a silly amount of pedantic baggage than simply calling me "Straight".

Hagoth wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2017 12:17 pm

They probably imagine that their data is being skewed by a few disingenuous gay-agenda-pushing malcontents, so they ignore those responses and bask in the love of the contented, butt-kissing respondents. If the rest would just pray and read the Book of Mormon more the polls would get back to saying what they're supposed to say.

I realize that's said at least somewhat facetiously, but I really have to wonder how much truth there is in it. I'm sure the top church leaders are confident about the righteousness of their positions and their work. There really isn't any evidence of doubt and introspection among them. The typical response in the Church is for the members to do more. For there to be more programs or more devotion to what the leaders say. The problem is never with the Church not its top leaders, from their perspective. I don't know if there is any room in their worldview for examining anything different. Could they entertain the idea of being wrong about the social issues? Or history, of which they're generally not very knowledgable? Or about anything that might suggest they're not doing exactly what god wants? It seems unlikely.

The Church has gotten more interested in surveying its members lately, but it's unclear just what they've done with that data. Especially how it has been interpreted at the uppermost levels.

Jeffret wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2017 12:07 pm

Wow. That's ... impressive.

I think this gets back to some of the other discussions in other threads about declining converts and other problems the church is facing. When you're that out of touch with society, that's a problem.

Corsair wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2017 12:29 pm

I would love to participate in a survey like this where I can provide a dose of reality for the institutional church. Because, Yes, it is entirely appropriate for church members who experience same-sex attraction to refer to themselves as gay or lesbian. "Gay" and "Lesbian" do carry some cultural baggage, but they are more accurate and linguistically richer than describing how a person might "Experience Same Sex Attraction". Honestly, I consistenly "Experience Opposite Sex Attraction" every single day, but that phrase would carry a silly amount of pedantic baggage than simply calling me "Straight".

Out of touch with society is a good way to put it. I'd take it a step further and say they're out of touch with reality.

In one question they ask about the mormonsandgays website. A website and URL that they obviously own, that actually contains the word gay.

Then in another question they basically say that it is inappropriate for church members to use the word gay to refer to themselves.

I guess it's hard to see blatant contradictions when the bubble you live in is impenetrable...

Red Ryder wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2017 9:47 am

The Research Information Division must be hard at work trying to understand why the LDS product is becoming less relevant in these last days. I imagine they collect very valid research and information that could help the church transform itself into relevancy. However I imagine the information flows up and with each level gets filtered out.

For example:
Survey says: the youth think the church is extremely boring, the history is extremely weird, polygamy panties are uncomfortable, the members are leaving, and conference needs more women speakers.

The Quorum of the 12 hear: the members are happy, garments are awesome, conference is up lifting. Sundays are fun days...

The Quorum of the 12 respond to the members: keep the sabbath day holy.

If anyone is interested the Research Information Division is always hiring. Here's an old job description that documents the type of work they do for the church.

https://www.mormonsocialscience.org/wp- ... Spring.pdf

RR,
I bet they have a hard time filling this positions. Looking at the job description, it would seem finding a PHD with strong theoretical and analytical thinking skills, who is still a member of the cult would be difficult.

2bizE wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2017 4:43 pm

Red Ryder wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 02, 2017 9:47 am

The Research Information Division must be hard at work trying to understand why the LDS product is becoming less relevant in these last days. I imagine they collect very valid research and information that could help the church transform itself into relevancy. However I imagine the information flows up and with each level gets filtered out.

For example:
Survey says: the youth think the church is extremely boring, the history is extremely weird, polygamy panties are uncomfortable, the members are leaving, and conference needs more women speakers.

The Quorum of the 12 hear: the members are happy, garments are awesome, conference is up lifting. Sundays are fun days...

The Quorum of the 12 respond to the members: keep the sabbath day holy.

If anyone is interested the Research Information Division is always hiring. Here's an old job description that documents the type of work they do for the church.

https://www.mormonsocialscience.org/wp- ... Spring.pdf

RR,
I bet they have a hard time filling this positions. Looking at the job description, it would seem finding a PHD with strong theoretical and analytical thinking skills, who is still a member of the cult would be difficult.

That was Daymon Smith, and look what happened with his employment adventure.