Online Mormon Persecution

[Linked]

Maybe it's because I usually go to mormon news stories from links on here and r/exmo, but it seems that anything posted from a uniquely TBM perspective that allows comments is quickly overrun by critics of mormonism. When I say uniquely TBM I am thinking of the phrase "what's good about mormonism is not unique, and what is unique about mormonism is not good," like pushing the truth claims, WoW, anything Joseph related, etc. The criticisms are often fair and not necessarily combative, but it is interesting that there is a consistent online pushback against the mormon church. The mormon persecution complex would consider anything persecution, and I'm sure that the online pushback is considered persecution to many.

[wtfluff]

I'd bet quite a few ontis that such comments definitely play into the LD$-Inc. persecution complex.

I wonder... Are there other denominations that out there that experience the same type of push-back? Or is it only small, inconsequential overly-fundamental "religions" that experience such?

[2bizE]

What is uniquely Mormon sets itself up for more scrutiny. Often there are contemporary facts that disagree with TBM truth.
Fewer people get worked up over a question about whether Jesus work a white robe vs. whether JS was a polygamist.

[jfro18]

I don't go around posting on online articles/blogs, but I've wanted to do it... I just don't see the point. How many people are reading the comments that don't already agree or are on the other side as retrenched as I am but believing?

The problem with Mormonism is that they are the ones who made the truth claims and then hide from them, so people who have spent their lives believing what they are told only to find out it's a lie... you want to make sure everyone else discovers that truth as well.

And it absolutely plays into the church's persecution complex. I've seen a few accounts on Twitter who are in that whole #DezNat movement (those people are the infowars of Mormonism) who post all of the negative comments to show that exmos just can't leave it alone... it is what it is.

[misterfake371]

The Church does deserve some criticism, but I also think that a lot of the angry ex-Mo people who post things online should move on with their lives. It's not healthy to obsess about the flaws of the Church.

[RubinHighlander]

As a TBM missionary I found that talking with or bashing with folks from other faiths, it was actually refreshing to talk to folks who were JWs, Catholics, and the like because they had actual dogma to contend with. The most frustrating folks were born again Christians because they had very little to contend with other than the faith vs. works issue. BACs were all over the map with other beliefs or didn't really have any besides "Say this Jebus prayer and you are saved."

The problem with any religions with a one true church claim and a bunch of definitive doctrines and policies is that they are easy to disassemble with logic; they have painted themselves into a corner. What's their choice? Admit they are wrong and change the dogma and diminish their tribal specialnes? Stick with it and keep bleeding those members who want to know the truth and shrink away over time? Making incremental changes to try and slowly boil the remaining lobsters in the pot still waters down the specialness over time, then it's eventually just another Unitarian Christian faith and how to you get 10% donations from that? Though the true believers will continue to keep their heads in the sand, anyone with an half open mind should be able to escape it in this information age.

[Newme]

The Church does deserve some criticism, but I also think that a lot of the angry ex-Mo people who post things online should move on with their lives. It's not healthy to obsess about the flaws of the Church.

That’s a fair, balanced assessment.
It’s not healthy to get stuck in resentment - resentment of anyone including the church.
Yet, it’s also important to explore issues rather than sweeping them under the rug. “Feelings buried alive never die.”

One Sunday, the teacher, who’s a therapist, chimed in to criticizing criticizers, with “They leave the church but don’t leave it alone.” I thought - imagine saying that to someone getting out of an abusive relationship in therapy!

The problem is that most members are blind to problems in the church & have been carefully programmed to assume all problems are others’ - not the church. When the church has been narcissistic (shifting blame/refusing to apologize), financially abusive (charging for worthiness & wrongfully based on income rather than increase), denying the poor tithes, and other cult-like teachings that contribute to Mormons’ high rates of depression, anxiety & related issues. Then, if you had especially fanatic and shaming parents on top of that, and if family & friends STILL push the dysfunctional cult programming in hurtful ways - healing doesn’t happen overnight.

[Newme]

As a TBM missionary I found that talking with or bashing with folks from other faiths, it was actually refreshing to talk to folks who were JWs, Catholics, and the like because they had actual dogma to contend with. The most frustrating folks were born again Christians because they had very little to contend with other than the faith vs. works issue. BACs were all over the map with other beliefs or didn't really have any besides "Say this Jebus prayer and you are saved."

The problem with any religions with a one true church claim and a bunch of definitive doctrines and policies is that they are easy to disassemble with logic; they have painted themselves into a corner. What's their choice? Admit they are wrong and change the dogma and diminish their tribal specialnes? Stick with it and keep bleeding those members who want to know the truth and shrink away over time? Making incremental changes to try and slowly boil the remaining lobsters in the pot still waters down the specialness over time, then it's eventually just another Unitarian Christian faith and how to you get 10% donations from that? Though the true believers will continue to keep their heads in the sand, anyone with an half open mind should be able to escape it in this information age.

That makes me picture the “good ship” as a little toy boat in a boiling pot of lobsters.

[Just This Guy]

I think part of it may be a bit of bias on our part. Groups tend to cater to their demographics. Ex-mo groups like r/exmo will talk up materiel that is critical to the church, just as places like StayLDS will have a pro-LDS bias and talk up that stuff. It is not a church specific things. Every group online will see this to one extent or another. Just compare the comments on a FoxNews article vs. MSNBC. Even the same AP article will have wildly different comments and responses on them. Groups cater to their core audience demographics.

Heck, just look at at maker specific car group on the internet. It's not really an anti-LDS thing, and more just the nature of the Internet.

[moksha]

Mormons being persecuted online, eh? I assumed the title referred to Mormons persecuting others online through one of their apologetic websites. I guess this stuff can go both ways; sort of a bi-persecution thing.