Church to Sue Fairview Texas Over Temple

[Linked]

It looks like the church has submitted notice of intent to sue Fairview Texas over the temple "for violating the Church’s rights to free exercise of
religion and nondiscrimination in land use regulation."

The church initially proposed building a large temple in a neighborhood zoned for smaller buildings. Fairview said no. There were some public meetings and Nemo the mormon got excommunicated for speaking at one. The two sides went to mediation and seemed to have an agreement on a slightly smaller but still way out of zoning temple. The church didn't submit a new proposal as the submittal due date came and went, and now the church intends to sue.

This seems really stupid of the church, they are bullying a small town that appears to be reasonable. The bad PR from this is going to be significant even / especially if they succeed in getting the temple they want. It's easy to empathize with someone in a quiet neighborhood who didn't expect or want a giant spotlight in their backyard. And winning by outspending a small town on lawyers is a terrible look.

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.or ... Notice.pdf

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/faith/2 ... e-dispute/

https://www.deseret.com/faith/2025/01/2 ... le-rluipa/

[Hagoth]

God moves in mysterious and a$$h*lish ways.

[moksha]

God moves in mysterious and a$$h*lish ways.

The recent Church announcement that the Church and Jesus Christ are the same will undoubtedly endear them to Texas in the same way that the people of Utah embrace that statement as true.

Jesus has the right to bully any small town he chooses through the power of RLUIPA and the Holy Kirton McConkie.

[Palerider]

Church leadership learned this from their demi-god Joseph. Many times, when he got in trouble, he found a good lawyer to get himself free. Lawyering your enemies to death is a great strategy.

But this situation also puts into clear perspective, the churches sad tales of unjust persecution back in Kirtland, Missouri and Nauvoo. Now we see their true colors and who were really the ones swinging their fat a$$ around. No wonder Gentiles found them to be stinky.

[deacon blues]

Do they-the LDS- worship God or Political and Judicial Power? Apparent Answer: whatever it takes to get the job done.
See my post on white Christian Nationalism.
...and this quote (2:40) "You can get far far more political power in a town of a few thousand than you can on your own widely dispersed across the country."

[2bizE]

Doing the same thing they did in Cody Wyoming.
I’m a bit surprised in Wyoming there hasn’t been some type of Wild West retribution against the church.

[MoPag]

Granted I haven't been active in years...(pre-COIVD) but when I was, all they did was beg for people to attend the Dallas temple. And besides the Fairview one, they have two others planned for the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

Ugh I can't even with Rusty and pals..... He just has to out-do Hinckley, but even when he does she still looks like an a$$.

[2bizE]

Granted I haven't been active in years...(pre-COIVD) but when I was, all they did was beg for people to attend the Dallas temple. And besides the Fairview one, they have two others planned for the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

Ugh I can't even with Rusty and pals..... He just has to out-do Hinckley, but even when he does she still looks like an a$$.

True. True.

[nibbler]

Church leadership learned this from their demi-god Joseph. Many times, when he got in trouble, he found a good lawyer to get himself free. Lawyering your enemies to death is a great strategy.

And when that didn't work they incorporated their own city, formed their own court, and used that to poof the charges out of existence.

It's a shame the church can't use their religious freedom to clothe the naked, feed the poor, protect the immigrant, or teach their members to develop Christlike attributes. Whenever they want to exercise their freedom of religion it's in an effort to discriminate against some minority group or to circumvent a law that, doggoneit, they just don't feel like obeying like all the poors have to.

At this point I'm assuming that the church wants this case to go all the way to the top so they can set a precedent for a future exercise of "religious freedom" that has nothing to do with temple spires. After this works its way through the courts we'll all see what discriminating policies they're really wanting to put into place.

I think they're choosing to die on the hill of temple spires because they can get Brother Gunninto B. Bishop and Sister Pearl Clutcher to show up to town halls to defend a temple against the evil people that are trying to persecute them but they know they wouldn't get as much member support over say the "religious freedom" to implement some heinous policy that persecutes the LGBTQIA+ community.

They'll fight over temple spires but it's all smoke an mirrors to implement policies that they won't get as much support for or for policies that would give them an even larger black eye in the court of public opinion.

[alas]

I am not quite as cynical as Nibbler. I just think this is a case of wanting to bully just to see if they get away with it. Throwing their weight around just to prove they can sort of thing with no “evil plan” behind it.

On second thought, maybe that’s worse than nibbler’s theory of having some purpose to throw your weight around. Because my theory is pure bullying while nibbler thinks they have motive. His theory is Machiavellian while mine is purposeless cruelty.