f*cking mebership records

[smileyeagle1021]

... you DID get gold and power, right?

there was gold and power

why didn't anyone tell me this

[SengaKitty]

What you mean you didn't read the fine print? There was gold, power, AND hot geeky guys

[smileyeagle1021]

There was gold, power, AND hot geeky guys

wait in that case *tears up resignation letter* I want my gold, power, and hot geeky guys

eta- are they gay hot geeky guys... because if they aren't... deals off again

[LingualMonkey]

As someone who has left a number of churches (apparently I'm a serial heretic), I think you have a couple of three choices.

1) Contact the church again. Tell them you want to resign and are not willing to discuss it further. That may work, in which case you're done.

2) If #1 doesn't work, stop dealing with them. You intended to make a clean break and did enough to do so. You did your part, so they should do theirs, and your public/private humiliation should not be a part of the agenda.

3) Since #2 above will mean they'll continue to contact you forever, (you'll get little LDS love letters forwarded to your grave site), if you do go through with a final meeting/excommunication, do it with your head held high. Don't be humiliated. You are who you are, and they're the ones acting like there's something wrong with you. Be above it, and when it's done, treat it like it's liberation.

Then go find a geeky guy for your very own.

[Ratha]

I can fully understand your frustration with the LDS church. It took three months for them to honor my mom's request to be removed from the records, and she still gets calls from friends in the church who hope to bring her back, even though she's happily pagan now and soon going to be a priestess.

[SengaKitty]

I can fully understand your frustration with the LDS church. It took three months for them to honor my mom's request to be removed from the records, and she still gets calls from friends in the church who hope to bring her back, even though she's happily pagan now and soon going to be a priestess.

Funny, that sounds like my ex-fiance's mom too!

[TTAZ]

Why not threaten to go to the press? It seems to me the LDS church has been scrambling for awhile to keep up the facade they want the world to see.

Big Love gets aired? Go nuts.

Mitt Romney doesn't get the nomination to run for prez? Go nuts.

Prop 8? Go nuts.

Big Love shows a portion of an Endowment Ceremony? Go nuts.

It's my opinion that the LDS church feels threatened by any show of bad press, and you perhaps writing up a potential article to send to national news about how the church is denying your request for removal despite the law and the harrassment you are being subjected to might just go a long way to getting your request handled quickly and quietly.

[smileyeagle1021]

As someone who has left a number of churches (apparently I'm a serial heretic), I think you have a couple of three choices.

1) Contact the church again. Tell them you want to resign and are not willing to discuss it further. That may work, in which case you're done.

2) If #1 doesn't work, stop dealing with them. You intended to make a clean break and did enough to do so. You did your part, so they should do theirs, and your public/private humiliation should not be a part of the agenda.

3) Since #2 above will mean they'll continue to contact you forever, (you'll get little LDS love letters forwarded to your grave site), if you do go through with a final meeting/excommunication, do it with your head held high. Don't be humiliated. You are who you are, and they're the ones acting like there's something wrong with you. Be above it, and when it's done, treat it like it's liberation.

Then go find a geeky guy for your very own.

#1, already done, letter is in the mail... follow up fax will be sent the day after I get the receipt confirmation back from the post office, phone call to church headquarters the week after that.

#2, I've already cut all communication outside of written (ok, so I did answer a phone call... but that's because I didn't recognize the number and thought it might be a coworker... nope, it was the poor EQP who the person at Member Records roped into this game of theirs)

#3, if it does come down to the only way out is to be excommunicated I intend to do so with my head held high and with limited shame. I like a line from Latter Days on the topic .
Stake President- we are here today because you have refused to renounce your alternative lifestyle.
Aaron Davis- Alternative lifestyle... sir, your grandfather had 6 wives... how is that any less of an alternative lifestyle.
Stake President- are you calling us hypocritical then.
Aaron Davis- No, this is going beyond hypocritical... now you're just being petty and mean.

... and now that everyone knows that I prefer Best Buy because of the Geek Squad (shut up... I know their service isn't the best... but at least they look good while they're doing it ) and it's no secret what my type is... I might as well put the bumper sticker on my car (and yes, I really do have that bumper sticker... or at least I will in a week and a half when it arrives in the mail )

[wagegoth]

Smiley, I was disfellowshipped by the Jehovah's Witnesses. I haven't spoken with my family in years. If you are disfellowshipped/excommunicated by the LDS Church, does that mean you must be shunned by the members? If it does, I could certainly see them using it as a deterrent to members hoping to leave. If someone in your ward knew why you were asking to be removed as a member, that information may have caused them to treat you this way as a way to keep you in the church, rather than losing your family and friends.

It's devious, but I've seen and heard too much about these kinds of things to discount anything.

There is a way to withdraw from the Witnesses, but it adds up to the same thing; it's a kind of voluntary disfellowshipping.


BTW, happily pagan now.

[Broomjockey]

It's my opinion

Whoops. Wrong side of the Fratching line, here. Watch what you're saying people, it's a religion thread, and those tend to go downhill after the first slip. We're doing okay, but now we have that first slip. Be ever vigilant!

[Kogarashi]

If you are disfellowshipped/excommunicated by the LDS Church, does that mean you must be shunned by the members?

Not at all. There's no requirement to shun disfellowshipped or excommunicated members, any more than there's one to shun non-members. Smiley is still Smiley, just not a member anymore (assuming the paperwork actually goes through).

Smiley, I'm sorry they're giving you grief.

[TTAZ]

Whoops. Wrong side of the Fratching line, here. Watch what you're saying people, it's a religion thread, and those tend to go downhill after the first slip. We're doing okay, but now we have that first slip. Be ever vigilant!

I included the caveat to try and keep it from being on the wring side of the fratching line.

Mea Culpa.

[Broomjockey]

I included the caveat

Good general rule to use for CS is: If you need a disclaimer, it's probably not best for here, or at least not phrased that way.

[cattaur]

Good luck!

[Amethyst Hunter]

Why not threaten to go to the press?....you perhaps writing up a potential article to send to national news about how the church is denying your request for removal despite the law and the harrassment you are being subjected to might just go a long way to getting your request handled quickly and quietly.

That's not a bad idea, actually. Publicity can be used to your advantage sometimes. I'd include local media too, unless notoriety in your community could cause you some unnecessary grief.