It's interesting that an institution that portrays itself as a paragon of moral virtue, is also so insecure and thin skinned they need to sue people who criticize them. Wouldn't their supposed good works be enough to defend themselves with? Don't you find it a little ironic that a church would need a lawyer, not to defend itself against an accusation, but to attack a critic? Being booted out of the Mormon church would be like being booted out of prison.
Also, let's be honest, the LDS 'chuch' is a multilevel marketing corporation masquerading as a church. It's one of the wealthiest corporations in the world. Its religious hustle is just a sideline at this point.
I remember when I was questioning the Mormon church, I told my uncle, who was fairly high up in his ward, that I was going to read the Bible and pray about what to do. He told me the only thing I needed to read was the Book of Mormon. I’ve since left ALL organized religion behind. I don’t need some white evangelical Christian nationalist to tell me what to believe or anything like that. I love your articles. They’re so informative.
I was raised in the catholic church and started having questions from a very young age. When I finally left, like you, I considered joining another church. For about 5 minutes. Because I realized that the problems I had with catholic doctrine were the same across all the others. Glad you were able to free yourself from the grasp of religion, Billie.
Sounds like the plaintiff's lawyer just handed you an out. Dehlin can change the name of his podcast to "Mormon.ish Stories" and the Mormon church's own lawyer has stated in public that this wouldn't be confused with the church.
The xtian sect started by a con man with multiple wives (a number of them underage) and believed bigotry was godly. Where did they get the idea they were ever holy?
My bride’s mail-in ballot is outside waiting for the letter carrier. Dems down the line and against the Moms 4 Liberty school board candidates (SB is non-partisan in Maryland - but we know who is who). I like to vote in person.
There is a silver ballot drop off box behind the Owosso City Hall building. That's where the ballot went when I got done voting and placed the ballot inside the special return envelope that was provided for the ballot.
My ballot is in the outgoing mail right now. I tossed a vote for a Green in some of the way down ballot races, but I mostly went for Democrats. El-Sayed for the win! I hope you voted for the incumbents on the state Supreme Court, those were the ones nominated by the Dems.
Wasn’t there a story at Friendly Atheist a few years back that was all about how The Church of Latter Day Saints doesn’t want people using Mormon, or LDS or any other shortening of their name? You would think that having that official stance they would be unable to fight trademark cases since their official name is The Church of Latter Day Saints and not Mormon. Because, if the church is officially releasing the information, podcast, or whatever, they wouldn’t put Mormon on it, it would spell out the full church name. Erasing any opportunity for confusion.
Anyway, the LDS church is a business sticking its grubby fingers into everyone’s affairs and hoarding money pretending to be charity, they also foster and excuse rapists and pedophiles, and are highly misogynistic.
The LDS church apparently wants to arrogate the word "Mormon" to themselves, to the point where anyone using it, whether in an untoward fashion or not, could be slapped with a lawsuit. Interestingly, they never went after the Broadway hit, The Book of Mormon, or any other usage where the founders of that usage had sufficient funds to go head to head with Mormon lawyers. But if you're a little guy or gal and you don't have the means? You're fair game.
The Mormon Church works out to be very little other than a bully, who thinks they can take unmonied stragglers and make examples of them, for no other reason other than they can.
What is needed here is a little David versus Goliath action, with the Mormon church cast as the Giant.
Their sense of reality is so distorted that they think they, with their billions and team of lawyers on retainer are David, and the critics barely scraping by paycheck to paycheck are Goliath. All to serve their persecution fantasies.
This suit is trying to claim ANY use of the word 'mormon' in any context could 'lead to confusion' on the part of LDS members. That's as ridiculous as saying any use of the word ''catholic' is an infringement on the catholic church and could lead to 'confusion.' The church doesn't own the word 'mormon' and, in fact, repudiated its use several years ago in favor of LDS.
Anyone who's ever been a church member, whether still active or removed from the rolls, is a mormon and has the right to tell his or her mormon story. NOBODY in the LDS fold is under any illusions about who John Dehlin is and what his podcast is all about. All the church is doing is advertising its weakness by going after Dehlin's podcast 26 years after it started. Because apparently Dehlin has been more successful in encouraging mormons to question and leave the cult than the church has been at keeping them.
They apparently want such exclusive access to the name of their own church that anyone using it would have to get permission from them first, regardless of the usage. The next thing you know, they'll want exclusive usage of the English language.
Somehow I don't think that second issue would go over very well.
So are they admitting that most institutions are just businesses where brand should be protected above all else? Let’s take away their tax exempt status now and forever.
No patience left after the Cornell rapes. Nothing will ever change around this godforsaken place.
“If you become too effective at articulating those doubts, the institution won’t just argue with you; it’ll try to silence you.”
Well, they don’t need the courts to send that message, they already excommunicate and shun folks who question the church. This is well known and it keeps the flock silent and compliant. Dehlin was excommunicated before he held any real sway, the legal crap is because now that the church has no power over him they need a new stick. The institution never argues with anyone, but are real quick with punishments like removing Temple privileges, and excommunication. It may work for most, but those who are questioning will have more ammunition when push comes to shove.
It's interesting that an institution that portrays itself as a paragon of moral virtue, is also so insecure and thin skinned they need to sue people who criticize them. Wouldn't their supposed good works be enough to defend themselves with? Don't you find it a little ironic that a church would need a lawyer, not to defend itself against an accusation, but to attack a critic? Being booted out of the Mormon church would be like being booted out of prison.
Also, let's be honest, the LDS 'chuch' is a multilevel marketing corporation masquerading as a church. It's one of the wealthiest corporations in the world. Its religious hustle is just a sideline at this point.
I remember when I was questioning the Mormon church, I told my uncle, who was fairly high up in his ward, that I was going to read the Bible and pray about what to do. He told me the only thing I needed to read was the Book of Mormon. I’ve since left ALL organized religion behind. I don’t need some white evangelical Christian nationalist to tell me what to believe or anything like that. I love your articles. They’re so informative.
I was raised in the catholic church and started having questions from a very young age. When I finally left, like you, I considered joining another church. For about 5 minutes. Because I realized that the problems I had with catholic doctrine were the same across all the others. Glad you were able to free yourself from the grasp of religion, Billie.
The Mormon brand is worth billions. Can't let a little thing like the truth get in the way of the money.
𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑 “𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑜𝑛.𝑖𝑠ℎ,” 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑦 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔, “𝐼’𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑐ℎ 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑒.” 𝑁𝑜.
Sounds like the plaintiff's lawyer just handed you an out. Dehlin can change the name of his podcast to "Mormon.ish Stories" and the Mormon church's own lawyer has stated in public that this wouldn't be confused with the church.
I wouldn't put too much stock in the notion that the church won't go after 'Mormon.ish' either. Dehlin is the beta test.
The xtian sect started by a con man with multiple wives (a number of them underage) and believed bigotry was godly. Where did they get the idea they were ever holy?
Bigotry AND bigamy!
“Oh course it’s bigamy. It’s big of me. It’s big of her. It’s big of all three of us.”
Groucho.
Say the secret woyd, the duck comes down and gives you a hundred dollahs!
They created it out of thin air.
Will their magic underwear save the day? Stay tuned!
"Tarnish and denigrate the reputation of the Mormon Church?" You really want to go down that road, Mor(m)ons?
They did that to themselves.
𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠 “𝐵𝑎𝑑 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑜𝑛,” 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔, “𝑂ℎ, 𝐼 𝑏𝑒𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑎𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑐ℎ.”
If i see the words "Bad Mormon", I think of an LDS member acting the way his church demands.
O/T: Yesterday, I got my mail-in ballot and voted Democrat straight up and down. Voted for El-Sayed, too (I'm from Michigan).
My bride’s mail-in ballot is outside waiting for the letter carrier. Dems down the line and against the Moms 4 Liberty school board candidates (SB is non-partisan in Maryland - but we know who is who). I like to vote in person.
There is a silver ballot drop off box behind the Owosso City Hall building. That's where the ballot went when I got done voting and placed the ballot inside the special return envelope that was provided for the ballot.
My ballot is in the outgoing mail right now. I tossed a vote for a Green in some of the way down ballot races, but I mostly went for Democrats. El-Sayed for the win! I hope you voted for the incumbents on the state Supreme Court, those were the ones nominated by the Dems.
I voted for all Democrats on the ballot. Even for the ones running for the state supreme court.
But Mormons are so nice!
The Mormon guys in Vietnam always had the nastiest porn.
Wasn’t there a story at Friendly Atheist a few years back that was all about how The Church of Latter Day Saints doesn’t want people using Mormon, or LDS or any other shortening of their name? You would think that having that official stance they would be unable to fight trademark cases since their official name is The Church of Latter Day Saints and not Mormon. Because, if the church is officially releasing the information, podcast, or whatever, they wouldn’t put Mormon on it, it would spell out the full church name. Erasing any opportunity for confusion.
Anyway, the LDS church is a business sticking its grubby fingers into everyone’s affairs and hoarding money pretending to be charity, they also foster and excuse rapists and pedophiles, and are highly misogynistic.
Do you suppose that if we dropped the second "m" out of "Mormon" that would make it okay? 😁
(Edited, obviously!)
Momon? Or did you want to drop the second m?
MERDE! This is what I get for skipping my coffee this morning!
You’re not allowed to use WORDS if we don’t like how you use them and they make us look bad. 🤣
The LDS church apparently wants to arrogate the word "Mormon" to themselves, to the point where anyone using it, whether in an untoward fashion or not, could be slapped with a lawsuit. Interestingly, they never went after the Broadway hit, The Book of Mormon, or any other usage where the founders of that usage had sufficient funds to go head to head with Mormon lawyers. But if you're a little guy or gal and you don't have the means? You're fair game.
The Mormon Church works out to be very little other than a bully, who thinks they can take unmonied stragglers and make examples of them, for no other reason other than they can.
What is needed here is a little David versus Goliath action, with the Mormon church cast as the Giant.
Their sense of reality is so distorted that they think they, with their billions and team of lawyers on retainer are David, and the critics barely scraping by paycheck to paycheck are Goliath. All to serve their persecution fantasies.
This suit is trying to claim ANY use of the word 'mormon' in any context could 'lead to confusion' on the part of LDS members. That's as ridiculous as saying any use of the word ''catholic' is an infringement on the catholic church and could lead to 'confusion.' The church doesn't own the word 'mormon' and, in fact, repudiated its use several years ago in favor of LDS.
Anyone who's ever been a church member, whether still active or removed from the rolls, is a mormon and has the right to tell his or her mormon story. NOBODY in the LDS fold is under any illusions about who John Dehlin is and what his podcast is all about. All the church is doing is advertising its weakness by going after Dehlin's podcast 26 years after it started. Because apparently Dehlin has been more successful in encouraging mormons to question and leave the cult than the church has been at keeping them.
They apparently want such exclusive access to the name of their own church that anyone using it would have to get permission from them first, regardless of the usage. The next thing you know, they'll want exclusive usage of the English language.
Somehow I don't think that second issue would go over very well.
So are they admitting that most institutions are just businesses where brand should be protected above all else? Let’s take away their tax exempt status now and forever.
No patience left after the Cornell rapes. Nothing will ever change around this godforsaken place.
Let’s face it: The entire xtian faith is a for-profit business disguised as a non-profit entity. It should be taxed to hell and back.
Also, why can’t we as a society scrutinize religious institutions the same way as Cornell? The rot all begins there anyway.
🔥 🔥
“If you become too effective at articulating those doubts, the institution won’t just argue with you; it’ll try to silence you.”
Well, they don’t need the courts to send that message, they already excommunicate and shun folks who question the church. This is well known and it keeps the flock silent and compliant. Dehlin was excommunicated before he held any real sway, the legal crap is because now that the church has no power over him they need a new stick. The institution never argues with anyone, but are real quick with punishments like removing Temple privileges, and excommunication. It may work for most, but those who are questioning will have more ammunition when push comes to shove.