ThomasK wrote:
Life Rocks wrote:

As for being angry about this. You bet I'm angry. Anger in this instance is more than justified. I think God is angry too. The thought occurs to me that "God the Father", knowing how hard it is to be a parent, has a special place for devoted dads. A normal father who loves his kids should be angry at such a practice.

So you're really really really angry that the Church didn't allow you to go inside the temple at your daughters Sealing because you think the Church is a bunch of hooey. I got that.

So if one of your other 8 children, that you raised LDS, decides to join the Church of Satan and invites you to attend their wedding where you actually get to go inside. And they sacrifice an animal and drink its blood. You would be very very happy. Because witnessing that is very very important to you. I get it.

You're a great dad.

I've seen you post comments I've agreed with. And I've seen you post comments I've disagreed with.

But I never thought you would post a comment of this sort. I never thought I would begin to compare your comments to Kent's comments.

I'm pretty disappointed in this comment.

Betz wrote:
Dubbs wrote:
Should all religions change their sacred buildings "rules" to accomodate the non beleivers? come on dude, your being ridiculous. Get back to church and get worthy bro, you can do it. Give your family a real worthy priesthood holder in their home that they deserve and are begging for in their prayers.

Please provide a list of religions that bar family members from being at a couples marriage due to rules regarding sacred buildings? I mean, that is the topic and all . . .

The only two I could find is the LDS Church...and the Muslims in Arabic countries.

ThomasK wrote:
Life Rocks wrote:
ThomasK wrote:
Life Rocks wrote:

As for being angry about this. You bet I'm angry. Anger in this instance is more than justified. I think God is angry too. The thought occurs to me that "God the Father", knowing how hard it is to be a parent, has a special place for devoted dads. A normal father who loves his kids should be angry at such a practice.

So you're really really really angry that the Church didn't allow you to go inside the temple at your daughters Sealing because you think the Church is a bunch of hooey. I got that.

So if one of your other 8 children, that you raised LDS, decides to join the Church of Satan and invites you to attend their wedding where you actually get to go inside. And they sacrifice an animal and drink its blood. You would be very very happy. Because witnessing that is very very important to you. I get it.

You're a great dad.

With all due respect to you, you don't want to go there at all.

Interesting you made the connection.
Some people think the LDS Church is of Satan. While the LDS Church has changed it's practice, in terms of the Temple ceremony used to contain some pretty gruesome threats of self-sacrifice. I'm sure you can't acknowledge the similarity.

It's replies like this that remind me just how glad I am to be out of the Church.

And yes, I was/am a terrific father!

It was bait and you swallowed it. Why don't you tell your children what you think of their beliefs, daddy? I'm sure they will think that's terrific.

Now I'm REALLY disappointed in you Thomas.

This was uncalled for. And the Savior most certainly did NOT teach His followers to bait those they disagreed with, for the purpose of slamming them.

And I found the 'daddy' to be EXTREMELY reminiscent of Kent.

Dubbs wrote:
Life Rocks wrote:
[b
We've become so numbed to spiritual things.
We've come to think religion = spirituality. It's not so.

I used to watch people pray for "those who weren't at Church" and make no effort at all to visit them.

Or to pray for peace and safety...all the time. If this life is to prepare to meet God shouldn't we be praying for all the experiences that we need to have?
?

You really need to get over your own self rightous in reverse attitude towards people just trying to do good, by their own meaning and understanding, your ripping members of a faith for praying now? How do you know they have NEVER gone and vistited or called someone that they pray for? And even if they never have, at least they are praying for them, which we believe can be a powerful tool, you don't, but don't rip them for their beliefs and trying to do good. Geez dude, seriously, you need help.

Oh for the love of ALL that is holy!

Is that how you see yourself here Kent? That you're trying to do good by your own meaning and understanding?

Isn't that what you've been mocking and deriding ME for doing all along? That I try to do good...by my own meaning and understanding?

And are you SERIOUSLY going to sit there and flame someone ELSE for ripping YOUR beliefs and YOUR attempts at 'doing good'?

Oy-flippin-VEY!!!

Dubbs wrote:
JLD wrote:
Life Rocks, you've gotten some good, honest feedback, but instead of commenting on that you seem to want to concentrate on your anger and hurt. Go for it, that is your choice. It is very unlikely that you will get what you want that way; the LDS church isn't going to listen to one more person ranting and raving about their practices more than say, they would if you wrote them a reasonable letter asking for consideration, or at a minimum clarification of the practice.

I would say again, I don't think what you are doing is right or justified. Your child made a choice to marry in this fashion - support them! Instead you seem to want to bad mouth the practice they chose to everyone who will listen.

I don't care what you think you were entitled to as a parent (and I'm a parent myself) but you have no right to rant and rave that the way your child married excluded you. This is not about you, this is about them. This is their church, their ceremony and their choice. You can cry foul at the top of your lungs and maybe, just maybe, you will get what you want, but I seriously doubt it. Instead you will only accomplish making people upset and hurting feelings.

I'm not even LDS but I agree that the LDS has every right to exclude the "unworthy" from this ceremony and to choose just who is and who is not "worhty" by their standards. I support their right to do this and I don't want to see them, or any other church, change to accommodate parents who can't see what this might mean to anyone but them.

I'll step off of my soap box now. Life Rocks, I wish you all the best and I hope you find peace with this issue someday.

I agree with your post except to point out that the "unworthy" are not invited, it's more that we have qualifications to enter, anybody can go through the process to be qualified, it's not a matter of being unworthy in my mind.

Lest that you have forgotten...it wasn't so very long ago when 'anybody' most certainly could NOT go through the process to be qualified to be considered worthy to enter the Temple.

Being that you have claimed to be 'partly black'...I would have thought that at least you might have remembered that very salient point.

Things change Kent. And the LDS Church HAS changed it's policies quite a few times.

Dubbs wrote:
Life Rocks wrote:

It would be different if I didn't have 30 years of experience in the Church. I know how you think. I know what you feel. ?

If that's true, I would think you would respect and honor your childrens beliefs and decisions, instead of ripping the faith and practice publically. I'm sorry, I'm not buying that you understand, you don't.

On the contrary...I believe that he understands all too well...and that the continued arrogance of certain Mormon apologists who have been slamming a father because he is honest enough to admit that his exclusion from witnessing his daughter's weddings has hurt him deeply, and that he is compassionate enough to want to see the end of such hurtful exclusion so that other mothers and fathers never have to experience what he did...and in light of the reactions of so many self-righteous apologists...what he understands about the LDS Church and the attitudes of so many of it's members...has been validated...once again.