WWJD & CTR

Many mainstream Christian churches use the catchphrase "What Would Jesus Do?"  Mormons use the phrase, "Choose The Right".  I've been thinking a lot about the meaning of these two mantras, and the application of them in everyday life.  Choosing the right essentially amounts to doing what Jesus would do, since Christ would be Christians' ultimate example, having lived a perfect life.

My husband and I became disaffected with the Mormon church about 6 months ago.  He has actually been pretending to believe for a couple of years.  He feared losing his family, his friends, and most of what he held dear, so he remained silent until he could stand it no longer.  We are very lucky to be exiting the church together, our marriage intact, and happier than ever.  My husband shared his doubts with me last June, and through my own study, in an attempt to bring him "back to the fold", I found things that stunned me.  For a more detailed accounting of our exit from the church, click here.

One of the problems we had with the church was the profusion of policies and practices that are not in keeping with what Jesus would do.  Here are just a few (I could write for a week):

• Tithing~~In the Mormon church, you are required to pay tithing in order to enter the temple.  If you are not paying a full tithe, which is considered to be 10% of your gross income, before taxes, then you are denied a temple recommend, and your bishop will actually revoke your recommend if you are not current on your tithing payments.  All members must have a temple recommend in order to participate in or witness temple ceremonies including weddings.  I began to ask myself whether Christ would behave in such a manner.   The bishop is supposed to be a representative of Christ, acting in the name of Christ.  Would Christ stand at the doors of the temple, forbidding the entrance of those who are not paid up?  Christ was not concerned with money.  He did not ask for money, and he certainly did not punish anyone who did not pay money to the church.  Christ actually threw the money changers out of the temple.  Certainly churches do need money to exist, but in my opinion, the Mormon way of going about this does not result in a freely given tithe, but smacks more of extortion.  They are holding "eternal families" hostage, until you have paid your money to the church. Would Christ have a cashier at the temple doors, checking to see if your account is current?  I think not. 
• Exclusion of nonmembers~~My son and his wife were married last summer.  They were put in the very difficult position of having to choose between their faith in the church and respect for his wife's parents.  Her parents are amazing people, very generous, kind, loving, and well respected in our local community.  I truly adore them!  If my son and his wife had chosen to get married in the temple, her parents would have been left standing outside.  Their crime?  They are not members of the Mormon church.  They are Catholic.  No one, who is not an endowed (having undergone the endowment ceremony in the temple) member can enter the temple to witness a wedding.  This means that adult friends who have not been endowed, and children cannot attend a Mormon wedding.  My sister's maid of honor was left waiting outside the temple a few years ago because she had not yet been endowed.  Not only that, endowed members who have not paid a full tithe, or who may be breaking the Word of Wisdom, may also not witness the wedding, because they will be unable to obtain a temple recommend.  I will be sad forever because my husband and I chose our church over his loving mother.  She was left out of our wedding.  It brings tears to my eyes, even now,  23 years later, thinking of the hurt she must have felt.  I love her so much, and I'm so sorry that we caused her this heartbreak.  I'm proud of my son and his wife for standing up and doing the right thing.  They were married out at the beach, so everyone they love could be present.  Would Christ stand at the temple entrance, turning away loving parents, friends, and family members for such trivial reasons?  I think not.
• Only one piercing, ma'am ~~In 2001, Gordon B. Hinckley gave a talk at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, which was broadcast to the youth of the church around the world.  In this talk, he counseled young women to have only one piercing per ear, and young men to have none.  I have had two holes in each ear since I was 16 years old, which was many years ago.   I have been repeatedly judged for having two earrings in each ear, and even spoken to by some of the women in the church.  I did attempt to remove my second pair of earrings, but the hole would get infected as it tried to close, so I chose to leave my second pair in.  I was told that if I had more faith, that I would be able to remove the second pair.  I have been chastised more than once for not following the words of the prophets.  With all of the serious issues facing the youth of this world, it seems silly to me to think that God gives a hoot about earrings.  I began to ask myself if Christ would care about something so ridiculous.  I think not.
• The Word of Wisdom~~As I studied the history of the Word of Wisdom, I became more and more disturbed by this practice.  In order to obtain and keep a temple recommend, you must be living the Word of Wisdom.  Apparently, though, you do not need to live all of the parts of the Word of Wisdom, just the parts the current leadership has deemed to be important.  "Hot drinks" are not allowed, but has been interpreted as including only coffee and tea.  Hot cocoa, not cider, and herb teas are all acceptable.  Meat is to be eaten only in times of famine and winter, and yet it's common to serve ham at a 4th of July church breakfast, and to eat meat at any time of year, not just during winter and famines.  If you are not keeping the Word of Wisdom, you cannot even join the Mormon church.  I began to ask myself whether Christ would forbid those who drink coffee and smoke cigarettes from entering the temple or getting baptized.  I think not.
• Love the sinner, hate the sin~~I've heard this phrase more times in the past few months than I ever care to again.  It doesn't even make sense to me how you could have love in your heart for someone, but hate what they are doing.  I can see being disappointed in someone's behavior, but hate?  If I hate the fact that someone is gay, and feel that I need to protect my children from them, then how can I love them?  I have pondered a lot about how Christ treated sinners.  He embraced them, he sat among them, he ate with them.  He didn't say that he hates what they do. I don't even know who made up that phrase, but it doesn't seem to have anything to do with being Christian or acting as Christ would.  Does Christ love the sinner but hate the sin?  I think not.
• Excluding homosexuals~~The BSA is currently on the verge of deciding whether or not to allow individual troops to drop the ban on homosexuals.  I'm very disappointed that they did not vote this week to drop the ban, putting off the vote until May.  This past few days, I had a great deal of Facebook discussion with Christian friends, LDS friends, exmormon friends, and friends with no religion.  It was clear that far too many people in my circle of friends have an irrational fear of homosexuals.  There has been a lot of speculation about what the Mormon church will do if they BSA lifts the ban, and the consensus seems to be that the church will sever ties with the BSA.  What is to be done for these young men who began scouts at the age of 8, or younger, who discover, as they become teenagers that they are, in fact, gay?  Are they to leave the boy scouts, abandoning all of the work and achievements up to that point?  Should they lie, and pretend not to be gay?  Or, should they be accepted and mentored, and allowed to earn their Eagle Scout?  What would Christ do?  Would Christ throw them out and deny them the honor they have earned?  I think not.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints claims to be the only true church on the face of the earth.  That's a pretty hefty claim to maintain, especially in light of the practices I wrote about.  They claim that Christ is at the head of the church, and yet so many things that are taught in church are not in keeping with the teachings of Christ.    Here's a helpful hint for anyone who wants to start up a new Christian church:  You might want to start with the teachings of Christ, as recorded in the Bible, and go from there.

For anyone who is reading this, and claims to be Christian.  I ask you, I implore you to think.  Before you act, think.  What would Jesus do?  Truly think.  What would Jesus do?