captainmoroni ( )

Date: November 02, 2011 12:22AM Posted by:Date: November 02, 2011 12:22AM

2012 may be the most important year ever for the ex-Mormon community. Thanks to Romney's presidential candidacy, the church is going to be in the spotlight next year. The Morg leaders are convinced that this is their moment. They are now pouring millions of dollars into public relations campaigns in order to obscure the truth and change the public's view of the church. If they succeed in making most Americans believe that the LDS church is a benign organization and Romney is elected president, it will be a major disaster for our community. If the church gains respectability and wins the public debate, we will be seen as bigoted cranks. If you don't believe me, consider the recent history of Judaism.



People forget how the Jews were once seen. Not so long ago, they were the most hated people on earth. Respectable people published sensational novels about a vast Jewish conspiracy that was here to destroy the world. Of course, this was all nonsense, but people believed it. Now, the Jews have been able to dispel all of these lies and become a respectable religion. Now, anyone who criticizes the Jewish faith are blacklisted by the ADL and embarrassed publicly. Criticism of Judaism is now a major taboo and can make you lose your job and friends. My great fear is that the LDS church will likewise gain respectability and controlling power in the media. If the church wins this debate, ex-Mormons will be seen as ignorant bigots for bringing up legitimate criticism of the LDS church. Someday, it may be as hard to criticize the LDS church as it is now to criticize Judaism or other respectable faiths. This would be a disaster for our community.



The church is angling for this goal already. The "I'm a Mormon" campaign is aimed at familiarizing people with LDS members so that they will think that Mormons are "normal." Most think this campaign is failing. Among the cynical, I think that is true. However, we forget that there is a "silent majority" that may be more influenced by these commercials. The church pays millions for top public relations experts who know how to influence people. The family time commercials and squeaky clean appearance of our leaders and missionaries is convincing many that Mormons are good and respectable people. Many are. However, people are beginning to wonder if the religion itself is not so bad. If more people begin to believe that, then they will see us as reactionary bigots who are criticizing an organization that is not so bad. It will get even worse if Romney gets in the White House and confers respectability on the church from that office.



This makes 2012 the pivotal year. If Romney get the nomination (which is likely), the media will be doing reports on his religion all year long. Romney supporters and the LDS church will be doing everything they can to obscure the history and facts and give people a positive impression of the church. Meanwhile, liberals, evangelicals, and other Romney detractors will be doing everything they can to show the church's other side. This means that people will be listening to ex-Mormons more than ever next year. Our community will have its greatest moment in the spotlight ever. Anyone trying to get a fair or negative view of the church will come to us for our opinion. That means that we must be careful not to look radical, crazy, or wicked. The church will jump on any mistakes that members of our community make so that they can discredit us. We have to show that not only are we good, normal, successful people, but that we have the truth. We have legitimate grievances against the church. We are no intolerant bigots. We are progressive and open minded. We must contrast these strengths with the insanity of the church. This will be the most important message we can give the world.



It will be a difficult battle. We are up against a professional, well-funded, and motivated PR campaign to advance the Morg's cause. However, we have the truth about the church. With our own ingenuity and the Internet, we must work harder than ever to expose the truth about the church. I know that everyone on this website is witty and tech savvy. We must use those skills to let people know the truth about the Morg. I suggest that we all get accounts at Huffpost and other news blogs that allow comments so that we can provide the inside view about the church on any news stories about the church. This is absolutely essential. We have no money or professional media people. So, we must use the blogosphere and other grassroots internet media to wage guerilla warfare on the church's media campaign. The church is trying to astroturf the blogosphere. They are even calling service missionaries to specifically troll blogs and news organizations to give "authentic" positive Mormon viewpoints on everything. We must counter them and contrast our rationality to their wide-eyed craziness.



Finally, we must do what we can by blog or letter to the editor to bring up a few key issues to torpedo Romney's candidacy. It would be great if we could get some news anchor to ask some of our questions to Romney on national TV and watch him choke. I suggest that we try to push the following question by promoting it in viewer submitted material debates: "In the temple, you covenanted with the Lord to "consecrate yourselves, your time, your talents and everything with which the Lord has blessed you to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for the building up of the kingdom of God on the Earth and for the establishment of Zion." Since you promised to give everything you own to the church, aren't you obligated by your religion to prioritize the church's needs above those of the nation? How can you honor the separation of church and state when you covenanted with God to give of yourself and everything you have (including the Presidency) to the LDS Church?" (If anyone has another suggestion for how to word this question better, I would love to hear it). Just imagine what would happen to Romney's candidacy if someone asked him that on national television during a political debate! Romney loses no matter what he says and people are left feeling scared. The church looks bad because people find out what people really do in those top secret temples. Do you really think that the church would ever get another convert if it became widely known that you are expected to give everything to the church in the temple? This one question would change the political debate and the religious debate forever.



Does anyone have any similar questions that we should try to get a newsman to ask Romney on national TV? Please post it!



Although we are up against a well-funded, professional media campaign, we can win because we must. Losing is not an option for our community. We must speak up and let the American people know the truth. Next year will be the most important the ex-Mormon community has ever seen and we must seize this golden opportunity to stop the LDS church in its tracks. In review, this is the plan:



1. Contrast ourselves in media interviews with the irrationality and bigotry of the church members and leaders.



2. Get accounts at big blog and news sites like Huffpost, CNN, BBC, The Economist, and start blogging the truth like crazy. We must gain the attention of the media elites and counter the church's blogging service missionaries!



3. Ask hard questions about Mitt Romney's promise to consecrate everything to the church and how this will make him a tool of the church in the White House. We must get American to pay attention to this huge issue.



Best of luck! I would love some more input on this plan and message. Please give me more ideas for questions and such. This is a war that we cannot lose.