12-02-2005, 09:07 PM | #11 |
Assistant to the Regional Manager
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The Orgasmatron
Posts: 24,338
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A vital statistic,
less than five percent of those excommunicated ever return.
I agree with your sentiments. Repentance cannot be encouraged if further alienation is created. Sure struggling through repentance is necessary but worrying about a five year return to membership may keep some from repenting.
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Ἓν οἶδα ὅτι οὐδὲν οἶδα |
12-02-2005, 09:10 PM | #12 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The Bluth Home
Posts: 3,877
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Archaea,
I have heard that statistic or something similar cited before but have never had any reason to know whether it was accurate or not. I assume that the church must have compiled that data if it exists. How did it find its way into the public domain if you know?
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The Bible tells us how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go. -Galileo |
12-02-2005, 09:11 PM | #13 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,506
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Re: A vital statistic,
Quote:
leave excommunications to those that are pedophiles, murderers, polygamists and those that dont want to repent... |
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12-03-2005, 12:50 AM | #14 |
I must not tell lies
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 5,103
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As a missionary in Jacksonville, AR (near Little Rock) I met a guy who was 20 and had been ex'd twice. His first ex came when he was 14. I don't know what his offense was at 14.
Then he got married at 19 and rebaptized. They separated a year later, and he began living with a girl before the divorce was finalized, and they ex'd him a second time. My comp and I visited with him and he was friendly to us and to everyone. All in all he wasn't a bad person beating up women, drinking, doing drugs or any of that. He wanted companionship and didn't care about the technicalities of still being married on paper. Regardless, the North Little Rock stake presidency felt a need to cleanse their membership rolls of the adulterer. |
12-03-2005, 11:27 AM | #15 |
Senior Member
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If I had to guess(which is what I'm doing now) I would say that an aspect of excommunication is making sure that the punishement demonstrates that there is no tacet approval by the church of the sin. If someone gets a 'slap on the wrist' for a serious sin then that may be interpreted as a message to all that the sin wasn't that serious and neither will the punishment.
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12-03-2005, 01:24 PM | #16 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Kaysville, UT
Posts: 3,151
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Correct realtall. And one of the things that seems to be being missed here is that ex-communication is not being "cut off" per se. If the sin warrants it, ex-communication is one of the steps on a long path to repentance. As I said above, I have personally known of 3 people who were in this situation (and all 3 were rebaptized btw).
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