Mx. Luna Corbden 🐸
One thing that a lot of deeply indoctrinated Mormons don't grasp is the use of conventions (like images and terminology) to continue a conversation outside its original authoritarian-defined bounds. It's not an attempt to deceive — it's a long-standing form of artistic expression meant to reference the thing being discussed that's used in just about everything: art, music, science, philosophy, and especially, religion. People outside these insulative communities understand this, because we're exposed to the larger world of thought and perspective.
I do believe LDS leadership genuinely believes Dehlin is trying to deceive his audience. But as the article points out, it isn't very effective as a deceitful device. Five seconds into a typical Mormon Stories episode (or just look at the thumbnail) will show you that it's critical of the church.
But members, and leadership especially, aren't used to a full ecosystem of healthy conversation from a wide array of diverse viewpoints, including constructive and well-reasoned criticism. So they take on this persecution complex where everyone is out to get them, and then they become aggressors in what they believe self-defense.
But they're the ones isolating themselves from the larger conversation because they've marginalized everyone outside their tiny, exclusive core.
They're welcome to *join* the conversation any time. But they don't get to dominate it.
#exmo #exmormon #ReligiousTrauma #LDS #Mormon #AbuseCulture #authoritarianism
