Here’s a great event you could go to if you happen to be near Salt Lake City next weekend.
Atheists of Utah, in cooperation with American Atheists, will be hosting a mass resignation event to coincide with the LDS Church’s General Conference.
Many people confuse being “excommunicated” with resignation from the Church. Resignation is your chance to leave the LDS Church on your own terms. It’s your opportunity to let the LDS Church know that *you* don’t want to be associated with *their* false claims and bigoted views, and that you will no longer allow them to use your name as just another notch on their holy headboard.
We’re excited to announce that American Atheists President, David Silverman, is making a special trip to Salt Lake City just for this event!
While we’re ironing out all the details, please be sure to check out the links below for the more information about the resignation process, and resignation letter tips & templates.
Thanks!
Dan Ellis
President
Atheists of Utah==========================
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http://www.mormonresignation.com/ http://
www.lifeaftermormonism.net/ page/ resignation-from-the-mormon -church
Notice: Once you notify your religious organization that you have resigned, they cannot take ANY religious action against you other than to remove your name from their membership records as you request. If they try to excommunicate you after this, you can sue them for thousands and thousands of dollars – the precedents are here: http://www.mormonnomore.com/legal-precedent
This is written for Mormons but applies to *ANY* religious group. You have the freedom to resign whenever you wish. You do not need to jump through hoops; you do not need to obtain anyone’s permission; you do not need to meet with anyone or explain yourself; and they HAVE to leave you alone if you so request, or you can sue them for harassment! Isn’t freedom of religion grand??
The legal precedent is interesting, but there has to be some theory of harm. In both cases presented at the link, it appears to be a form of defamation. Otherwise, what harm does excommunication itself bring? Hard to plead that expulsion from the church hurts you in and of itself when you walked away.
No, ArtK. The rule is that, from the moment you alert the religious organization that you have resigned, their rules and regs no longer can be applied to you.
Don’t for a MOMENT suggest that being publicly excommunicated in front of your family, friends, neighbors, and associates! It’s the equivalent of conviction of a crime in social terms. In fact, there may well be rules prohibiting any members from having any contact with anyone who has been excommunicated.
Why should a religious group be allowed to do ANYTHING about someone once that person has announced his resignation, aside from removing his personal information from their records?
Reputation matters.
Are you a Mormon or something?
Here’s what I meant to say:
“Don’t for a MOMENT suggest that being publicly excommunicated in front of your family, friends, neighbors, and associates is irrelevant!”
In the one case that went to trial, the judgment was for the torts of IIED and invasion of privacy. As I read it, the court found that because the plaintiff had left the church and wasn’t associating with them any more, they had no legitimate justification for exposing the intimate details of her private life.
If they had not invaded her privacy by announcing exactly which parts of the scripture she had violated, it seems the court would have been OK with it.
@Blanche
WTF? I asked the question because I wanted to know the answer, which eigenperson kindly (and politely) supplied. Defamation is well established in law. The other issues that you express, while serious to the person experiencing them, are fuzzier and less certain in court.