Wikileaks for Religion

[Moliere]

FaithLeaks Publishes Its First Trove of Documents

a collection of 33 letters and documents from an internal investigation into alleged sexual abuse within a congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Like other whistle-blower organizations, FaithLeaks provides sources the ability to anonymously submit sensitive documents, which the site then posts publicly. FaithLeaks uses SecureDrop, an encrypted open-source system that is also used by media outlets including the New York Times and ProPublica. SecureDrop uses the anonymizing Tor network to facilitate submissions that leave no trace online. Founded by two former Mormons in November, FaithLeaks believes that “increased transparency within religious organizations results in fewer untruths, less corruption, and less abuse.”

I will be curious to see how this impacts Scientologists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Mormons.

[LawBeefaroni]

Do Vatican leaks go here or WikiLeaks?

[Chrisoc13]

FaithLeaks Publishes Its First Trove of Documents

a collection of 33 letters and documents from an internal investigation into alleged sexual abuse within a congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Like other whistle-blower organizations, FaithLeaks provides sources the ability to anonymously submit sensitive documents, which the site then posts publicly. FaithLeaks uses SecureDrop, an encrypted open-source system that is also used by media outlets including the New York Times and ProPublica. SecureDrop uses the anonymizing Tor network to facilitate submissions that leave no trace online. Founded by two former Mormons in November, FaithLeaks believes that “increased transparency within religious organizations results in fewer untruths, less corruption, and less abuse.”

I will be curious to see how this impacts Scientologists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Mormons.

Just the weirdos eh?

[Moliere]

FaithLeaks Publishes Its First Trove of Documents

a collection of 33 letters and documents from an internal investigation into alleged sexual abuse within a congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Like other whistle-blower organizations, FaithLeaks provides sources the ability to anonymously submit sensitive documents, which the site then posts publicly. FaithLeaks uses SecureDrop, an encrypted open-source system that is also used by media outlets including the New York Times and ProPublica. SecureDrop uses the anonymizing Tor network to facilitate submissions that leave no trace online. Founded by two former Mormons in November, FaithLeaks believes that “increased transparency within religious organizations results in fewer untruths, less corruption, and less abuse.”

I will be curious to see how this impacts Scientologists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Mormons.

Just the weirdos eh?

To paraphrase the article, those three are the most centrally controlled and secretive. I consider all religious and pseudoscientific people as weirdos to some degree or other.

[Holman]

Recently there has been talk of a #MeToo movement in the Evangelical world.

This just underscores that sex-based predation happens in all organizations: Hollywood, politics, corporate America, academia, religion, anywhere that allows powerful men to set the terms and exploit underlings.

[Zarathud]

My wife has been following the weird goings on in the Quiverfull and Fundamentalist Christian Marriage movements for years. She's spotted a few cases where there was spousal abuse, sexual predation and divorce.

One time she showed the woman where to look online to easily find proof that her father-approved Fundamentalist husband approved was still married and previously divorced.

[Moliere]

Just the weirdos eh?

Also, just to be clear I agree with Joe Rogan when he refers to Mormons as the nicest people he knows. By design, I live in one of the most densely Mormon populated areas of AZ because when the shit hits the fan I want to be surrounded by Mormons. Most people only know Mormons from the missionaries that knock on their door, but goddamn if they're not some of the nicest, most community oriented, and charitable people around. Plus when the Apocalypse hits I want them on my side of the barricade.

[GreenGoo]

Plus when the Apocalypse hits I want them on my side of the barricade.

Because they make good eatin'?

[Moliere]

Plus when the Apocalypse hits I want them on my side of the barricade.

Because they make good eatin'?

Because they have the guns and stored food supplies.

[GreenGoo]

Because they have the guns and stored food supplies.

Like, they are drought and famine resistant?

[Moliere]

The Apocalypse can come in many different forms. It would be impossible to be prepared for all of them. So when it comes to doing what is reasonable I want to stock up on guns, ammunition, food, water, and various other supplies. I also want to be surrounded by others that have done the same thing. They make for good allies that way.

[LawBeefaroni]

I'm all for being prepared. But I draw the line at embedding myself in amongst cultish zealots who happen to share a similar philosophy on preparedness.

[GreenGoo]

I just want to know if I can eat them. That's my first thought in an apocalyptic situation. Are these free range mormons? Organic?

[Moliere]

I'm all for being prepared. But I draw the line at embedding myself in amongst cultish zealots who happen to share a similar philosophy on preparedness.

And I consider all religious and pseudo-scientific people to be cultish zealots. Since there are not a lot of like minded agnostic/atheists out there I have to pick which cultish zealots I want to live amongst. For reasons listed previously I would choose the Mormons.

[LawBeefaroni]

I'm all for being prepared. But I draw the line at embedding myself in amongst cultish zealots who happen to share a similar philosophy on preparedness.

And I consider all religious and pseudo-scientific people to be cultish zealots. Since there are not a lot of like minded agnostic/atheists out there I have to pick which cultish zealots I want to live amongst. For reasons listed previously I would choose the Mormons.

If your starting premise is that when shit hits the fan you'll need to be in a robust local community, I guess that's fine. I just don't share the same starting premise. At least not enough that it guides my pre-apocalypse lifestyle.

Besides, you'd be the first other to get jettisoned.

[Freyland]

I just want to know if I can eat them. That's my first thought in an apocalyptic situation. Are these free range mormons? Organic?

Mormons are free-range. It's the Scientologists who are in a cage.

[Isgrimnur]

Besides, you'd be the first other to get jettisoned.

That was my first thought.

[GreenGoo]

He'd convert, obviously.

[Moliere]

Hells to the yes I would convert if it meant surviving the Apocalypse. Plus, it's the Apocalypse. That might be all the evidence this atheist needs. And South Park already confirmed that Mormons are the correct answer about who goes to heaven.

[Holman]

There's been a lot of talk about apocalypse scenarios this year, obviously.

Cory Doctorow has offered some interesting pushback. He argues that disasters don't always end in dystopias, and in fact they seldom do. In once sense, the dystopian imagination is actually part of a problem.

Here’s how you can recognize a dystopia: It’s a science fiction story in which disaster is followed by brutal, mindless violence. Here’s how you make a dystopia: Convince people that when disaster strikes, their neighbors are their enemies, not their mutual saviors and responsibilities. The belief that when the lights go out, your neighbors will come over with a shotgun—rather than the contents of their freezer so you can have a barbecue before it all spoils—isn’t just a self-fulfilling prophecy, it’s a weaponized narrative. The belief in the barely restrained predatory nature of the people around you is the cause of dystopia, the belief that turns mere crises into catastrophes.

Stories of futures in which disaster strikes and we rise to the occasion are a vaccine against the virus of mistrust.

I heard mention not long ago of a study that explored just what happens when the lights go out. From afar it looks like a nightmare because all the creature comforts become scarce, but on the ground people tend to take care of each other and find ways to cope together. This is happening in Puerto Rico right now.

Or take Sarajevo during the Yugoslavia wars. The disaster was caused by monsters on the outside, but the victims of the disaster--the civilians in the besieged city--by and large struggled to keep society together rather than just pick its bones.

[Moliere]

I live in a desert surrounded by millions of people. There are only 4 or 5 ways out of town. That means I have maybe 3 days before the cannibals come knocking.

[Isgrimnur]

Cannibals coming to your door is just the apocalypse's version of Blue Apron. Guaranteed fresh. And you're not likely to live long enough to worry about Kuru.

[Grifman]

There's been a lot of talk about apocalypse scenarios this year, obviously.

Cory Doctorow has offered some interesting pushback. He argues that disasters don't always end in dystopias, and in fact they seldom do. In once sense, the dystopian imagination is actually part of a problem.

Here’s how you can recognize a dystopia: It’s a science fiction story in which disaster is followed by brutal, mindless violence. Here’s how you make a dystopia: Convince people that when disaster strikes, their neighbors are their enemies, not their mutual saviors and responsibilities. The belief that when the lights go out, your neighbors will come over with a shotgun—rather than the contents of their freezer so you can have a barbecue before it all spoils—isn’t just a self-fulfilling prophecy, it’s a weaponized narrative. The belief in the barely restrained predatory nature of the people around you is the cause of dystopia, the belief that turns mere crises into catastrophes.

Stories of futures in which disaster strikes and we rise to the occasion are a vaccine against the virus of mistrust.

I heard mention not long ago of a study that explored just what happens when the lights go out. From afar it looks like a nightmare because all the creature comforts become scarce, but on the ground people tend to take care of each other and find ways to cope together. This is happening in Puerto Rico right now.

Or take Sarajevo during the Yugoslavia wars. The disaster was caused by monsters on the outside, but the victims of the disaster--the civilians in the besieged city--by and large struggled to keep society together rather than just pick its bones.

That's all well and good when you know there is a solution and help in on the way. But the above examples aren't relevant to an apocalypse. The typical major American city has only 3 days of food in its' grocery stories. If there is a true apocalypse, which includes a govt and societal breakdown, what happens after 3 days? Where is the food going to come from? There's no cavalry on the way to hold out for. What then?

[Holman]

That's all well and good when you know there is a solution and help in on the way. But the above examples aren't relevant to an apocalypse. The typical major American city has only 3 days of food in its' grocery stories. If there is a true apocalypse, which includes a govt and societal breakdown, what happens after 3 days? Where is the food going to come from? There's no cavalry on the way to hold out for. What then?

Geez, man. Are you looking for someone to blame for this?

If you define a true apocalypse as complete and utter collapse of all structures and resources, then, sure, there are no structures or resources left. Obviously that's total. Enjoy that narrative.

My point has to do with the kinds of major disasters that actually occur. It turns out that people do their best, and that they don't go cannibal when there is literally any other option.

More often than not, we are our own cavalry. That's actually hopeful.

[Kurth]

Just the weirdos eh?

Also, just to be clear I agree with Joe Rogan when he refers to Mormons as the nicest people he knows. By design, I live in one of the most densely Mormon populated areas of AZ because when the shit hits the fan I want to be surrounded by Mormons. Most people only know Mormons from the missionaries that knock on their door, but goddamn if they're not some of the nicest, most community oriented, and charitable people around. Plus when the Apocalypse hits I want them on my side of the barricade.

I hate to generalize, but this has been my experience, too. Never really knew any Mormons until moving out to Oregon in 2015. Now, I live in a town with a pretty sizable population, and my wife and I both have Mormon colleagues. Great people.

[hitbyambulance]

Just the weirdos eh?

Also, just to be clear I agree with Joe Rogan when he refers to Mormons as the nicest people he knows. By design, I live in one of the most densely Mormon populated areas of AZ because when the shit hits the fan I want to be surrounded by Mormons. Most people only know Mormons from the missionaries that knock on their door, but goddamn if they're not some of the nicest, most community oriented, and charitable people around. Plus when the Apocalypse hits I want them on my side of the barricade.

I hate to generalize, but this has been my experience, too. Never really knew any Mormons until moving out to Oregon in 2015. Now, I live in a town with a pretty sizable population, and my wife and I both have Mormon colleagues. Great people.

someone whom i'd consider one of my more reliable friends is Mormon - she lives near L.A. so i pretty much never see her, but she is a wonderful human being.

[Skinypupy]

I consider myself fortunate that I'll be in the Mormon tent by proxy if the apocalypse comes. I haven't been active LDS in 15+ years, but Mrs. Skinypupy has been active her whole life. I'm also on really good terms with most of my vast majority Mormon neighborhood.

So they (grudgingly) won't shoot me first, just because they like my wife.

[GreenGoo]

They'll eat you last, is what I'm hearing.