Silenced

If you are one of my Facebook friends, you may have seen some of my posts on the Ordain Women page.  I have been there vehemently defending my church against the onslaught of negativity and confronting the inconsistencies of their arguments.  

For example ..... an opinion piece of one OW supporter was published in the The Washington Post, about how the Church is attempting to "silence" dissenters.  Silence?  ..... Take a moment to see the irony.........  I did some googling and found that The Washington Post is the most widely circulated newspaper published in Washington DC.  And she's in it, claiming that she's being...... silenced.  The only place the Church CAN restrict anyone from publicly spreading false doctrine and doubt is on Church property and in Church publications, which it has every right to do.  The critics have the rest of the world to air their opinions.  And they are taking full advantage of that.  

Another example ..... OW supporters are complaining that some LDS bloggers are being called in by church leaders for publishing false doctrine under the guise of a faithful member.   Some are calling the Church, "Big Brother". 

Do you see the irony here?  They put their words on the internet, AKA the "World Wide Web".  Where... who can see it?  The world!  And.... somebody saw it!  Gasp!  Their computers were not hacked, nor did anyone eaves-drop.  They put it out there.  And they are free to continue putting it out there.  They just are not free to misrepresent or slander the Church, AS a member of that church.  

My words to them on Facebook have been painstakingly respectful, but firm.  This is my church too and I deserve a voice.  What they're doing affects me and my loved ones.  I have not insulted anyone, nor have I suggested that anyone leave the Church.  Quite the opposite.  I have pleaded with them to stay.  We need them and they need us.  

Now, as of a few minutes ago, they have blocked me from their Facebook page.  I can no longer comment there.  My previous comments are gone.  In that forum, I have been ..... silenced.   At the same time, those people who control the OW Facebook page and who claim to love the Church, are allowing those comments by non-LDS people, that falsely accuse the Church of dishonesty, to remain.

They have the right to block anyone they choose from their page.  But they have done to me, the very thing that they accuse our church leaders of doing to them.  

Isn't it ironic?  

So I will follow their lead, and take my opinions elsewhere.  As in .... right here.  As long as I have a voice and as long as my beloved church is under attack either internally or externally, I will not be silenced.  

But I strongly doubt The Washington Post will be calling me.

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Update:  OW put this statement on their Facebook page:

"Reminder: This page is maintained by the group Ordain Women. We reserve the right to delete comments that are aggressive, derogatory, and/or hurtful." 

NOT ONE of my comments could be described as this, other than the possible explanation that truth sometimes does hurt.  I was very careful in what I said.  I disagreed with them and told them why.  I expressed my feelings about my church and its doctrine.  I urged them to stay.  If you don't know me, feel free to judge my words by my previous posts in this blog.  

I have also learned that others have been blocked from their page also .... including a few people I know personally.  I have never seen one word of disrespect from these people, ever.  Their voices have been gentle and caring.  I understand blocking rudeness and disrespect.  But that was NOT the case here.   

Finally, comments that are derogatory and disrespectful towards my church, are still there.  They were not deleted. 

Hypocrisy?  You decide.