The doors to the cultural hall are going to be shut for a while as we vacuum the floor. You can peek inside and see what we’ve been discussing over the past couple of years, but comments are closed for the time being. Why? It is simply time for a break.
We hope and expect to come back, and we might even post an interesting news item from time to time, but you’ll need to find another place to talk. That shouldn’t be a problem, given that there are about a bazillion Mormon-related blogs and bulletin boards. If you are the kind of person who is more comfortable in a stimulating Sunday School discussion, you might try By Common Consent. If you find the cultural hall more comfortable than the chapel, try visiting New Order Mormon for its discussion board. Or if you are on your way out of the building altogether, you might consider Main Street Plaza.
Thanks for visiting.
I just deleted 20 registered users and their associated posts. Most of them were from .ru ISP’s, with one or two from .kr. Those that were dot coms had names like “MarlboroCig” and no associated human names. All the registered users that I recognized or that appeared legitimate are still here.
If I deleted you, and you AREN’T a spammer, I’m really, really sorry. Next time, please put your name in the “name” box, so I’ll know you are a real person.
We have the Akismet spam filter running, and it’s pretty good, but some stuff still slips through, and I don’t want to make it easier for that to happen.
A friend gave me permission to share part of an email with you. He is a former bishop who lives in a densely LDS area, and has gone from believer to disbeliever. He wrote,
I was watching a segment on the history channel last week called “Heaven
and Hell” and I perked up when they mentioned the historical common
practice of conquering kings giving the defeated kings new names to
diminish any influence or authority the defeated kings once had and to
establish the conquering kings dominance. I couldn’t help but think about
the new name they gave me in the temple and in addition, I had just
discussed with my wife that I didn’t really like all of my neighbors and
friends calling me Bishop all the time still. I’m sure they are just doing
this out of respect but I really would like to be called by my real name
as a unique individual and with my own rational and critical thoughts and
reasoning abilities. I am feeling more and more uncomfortable with any
symbolism that outwardly suggests I submit to Mormon perceived authority
or dominance in my life.
He recognizes that “Hello, Bishop Jones” is surely meant as a sign of respect, but now it grates on him. He would rather be known by his first name than by a title. The old saying that “Once a bishop, always a bishop” just doesn’t work well for him any more. I suggested that he reply, “Once a Gary, always a Gary” when asked why he doesn’t go by “Bishop” any longer.
What do you think: How significant is your name in the context of church? Do titles grate on you the way they do Gary? What role does your name, and the individuality it represents, carry in your spiritual journey?
PS - Of course, I’ve changed Gary’s name. If your former bishop is named Gary Jones, please don’t think that he sent me this email. On the other hand, if you have a former bishop who is named something other than Gary Jones, then maybe it was he who emailed me…. 
On behalf of theculturalhall.com permabloggers, I/we must begin by thanking all of you (posters and commenters alike) for your interest in, and support of theculturalhall.com. Both the growth and the level of conversation so far has exceeded my/our fondest hopes.
As we’ve matured and evolved a bit, it’s clear to me us it’s now time to formalize a comment policy for theculturalhall.com.
Continue reading ‘theculturalhall.com Comment Policy’
The Cultural Hall is looking for a few, really good NOMish Permabloggers.
Qualifications?
- Active in the LDS Church, but with a “non-traditional” testimony
- Interested in forming a community around “making it work” in the church
- Has some interesting thoughts or points of view
- Willing to post at least once a week on an interesting topic, and to participate in the discussions via comments
- There may be podcasts in the works, where we discuss fun issues in audio format
If interested, please email: theculturalhall@gmail.com
Cheers!
John Dehlin and theculturalhall.com clan!!!
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