When the Numbers Fall, Denominations Grab Guns and Circle the Wagons



Binge watching religious sites and news in religion as I admit I do, one sees patterns. Just now I'm watching the Mormons, now knowns as the "Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Saints" and denomination known as Jehova's Witnesses. They are experiencing falling numbers and reacting in the same way. 

I'll use the initials, LDS, for Mormons because they have abandoned the word "Mormon." The strange behavior taking place just now involves the word, Mormon. I'll try to explain. 

The term "Mormon" became so associated with polygamy the word became toxic. For some reason, the half dozen or so old white lawyers who run the church picked the new name, "Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints." The denomination abandoned the term Mormon.

About 20 years ago, a Mormon man with a counselling practice developed a hobby of making video blogs. He named the You Tube video series, "Mormon Stories." Being a Mormon, he was concerned about its public position against gays and discussed his disagreement. He was excommunicated. He has continued Morom Stories for 20 years mostly with people telling how they and why came to leave the denomination.

This past week, Mormon Stories was sued by the LDS church for using the term "Mormon" in its name. It says use of the term Mormon might make it seem to the public the podcast is part of the LDS. That even though LDS has abandoned the term. It makes no sense. LDC has many billions of dollars and a staff of 200 lawyers. Its strategy seems to be to force big legal fees onto Mormon Stories and maybe take it down. With falling membership extreme measures are necessary.

Jehova's Witnesses is also dealing with falling membership by circling the wagons and preserving their wealth and incomes in the denomination. It is closing and selling its churches all across the world. This money is being used to build an advanced video and broadcast facility in NYC. This way, all the in coming funds will be controlled by headquarters. There will be no sexual abuse problems by distant preachers because there will be no such preachers. Control will be complete.

Factions withing Catholic Church and Lutheran Missouri Synod also are trying to circle the wagons. There are factions within each pushing back, but what will happen is not known.

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