Sam Young: Hunger Strike Begins Tomorrow

[2bizE]

Sam is inviting a member of the Q15 to come out of hiding and talk about the issue each night for the next 15 days. I put the odds of that about the same as David Bednar winning the Powerball lottery.
Nice idea though to show everyone what everyone already knows: They don't give a crap.

[Not Buying It]

Church issues a statement: https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/ ... -sam-young

And here it is folks...

Church leaders at every level—from Sam’s local bishop and stake president to a recent conversation with a general authority—have met with him to express love, to listen and to counsel with him. They have received and reviewed his materials and understand clearly his viewpoint.
Further meetings with him are not necessary to clarify his position on this matter.

President Newsroom’s statement makes me absolutely furious.

Children and youth are precious. We share a desire to protect them, to help them grow and develop faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ and to live good and moral lives. This includes building good relationships with ecclesiastical and youth leaders who can provide support in many settings including personal interviews.
In recent months, the Church has taken important steps to improve these interactions and to strengthen the relationships between young people and their parents and leaders, and will continue to do so.

No mention of any of the hundreds of sometimes haunting and heartrending stories Sam has given to them. No mention of the dangers of grown men asking vulnerable youth probing questions about sexual activities behind closed doors. No apologies or even acknowledgement of the wrongs the interviews have done. Hell, from their statement you wouldn’t even know what Sam is having a hunger strike about. And that mealy-mouthed, slimy opening “Children are precious”. Hell yeah they are, which is why Sam is having a hunger strike against your organization’s toxic interview policies with children.

“Important steps”. Whatever. I can’t even articulate how disgusted I am.

[jfro18]

Once again the church releases a statement to inoculate the members instead of addressing the problem at hand. Not surprising at all, and as I said earlier I think they're taking the very calculated gamble that most members won't know who Sam Young is or the abundance of work he's done to bring this issue to light. And they're almost certainly right - most members will see the DN article and just roll their eyes at Sam before they'll research his cause.

[Hagoth]

He will also end the hunger strike when 10 bishops come forward and commit to:

1. No one on one interviews.
2. No sexually explicit questions. Ever.

I hope this happens quickly and very publicly. The Brethren are far too arrogant and fossilized to be directly moved to action by Sam. They seem to only receive inspiration for such things when the membership moves on without them. What are they going to do, excommunicate a bunch of local leaders for refusing to inappropriately discuss sex and masturbation with children behind closed doors? I can only hope they would be so clueless and uninspired to take on that battle and experience the fallout.

On the other hand, I fear that it will be like Abraham and Sodom and Gomorrah when Abraham convinced the Lord to stay his smitin' hand for the sake of fifty righteous men, then ten, but in the end found only one. Fifty bishops and stake presidents might agree with Sam only be quickly put in their place, then ten who will be bullied because of their defiance of "God" or sweet talked into stepping back in line, and then it could be down to one, who will simply be removed from his calling. Remember the local resistance by many local leaders to the November policy which the church snuffed out by elevating the policy, out of thin air, to revelation status?

[Not Buying It]

By the way, isn’t this a tacit admission that these “important steps” are due to Sam’s efforts rather than revelation from the God who is supposed to be running this Church?

In recent months, the Church has taken important steps to improve these interactions and to strengthen the relationships between young people and their parents and leaders, and will continue to do so.

Because if the “steps” were due to revelation from God, he apparently needed Sam to get his attention. And if God is running the Church, why were these “important steps” needed to fix the problem he caused?

[achilles]

Church leaders at every level—from Sam’s local bishop and stake president to a recent conversation with a general authority—have met with him to express love, to listen and to counsel with him. They have received and reviewed his materials and understand clearly his viewpoint. Further meetings with him are not necessary to clarify his position on this matter.

It's interesting that this statement implies the problem is Sam, and not the issue he is protesting. When I was a TBM, I honestly believed that I was the problem, and not the Church. This kind of talk might work at innoculation.

[Red Ryder]

Church leaders at every level—from Sam’s local bishop and stake president to a recent conversation with a general authority—have met with him to express love, to listen and to counsel with him. They have received and reviewed his materials and understand clearly his viewpoint. Further meetings with him are not necessary to clarify his position on this matter.

It's interesting that this statement implies the problem is Sam, and not the issue he is protesting. When I was a TBM, I honestly believed that I was the problem, and not the Church. This kind of talk might work at innoculation.

The problem in their eyes is Sam. The statement says we've seen his stuff and don't need to meet to understand HIS position.

The church is going to do absolutely nothing and wait out this latest PR poopy storm.

I'm their eyes, if the persecution and fight stops then something is wrong. If the persecution and fight continue, then it only validates they are on the right path. After all, the church has been persecuted since it began. The leaders don't expect it to stop anytime soon.

[Not Buying It]

Another thing that really bothers me about the supposed "important steps" the Church has made to youth interviews - the list of questions for a limited used temple recommend for youth still includes the question "Do you live the law of chastity?". If the answer to that question is "no", it isn't like the conversation stops - the Bishop then asks how the law of chastity isn't being lived, and inevitably icky questions follow. Really icky questions if you happen to have a pervy bishop.

The Church's limp excuse for changes to youth interviews does NOTHING to stop the discussion of personal, private sexual matters between youth and an older man alone behind closed doors. We here on NOM all realize this is just window dressing. Most believing members are willing to give the Church a pass on pretty much anything, and don't really care.

This is why we need Sam Young. You go Sam!

[Archimedes]

Does anyone have an update on this situation?

[wtfluff]

Does anyone have an update on this situation?

As far as I lnow, Sam is still starving himself, showing up each evening on South Temple Street. So far none of the apostles have shown up to chat. (Why am I not surprised?)

You can watch live streaming each night on the "Protect LDS Children" Facebook page. (And archived versions of each evening's video.)


ETA: I had time to watch part of Sam's live stream tonight. Sam still fasting, still no apostles or anyone else from LDS-Inc. showing up...

[MoPag]

Does anyone have an update on this situation?

As far as I lnow, Sam is still starving himself, showing up each evening on South Temple Street. So far none of the apostles have shown up to chat. (Why am I not surprised?)

You can watch live streaming each night on the "Protect LDS Children" Facebook page. (And archived versions of each evening's video.)


ETA: I had time to watch part of Sam's live stream tonight. Sam still fasting, still no apostles or anyone else from LDS-Inc. showing up...

I watch sometimes too. I guess he did a lot of prep for this fast. He changed his diet for a moth prior to the hunger strike so he would be able to handle it.

So Elder Cook was supposed to show up last night. Any Arrested Development fans remember the "You're a crook Captain Hook" song. We should have a NOM version: "You're a crook Elder Cook."

[Mackman]

Anyone have an update on the Sam Young protest ?.

[wtfluff]

Anyone have an update on the Sam Young protest ?.

He finished up on Sunday 8/19.

He's back home in TX, enjoying FOOD.

The Q15 cowards ignored him while he starved himself for 23 days. They were too busy focusing on people not calling them MORmON.

[Mackman]

Thanks for the update, much appreciated . I applaud Sam for his efforts as I for one think these terrible interviews have gone on way too long !!! I hope at some point the brethren will take this seriously really deal with it instead of giving it lip service !!!!

[alas]

There was a hedious article on this in Merridian magazine. All about how parents who insist on being in on the interview are really the ones hurting children. It really turned my stomach. I can’t link to it, but check the blogernacle at LDSblogs.com.

[Thoughtful]

There was a hedious article on this in Merridian magazine. All about how parents who insist on being in on the interview are really the ones hurting children. It really turned my stomach. I can’t link to it, but check the blogernacle at LDSblogs.com.

Gross.