Mormons Exposed Facing Discipline

10 July 2008 @ 4:37 pm | 9 comments

The creator of the Mormons Exposed calendar is the latest aggrieved member facing church discipline to run to the media and announce his victimhood.

Despite his earlier claims that he was trying to promote religious understanding by looking “beyond stereotypes” it sounds by his own admission that he needs to understand his own religion a little better [link to the skanky TMZ].

Hardy tells TMZ he believes he’s being targeted for the 12-monther — but admits he doesn’t attend church meetings or pay his tithing. He also believes his repentance will include closing up shop on the calendar, which he ain’t ready to do.

Perhaps he can milk his fifteenth minute to sell a few more calendars but it’s a shame his grandstanding subjects the Church to even more ridicule and it can’t respond.

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  1. DavidH’s avatar

    DavidH on 10 July 2008 at 5:17 pm

    Of course I do not know the facts, and do not know the message intended to be conveyed to Brother Hardy. I do know that Neal LaBute says he was disfellowshipped because his Church leaders believed one of his plays portrayed the Church in a poor light, and he says that one of the conditions of his discipline was that he not write any more plays reflecting on the Church (and that he later ultimately resigned from the Church). I do not know whether LaBute’s report of his disciplinary council is accurate.

    Apparently, Hardy says he thinks his council may be concerned about the calendar he created, and that he may be required, under penalty of further discipline, to stop producing things that do not portray the Church in a poor light. I am not sure whether he knows that, and if he does, whether his assertion is accurate.

    If LaBute’s report and Hardy’s concerns/predictions are accurate, I am concerned that there may be an implicit new definition of apostasy and/or conduct unbecoming Church members–portraying the Church in poor light in published materials or media.

    Of the two situations, though, I am more concerned about the implicit message of the LaBute discipline (assuming his report is accurate), because I think the play was a work of serious art. But both actions, if the report and prediction are accurate, would underscore perceptions of many outside (and inside) of the Church that our Church is hyper-controlling of its members in how they portray their perception of the Church in public media. Which might lead people to take with a large grain of salt portrayals by members that are positive.

  2. JDD’s avatar

    JDD on 10 July 2008 at 6:07 pm

    Showing pictures of half-naked ex-missionaries is much more than just portraying the Church in a poor light. It’s likely a violation of some of the fundamental teachings of the Church re. morality and modesty. Refusal to live by Church standards is a form of apostasy. The repentance process certainly should involve cessation of the immoral act.

  3. Phouchg’s avatar

    Phouchg on 10 July 2008 at 8:03 pm

    I think it depends which half of half-naked is shown to be in violation of modesty and morality standards.

  4. etigg’s avatar

    etigg on 10 July 2008 at 9:00 pm

    If the same picture could be taken of these men on a day at the beach or by the pool, I would wonder - where is the violation?

    If it is showing members of the church in a bad light, then the stuff Orson Scott Card has put out on occasion is far more damaging.

    If it is because he is contributing to the delinquency of returned missionaries, then it may be time to take a step back and breathe deeply for awhile before proceeding.

  5. m&m’s avatar

    m&m on 11 July 2008 at 4:31 am

    I think it’s always a problem to try to make assumptions or conclusions or find implicit messages about the Church from a specific discipline case because we NEVER have both sides. Of course, you are going to get some heavy bias from someone who has been disciplined and is upset enough to be public about it.

  6. SilverRain’s avatar

    SilverRain on 11 July 2008 at 7:30 am

    There is a vast difference in modesty between going to the pool and posing for a sexy calendar, even if the level of skin coverage is the same. People never cease to astonish me.

  7. bbell’s avatar

    bbell on 11 July 2008 at 8:14 pm

    Guy is milking this to sell more calendars. You cannot pay to get the level of exposure he is getting here. He is on the front page of foxnews.com for heavens sake.

    Best policy is to ignore these types of guys. Now he is a martyr and is milking the whole situation

  8. DavidH’s avatar

    DavidH on 12 July 2008 at 12:25 am

    “Best policy is to ignore these types of guys.”

    I agree 100%.

    The AP article indicates that the stake president has confirmed that the calendar is the primary concern of the disciplinary council, although he says there are some other “personal” issues to discuss with Hardy. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hIteFdyrCaV232hhtNfj0xC7B5uQD91RRHP80

    Perhaps Hardy should just sell the calendar project to a nonmember, then Hardy can get some money (maybe royalties), and the nonmember publisher can freely distribute the calendar without fear of Church discipline. The Church would face less embarrassment, because it would be a nonmember publishing the calendar.

  9. T-Bone’s avatar

    T-Bone on 14 July 2008 at 8:40 am

    He should have learned a lesson from the Marriots. They pay tithing on the porn they sell.

    Although this is not considered porn by most of the world, if he had paid tithing, he wouldn’t have heard a peep from his church.

    (I’m joking, folks! I realize his church thinks this puts them in a negative light and even pictures like this reflect badly on the LDS church’s image.)