Another Scientology-like Web war? Mormon Church documents put online

Wikileaks has posted a confidential document from the Church of Latter-day Saints called the Church Handbook of Instructions, which is a guide for the church's lay leadership and is not available either to parishioners or to the public. The LDS, following in the questionable steps of the Church of Scientology, has now issued multiple copyright infringement notices in an effort to get the information taken down. As we know, this strategy is unlikely to do anything but win the Mormons a share of the online community's unsympathetic attention, a quantity that until now Scientology has been enjoying alone.

It's well-known by now that Scientology's secret documents contain many indecipherable dictates and fantastical histories, like the following passage from the L. Ron Hubbard-authored document describing the "Gorilla Goals":

This same pattern, but given in an amusement park with a single tunnel, a roller coaster and a Ferris wheel, was used between about 319 trillion years ago to about 256 trillion trillion years ago, a long span.

So in comparison, the information in the LDS Handbook, now available for all to see, can feel rather bland and grown-up. The document covers disciplinary actions like "disfellowshipment" and its more serious consequent, excommunication. It also details the repercussions members face for apostasy ("clear, open, and deliberate public opposition to the Church or its leaders"), abortion, and transsexual operations.  But the majority of the text is humdrum procedural information, surely nothing you would classify as embarrassing, rife with "trade secrets," or necessary to keep under wraps for the good of the parishioners. So then why is LDS making an attention-drawing stink about its publication?

Organizations have long had control over which part of their inner workings they want public and which they don't.  But now that the Internet is getting better at sniffing out documents that people don't want public, we're getting a nice picture of how much of this secret information was secret for its own sake.  In other words, you have to wonder if there's any reason for LDS to want to keep its boring bylaws in a vault other than, simply, because it has always done so.

The same holds true for Scientology and no doubt for every other organization, religious or secular, that has arrogated to itself the default right to keep its membership in the dark.  This is certainly a privacy issue, but if you're like me, you don't think large organizations should have the same right to privacy that an individual does--especially those that claim to be devoted to the best interests of their membership. Actually, scratch that--the ones that don't care about anyone's well-being should have an even tougher time keeping secrets.

(Hat tip Ars Technica)

Comments

[Martin L.]

Too bad The Bible is not copyrighted. Look what happened when anyone could read it.

[What's the big deal]

What does having these documents on the web actually hurt?

These are official books used by church officials. The church is still going to require these officials to use the actual book. No loss of sales. No problem.

[Iconoclast]

Just so no one will be confused by my earlier post: After I pointed out the misspelling of Hubbard's name, it was corrected.

[Re: Anon for a reason]

The "charade" that you started...

[Amanda]

I bet the Catholic church would have issues if their handbook of instructions to their priests was stolen and web published... I bet they would even sue for copy right infringement...

Lame comparison is lame

[Dave]

Religion should be free, first of all. And if you guys go over to wikileaks and read the Scientology documents, the stuff they put in there is ludicrous. In the OT7 course it tells you to talk to a tree! all those thousands of dollars for that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous currently has no interest in the Mormon or any other religion .
I do not view Scientology as a relgion but as a money grabbing pyramid scheme posing as a religion for tax exempt status.
Due to their criminal activities this war will continue until justice is served.
Untill their RPF camps are closed down and their SP halls lie empty .
Until the Sea.Org is a memory and David Miscavige goes to prision for his hand in ruining thousands of innocent lives.
Mormons , relax , you are not our target.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, we're busy reforming a corrupt cult which brainwashes children, uses forced labour and uses criminal methods to silence critics and manipulate the government.

We'll talk about this later.

[lawbster]

everything's just hunky dory in LDS, that's why utah has the highest anti-depressant use in the country. scientology doesn't have that, cause besides having the internet filtered, they can't get any psychological help, pharamceutical or otherwise. -- there's a reason these two "religions" are so afraid about the fact getting out, they're both seriously flawed. the case of mark hoffman in the LDS organization clearly illustrates that. the church moved heaven and earth not to have documents (which were later proved to be fake) buried. they didn't want joseph smith to be shown up for what he was.

[xb]

SPOILER: Scientology leaked LDS documents to distract the general public from its current wranglings with Anonymous.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, Anonymous is no one's personal army. If you have a beef with the LDS, then go somewhere else for help.

[Vince]

to justme: The IRS has to decide what qualifies as a religion for tax reasons and what does not. For years Scientology did not qualify. Then Scientology started breaking into IRS buildings and eventually the IRS gave in. But there should be some specific rules as to what qualifies. I don't think that an organization focused on scamming its members out of money should qualify. Not sure what the rules should be though. But I like the idea of "daylight is the best disinfectant" and think that having to not have secret beliefs would be a reasonable criteria for a tax-free religion. Scientology basically makes lots of money selling access to their secret beliefs to their members.

[David Jones]

The Mormon Church is big in doing everything in a uniform manner. Meaning if you are a Mormon in Church on Sunday in L.A., you are basically doing the exact same thing in meetings as members in Tonga or Peru. Its basically a handbook, or a how-to manual. No smoking gun, no a-ha! moments, no secret treasure maps. It is however, copyrighted, and unless Wiki uploads it from China, which I doubt, its property of the church and belongs to them. Am I wrong?

[kenjebz]

it is just plain bigotry? Why people or organizations will post some personal handbooks of a certain church? Why not publish handbooks of the Protestant or Catholics? Why Mormon handbooks? Because people think Mormons are so successful, so independent, so simple, so kind. I wish the Church will pursue this case... you cannot put a good man down.

[Anónimo]

This anon has no beef with the LDS Church. I think they are a little goofy but that is all.
It is very improbable that they will ever become a target of Anonymous and even if so, this anon would not partake in such campaign(unless the LDS church was shown to be responsible for crimes likening those of the criminal organization known as the church of scientology). For those who did not notice, we are currently busy dealing with scientology and after that this form of Anonymous will probably disband.
And, hi Beliver. What are your crimes? Are you still looking for the people behind our actions? Look near you.

[Mick]

Scientology is a scam operation that takes people's fortunes and destroys their families over lies. Anonymous is not about some grand ideological scheme and does not even pretend to be legal.

Everyone getting all worries about legal precedents should remember Anonymous does not pretend to do anything legal or pretend to want to pass laws.

Anonymous is about doing what is right, regardless of the law.

[justme]

I don't see a web war ahead.

"Anonymous is not about some grand ideological scheme and does not even pretend to be legal."

No. There is a code of conduct (see YouTube):

Rule #4: ... Know the rules for your jurisdiction and abide by them.