Thanks, that is reasonable and helps. I only pushed that discipline point because Brandon tried to dismiss it as amusing and histerical.

I can well accept that LDS has a pastoral interest in its followers that causes it to attempt to intervene if they appear to be losing the faith, or attacking their church, but which is not intrusive in other matters, and not at all like the pressure exerted in the more cult-like sects. Sadly, he did confirm my understanding that families may be damaged by church discipline regarding association with those who leave. Therefore there will always be some very hurt people around who are willing to talk to the kind of media who, in order to damage a President, will be happy paint it as a typical religious cult.

I can imagine what it must be like at BYU, and how that would not appeal to a couple of techo Aggies. I don’t doubt that a person could get an excellent education there in many subjects, but the idea of any religion dominating university life repels me too. That is the time of life when one should be exploring and experimenting with new ideas and not be dealing with academics who believe that they have all the answers. To be fair, it might be just as bad at a Baptist or Jesuit school as at one run by the LDS.