The threats of the Mormon God
Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 2:48 pm
Tals thread hit on something interesting that I would like to expand on.
Christian religions are religions built on fear. "Do what God tells you or else suffer the consequences".
I believe all of the Christian religions have some form of "hell" that you will suffer eternally if you don't obey.
The Mormon religion seems to be unique in two areas.
First, temporal punishments for not obeying are quite common.
As I mentioned on the the other thread, I lived in sheer terror of the vengeful and jealous God of the Bible, who would have no problem what-so-ever ripping all of my Earthly possessions away if I were to doubt Him or His church. Breaking temple covenants was a sure fire way to end up homeless and begging for food, if not a paraplegic.
Often times, doubts about God would creep into my head. My main question was why am I any more special to think that MY version of God was more right than the trillions of other humans that have lived on Earth, each with their version of God. They believed just as deeply that THEIR God was the correct one.
When these doubts would creep in, I would have to push them back to the furthest reaches of my mind and beg for forgiveness. I didn't want God to break my arm, or burn my house down.
Second, there is a new punishment. That of separation from you family.
There are a LOT of exit stories on RfM and similar places where immense strain was placed on the family when one spouse left the church. Why? Because the other spouse was terrified of not being together as a family in the afterlife. I don't know of anyone in the Mormon religion that actually worries about the kingdom the apostate will be stuck in. It's always, "He is destroying his eternal family!" I think that Joseph Smith lucked into this binding aspect of Mormonism.
It's interesting to me that I never questioned Mormonism. It was only God that I questioned. Yet, ultimately, when I finally found out about Joseph Smith polygamy, it opened the door to allow me to question Mormonism and down came God, Joseph and all.
Christian religions are religions built on fear. "Do what God tells you or else suffer the consequences".
I believe all of the Christian religions have some form of "hell" that you will suffer eternally if you don't obey.
The Mormon religion seems to be unique in two areas.
First, temporal punishments for not obeying are quite common.
As I mentioned on the the other thread, I lived in sheer terror of the vengeful and jealous God of the Bible, who would have no problem what-so-ever ripping all of my Earthly possessions away if I were to doubt Him or His church. Breaking temple covenants was a sure fire way to end up homeless and begging for food, if not a paraplegic.
Often times, doubts about God would creep into my head. My main question was why am I any more special to think that MY version of God was more right than the trillions of other humans that have lived on Earth, each with their version of God. They believed just as deeply that THEIR God was the correct one.
When these doubts would creep in, I would have to push them back to the furthest reaches of my mind and beg for forgiveness. I didn't want God to break my arm, or burn my house down.
Second, there is a new punishment. That of separation from you family.
There are a LOT of exit stories on RfM and similar places where immense strain was placed on the family when one spouse left the church. Why? Because the other spouse was terrified of not being together as a family in the afterlife. I don't know of anyone in the Mormon religion that actually worries about the kingdom the apostate will be stuck in. It's always, "He is destroying his eternal family!" I think that Joseph Smith lucked into this binding aspect of Mormonism.
It's interesting to me that I never questioned Mormonism. It was only God that I questioned. Yet, ultimately, when I finally found out about Joseph Smith polygamy, it opened the door to allow me to question Mormonism and down came God, Joseph and all.