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What were your reasons for leaving church? How were you able to overcome the fear of "what if"?

Just curious.

You read my mind, I just made a post about overcoming the "what if?" question.

I left because of the lies about everything from church history, how tithing is used, as well as how members are treated. Not to mention the Book of Mormon problems, Book of Abraham problems, JST problems, etc. Combined you begin to realize it doesn't add up.

JonasS wrote:What were your reasons for leaving church? How were you able to overcome the fear of "what if"?

Just curious.

Pirate, you mentioned in another thread that you were contemplating serving a mission. Are you still thinking of going? Are you asking this question to help understand how to reactivate inactive members, or are you having doubts yourself?

LDSDoubter wrote:I left because of the lies about everything from church history, how tithing is used, as well as how members are treated. Not to mention the Book of Mormon problems, Book of Abraham problems, JST problems, etc. Combined you begin to realize it doesn't add up.

Ditto.

I would add that I am not redeemable to Mormonism.

You see, even if the spiritual witnesses I received while a Mormon came from the God of the universe himself, I would reject him as having nothing more than a flawed man's character.

I can aspire to be better than that. We all ought to.

Inconceivable wrote:Ditto.

I would add that I am not redeemable to Mormonism.

You see, even if the spiritual witnesses I received while a Mormon came from the God of the universe himself, I would reject him as having nothing more than a flawed man's character.

I can aspire to be better than that. We all ought to.

This is my problem with how they always put an emphasis on good feelings. What if porn gives you good feelings? Having sex? Attending rock concerts? Riding rollercoasters? Can we say that all of these things are spiritual experiences?

The problem is they reduce the Holy Ghost to nothing but warm fuzzies, and that's definitely not the Holy Ghost of the Bible. I had the same warm-fuzzies when I saw my all-time favorite band in person for the first time at a rock concert. Warm fuzzies are not spiritual, they are based on chemicals fired by the brain based on your desires.

The Holy Ghost of the Bible is a comforter that is supposed to be Christ's way of living in us, not warm-fuzzies. Maybe that's why that even though they claim to have a spiritual witness, it is still a cold, uncaring environment.

Jonas,

I've never been the superstitious type. I never, ever had the "what if" fear you're talking about. I just don't think, deep down, I ever bought into any of it.

I left when it became a matter of integrity. It was when the number of things I disagreed with implied a dishonest of character to continue my complicity by being in the pews.

I generally believed in the church my whole life. Why not, I was surrounded 360 by the culture. I had no reason to doubt.

But I can honestly say that I never had any still small voice, no heart felt impressions, no spiritual witness telling me that it was all true. I just blindly believed.

Then I found the internet.

It was a tremdous relief, after I found out the truth, to know that I was not "broken". I am normal and I am ok.

1. How bad is this "what if" scenario, anyway? If you don't believe it, and you follow your conscience and attempt to be a good person in your own way, it seems that whatever kingdom of glory you are assigned to through Mormon doctrine would be a place you would probably be more comfortable in anyway. I know I would never be able to handle living with self-righteous, mentally homogeneous Utah-Mormon dittoheads for eternity in the CK.

2. If you are to fear the "what if" of the Mormon scenario, you have to consider whether you have any more reason to fear it than any other religious scenario. If not, then you can either choose to be paralyzed in fear of offending any of Jehovah, Mary, Allah, Elohim, Vishnu, Ra, Thor, etc. or simply decide that the microscopic risk involved in offending any of these potentially extant deities isn't worth taking seriously if it is going to detract from your peace of mind and quality of life.

Am still active mainly to help with the social structure where we live. Paul Dunn and his lies. Marion D. Hanks being a wife beater and the police covering it up. Gordon B. Hinckley and Spencer Kimball being duped by Mark Hoffman. The 'necessity' of plural marriage as a commandment of God and then running away from it to preserve property and money. Joseph looking into a hat at a rock instead of the 'Urim and Thummim'. The major Bank fraud used to entice members to invest in his 'anti-banking society'.(This one alone should have landed him in prison for a long time) Joseph sending Orson Hyde to Palestine and then nailing Orsons wife as 'his own' in Orsons absense. Getting sealed to women before Elijah returned the keys to sealing in Celestial marriage. Over 2Billion$$$ for a damn shopping mall while failing to account for even the smallest of donations to us, the members. Sweeping sexual predators in Church positions under the rug with many of them not even losing their callings/church positions. Felix Urioste and his 'husband' getting married in an LDS Temple and no one got any impression that somthing was wrong. Danite raiding bands. Zelph, the Great White Lamanite warrior. Adams altar containing stones with fossils in them. Members who still invest in Bishop Coyles 'Dream Mine'.

The list goes on with Prop 8, hate, persecuting others, making laws in Utah to restrict other religions in various ways. The Catholic Church being the 'great and abominable'.

As I wrote, our activity is mainly social. Quitting or getting tossed and the shunning would put us in a poor position in too many ways. Maybe we are cowards but we still have to live in the society for a few more years before retirement and moving is reality.

And, I am one who posts a bit and leaves due to people like Danny Peterson. He would have fit well in Germany in 1939.