DiscussMormonism.com

Today something kind of clicked for me as I noticed a few people I respect demonstrate the following traits:

1 - they seem to affiliate with conservative political views more than liberal ones

2 - they still affiliate socially with the LDS faith while not fully adhereing to it's claims of being the one true church. In other words, they seem to be somewhere on the spectrum of belief we'd call "New Order Mormonism"

I don't think this is a universal rule as I could point out a couple of exceptions where a liberal minded person remained NOM-ish as well as where a conservative has left the church completely behind. But I wonder - does it influence which way a person ends up going when the shelf finally caves?

Thoughts?

And the poll doesn't work for me. Man, the neighborhood is going to seed.

I think political liberalness could be a key factor in the rarity of NOMness.

The path (fast becoming an expressway) out of the Church generally leads uphill and to the left.

I'm wondering what role the sense of continued belonging plays on a person's willingness or ability to stay within, even if someone redefines what it means to be inside of the LDS faith community?

Many of us are probably guilty of assuming that family is the primary driver for many who choose a middle path within the church, but now I wonder if part of it has to do with the basic need to feel one belongs somewhere? And while political views aren't primarily what define the faith, perhaps if one still feels somewhat at home among members because they share these other views one might be less likely to feel like they "have" to leave?

DrW wrote:The path (fast becoming an expressway) out of the Church generally leads uphill and to the left.

I think the politics are thicker than religion in this respect. Seems that many here who have left the Church still remain of the backward treadmill of conservatism.