Calling out Dravin: Give us your story!

[Guest]

Always have a few centimetres of water under the keel, as we would say here.

Only a few centimeters? Here in Florida, we like to have at least two feet. Of course, if you are wrong, you run aground in mud or sand. If we are wrong, we will likely end up on a reef.

Anyway, welcome to MDB. Like your avatar.

We lived in Bremen and Bremerhaven for several years, and visited Hamburg often. That was before they held festivals on the Reeper Bahn. Back then, the Reeper Bahn was well attended without festivals - believe me.

[Guest]

Former LDS.NET Mod.

Recently resigned.


Share your story please with all of us here at Shady Acres®!

Or do you mean laid off? Who wonders... your forum avatar lets suppose something...

Naw, I resigned both with respect to the church and the board. I've talked about church wise, boardwise I had disagreements because I felt that decisions were being made to the detriment of the community so that the relaunch of Ask Gramps could be pimped. They deleted a thread so they could delay it until an Ask Gramps article could be prepared so that they could slap down a link in response to the OP in order to drive traffic to Ask Gramps. They did ask the OP if that was okay, but they did it after the fact and that's kinda like having a cop ask you if you're okay with them pulling you over. Do you really want to argue with them about it?

[_Ceeboo]

Hi Dravin!

I'm married to a TBM. I won't say it's smooth sailing but I'm not about to scuttle the ship and despite threats early on I don't think she's going to scuttle it either.

That's awesome to hear!

Best wishes to you and yours as you continue the journey.


Peace,
Ceeboo

[Guest]

***

[_sock puppet]

Hey, Dravin, glad you registered and have begun posting.

I also developed friendships with non-Mormons and realized that they weren't horrible people *gasp*. You get exposed to people who drink and don't turn into alcoholic and it kinda cuts the legs out from under the "One sip an alcoholic makes!" rhetoric you find in the church.

When I grew up LDS, they proudly touted that LDS were a peculiar people. I realized what was peculiar about them are their weird ideas about the 'Gentiles'.

Actually being on LDS.net kinda highlighted the issues, I start to see the surety and zealotry as pride and the apologetics as a stream of logical fallacies and intentional misconstructions. Kind embarrassing when you've spent so much time repeating them.

Thinking about the LDS 'truth' claims is so destructive and corrosive to remaining LDS.

I probably would have simple remained inactive except the church's and member's behavior in a lot of things ranging from apologetic to how they respond with doubt made made me not want to be associated with the Church. * * * You don't think it as a TBM but the church and it's members are very, "You're all in or you're all out." I chose out.

Yep, that's the choice, and all out is a much better fit than continuing to try to fit into the square LDS hole.

[_Polygamy-Porter]

Married to a TBM and she was ok with you resigning your membership??


Do you have kids?

[_Dravin]

Married to a TBM and she was ok with you resigning your membership??


Do you have kids?

She wasn't okay with it in that she was neutral or better towards it, but there is a gap between okay and divorce. We don't have kids thankfully, that would have added a whole 'nother layer of complication.

[_mentalgymnast]

In the end I reached the conclusion that even if what I experienced wasn't strictly emotional it wasn't reliable, once you can no longer use your feelings of elevation as a foundation things crumble quickly.

Hi Dravin,

I would have to agree with you that feelings of elevation should not be used as a definitive reason to believe in any one religious system. I am interested in what you might be referring to, however, when you said, "what I experienced wasn't strictly emotional". What were you thinking of when you said this?

Also, are you thinking/saying that the HG response to inquiries regarding the truth claims of the LDS church would automatically default to "feelings of elevation" or are you open to something other than "feelings of elevation" as also being from the HG? Your "wasn't strictly emotional" comment causes me to wonder whether or not you had other experiences along the way in your past life as a believing Mormon that were also motivating factors to believe?

Regards,
MG

[_cwald]

Dravin. You should consider doing minisode pod for in order to....an expose of LDS.net website. They need to be exposed for the arrogant, self righteous, corrupt organization the are.

[_moksha]

For what it is worth Dravin, there are a number of former apologists here on this forum. Some make it here intact like Kevin Graham and Paul, others like Franklynn Carmichael are only able to leave their memories.

Welcome to both here and NOM. You already know the aforementioned LDS.net.

by the way, how are they handling your transition?

You don't think it as a TBM but the church and it's members are very, "You're all in or you're all out." I chose out.

Not true at all. Choosing the manner and degree of your involvement is up to you, since you are now awake. Forge your own beliefs and if they can mesh with some of your former beliefs then great, if not then don't sweat it. Your beliefs are for your own benefit and not to guarantee payment to the Church treasury. The usual trajectory for Mormons leaving is straight into atheism, but that is not where you have to remain as punishment for being a TBM.