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A Completely Informal and Unscientific Survey of Apostasy According to Reddit
Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 7:56 pm
by Gabriel
Hi Folks,
Just a context-free, raw data dump listing the Top 15 Ex-Whatever sites on Reddit (as of this morning).
1) Ex-Mormon Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/
242k Members
1.6k Online
2) Ex-Muslim Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/exmuslim/
115k Members
468 Online
3) Ex-Christian Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/exchristian/
106k Members
370 Online
4) Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/
75.4k Members
478 Online
5) Ex-Catholic Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/excatholic/
29.7k Members
78 Online
6) Ex-Evangelical Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/Exvangelical/
10.1k Members
73 Online
7) Ex-Jewish Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/exjew/
6.7k Members
12 Online
8) Ex-Seventh Day Adventist Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/exAdventist/
5.6k Members
21 Online
9) Ex-Hindu Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/EXHINDU/
5.6k Members
16 Online
10) Ex-Pentecostal Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/ExPentecostal/
5.1k Members
24 Online
11) Ex-Scientology Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/exscientology/
4.7k Members
5 Online
12) Ex-Atheist Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/exatheist/
3.9k Members
11 Online
13) Ex-Lutheran Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/exLutheran/
1.1k Members
5 Online
14) Ex-Buddhist Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/exbuddhist/
263 Members
3 Online
15) Ex-Orthodox Christian Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/exorthodox/
225 Members
1 Online
Do zobaczenia później! Gentle Reader!
Stańczyk
Re: A Completely Informal and Unscientific Survey of Apostasy According to Reddit
Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:50 pm
by Kukulkan
Interesting indeed. I wonder if the heavy 'congregation' mindset that Mormonism offers may have something to do with the increased amount of exmos gathering and creating their own congregation on the internet.
Re: A Completely Informal and Unscientific Survey of Apostasy According to Reddit
Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 9:11 pm
by Binger
Hands down and by far, this is one of the most interesting posts of original content I have seen on this forum in a long long time. I am not even sure what to make of it or how to explain it all, but it is fascinating.
Well, discussmormonism.com is closer to ex-Buddhism than ex-Lutheranism with 400 members and 3 online.
Re: A Completely Informal and Unscientific Survey of Apostasy According to Reddit
Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 9:22 pm
by Rivendale
Kukulkan wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:50 pm
Interesting indeed. I wonder if the heavy 'congregation' mindset that Mormonism offers may have something to do with the increased amount of exmos gathering and creating their own congregation on the internet.
I am not familiar with the historical aspects of all the others but I would think the "hidden" history of Mormonism has caught them off guard.
Re: A Completely Informal and Unscientific Survey of Apostasy According to Reddit
Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:16 pm
by Binger
Kukulkan wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:50 pm
Interesting indeed. I wonder if the heavy 'congregation' mindset that Mormonism offers may have something to do with the increased amount of exmos gathering and creating their own congregation on the internet.
The proselytizing aspect of the religion is definitely a component of this.
Some other contributing factors.
An American Legacy Religion. By legacy, I mean literally, it is an American legacy by legal and real definition where wealth is passed down to successors. Perhaps Scientology shares wealth like that. I am not sure. I think that the legacy aspect of Mormonism is something that piques interest in people, much like a big fraud or murder mystery piques interests.
An American Frontier Sex Cult Story. Let's face it. Sex cult stories are interesting to people. A lot more interesting that forums about not being a vegan no more. Look at all the stories about the Jeffs. And yet, we all lived through a cult that shared that foundational origin.
Mormons are conditioned to talk out loud about the things that they are told to say out loud and they are conditioned to STFU about things that are not mentionable. So, when the ties that bind are unbound, people rally in groups and party like it is 1999.
Defense.Leaving Mormonism, to some people, is like leaving McDonalds. Leaving Mormonism, to other people, is scary and threatening and dangerous. These groups provide a bit of a shield to some folks.
Re: A Completely Informal and Unscientific Survey of Apostasy According to Reddit
Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:45 pm
by drumdude
Mormons aren't allowed to sit in the back and do nothing like most other religions. Mormons demand that every Mormon has a calling and works to further the church. I'm sure that one fact alone accounts for the staggering number of vocal former members. You don't just leave a job like that quietly.
Re: A Completely Informal and Unscientific Survey of Apostasy According to Reddit
Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2022 12:44 am
by Philo Sofee
drumdude wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:45 pm
Mormons aren't allowed to sit in the back and do nothing like most other religions. Mormons demand that every Mormon has a calling and works to further the church. I'm sure that one fact alone accounts for the staggering number of vocal former members. You don't just leave a
job Non paying like that quietly.
Fixed it...
Re: A Completely Informal and Unscientific Survey of Apostasy According to Reddit
Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2022 12:44 am
by Dr Moore
My two cents on this data: online community is a function of fresh content. And what is that binding content? I recall what
Jeff Green wrote in his resignation letter, that the church is “currently and actively doing harm in the world.” If leaders would just stop doing new harm (eg, confess to lacking any special access or claim to God’s mind, and apologize for the harm they’ve caused as a result of dogmatically pushing their biases and beliefs in God’s name, and stop making up new ways to gaslight members), it would be the greatest miracle any of them have ever performed. And overnight, forums such as exmo reddit would wither away.
Re: A Completely Informal and Unscientific Survey of Apostasy According to Reddit
Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2022 12:56 am
by Gadianton
That's an interesting find, it never occurred to me to look something like that up. Dr. Moore has a point, how much of this is generated by Mormonism's unique propensity for online-friendly controversy?
I also have to wonder if Mormonism's unique falsifiability and weirdness in proportion to the size of religion it is might also contribute.
Re: A Completely Informal and Unscientific Survey of Apostasy According to Reddit
Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2022 1:19 am
by Binger
Dr Moore wrote: ↑Sat Jun 25, 2022 12:44 am
My two cents on this data: online community is a function of fresh content. And what is that binding content? I recall what
Jeff Green wrote in his resignation letter, that the church is “currently and actively doing harm in the world.” If leaders would just stop doing new harm (eg, confess to lacking any special access or claim to God’s mind, and apologize for the harm they’ve caused as a result of dogmatically pushing their biases and beliefs in God’s name, and stop making up new ways to gaslight members), it would be the greatest miracle any of them have ever performed. And overnight, forums such as exmo reddit would wither away.
This is a much more thoughtful and insightful observation than what I saw and thought at first glance.
I do not follow any of the other religions. I only follow Mormonism. But Dr. Moore is right that there is always contemporary content from the institution and its leaders. And he is right that the content is impactful and in many cases harmful.
The expectations from these leaders for adherents to get in line and then toe the line creates a point of contention. The constant and repeated expectation from the institution, leaders and family no doubt binds the community.