Regarding rituals in religious ceremonies

[_krose]

Even when I was deeply entrenched in the LDS faith (I left in my 20s) as a believing Mormon born and bred, I was never comfortable with the rituals involved in the worship ceremonies. I'm referring to things such as blessing and passing the sacrament, baptisms, baby blessings, consecrating olive oil, being set apart for a calling, hands-on ordinations, and many others.

The religious rituals always felt like staged play-acting rather than reality, and I always felt a bit silly and self-conscious taking part in them. Because of this, when I went through the temple for the first time, it was a very bizarre ritual overload. Watching my parents and brothers go through all those costume changes and signs and symbols with me was like a weird out-of-body experience.

I have heard some people who leave their religion say that they miss the rituals and found comfort in them, but not me. It was easy to leave that part behind, because they never felt quite right. I felt fake and insincere doing them, so good riddance to them.

[_charity]

Then it really is a good thing that you are not participating in them. There is no efficacy in doing anything if you don't believe it.

[_the road to hana]

Then it really is a good thing that you are not participating in them. There is no efficacy in doing anything if you don't believe it.

I'm not sure that's true, at least not from a church standpoint. Even an unfaithful and nonbelieving person can perform an ordinance in the LDS Church and the ordinance can be considered efficacious.

[_JAK]

Even when I was deeply entrenched in the LDS faith (I left in my 20s) as a believing Mormon born and bred, I was never comfortable with the rituals involved in the worship ceremonies. I'm referring to things such as blessing and passing the sacrament, baptisms, baby blessings, consecrating olive oil, being set apart for a calling, hands-on ordinations, and many others.

The religious rituals always felt like staged play-acting rather than reality, and I always felt a bit silly and self-conscious taking part in them. Because of this, when I went through the temple for the first time, it was a very bizarre ritual overload. Watching my parents and brothers go through all those costume changes and signs and symbols with me was like a weird out-of-body experience.

I have heard some people who leave their religion say that they miss the rituals and found comfort in them, but not me. It was easy to leave that part behind, because they never felt quite right. I felt fake and insincere doing them, so good riddance to them.

A fundamental problem for people such as krose is that they think. Thinking is a threat to ritual in the ridiculous.

Now you left in your 20s. On another forum we had a lengthy discussion as to whether people are hard wired to blind belief or to intellectual inquiry. It might be attributed to heredity or environment or perhaps to a combination of the two.

We didn’t attempt to resolve the question. But it was a great discussion.

JAK

[_JAK]

Then it really is a good thing that you are not participating in them. There is no efficacy in doing anything if you don't believe it.

I'm not sure that's true, at least not from a church standpoint. Even an unfaithful and nonbelieving person can perform an ordinance in the LDS Church and the ordinance can be considered efficacious.

Are you sure about that?

JAK

[_krose]

Then it really is a good thing that you are not participating in them. There is no efficacy in doing anything if you don't believe it.

I agree that it's better to not participate in things you don't believe in, and I, for one, have no desire to do so. However, I'm not saying I didn't believe when I was participating; I'm saying that they didn't feel like reality, sort of like acting in the school play.

[_MishMagnet]

What if one was not believing in the church but went to the temple with one's spouse for Temple Night. This person sat there thinking 'this is a bunch of bull. I'm out of here as soon as possible, etc.' The work they did for the dead that night - is it valid or not?

[_krose]

A fundamental problem for people such as krose is that they think. Thinking is a threat to ritual in the ridiculous.

Now you left in your 20s. On another forum we had a lengthy discussion as to whether people are hard wired to blind belief or to intellectual inquiry. It might be attributed to heredity or environment or perhaps to a combination of the two.

We didn’t attempt to resolve the question. But it was a great discussion.

JAK

For me personally, I've always been somewhat cynical, which may be what made me prone to question and doubt. But I can't explain why three of my twelve siblings, who are similarly inclined, remain strong believers just like the others (I suspect there may be some closet doubting going on there, though).

[_the road to hana]

Then it really is a good thing that you are not participating in them. There is no efficacy in doing anything if you don't believe it.

I'm not sure that's true, at least not from a church standpoint. Even an unfaithful and nonbelieving person can perform an ordinance in the LDS Church and the ordinance can be considered efficacious.

Are you sure about that?

JAK

Yes, at least from the standpoint of the church, the ordinance is not compromised by the person administering it.

[_the road to hana]

What if one was not believing in the church but went to the temple with one's spouse for Temple Night. This person sat there thinking 'this is a bunch of bull. I'm out of here as soon as possible, etc.' The work they did for the dead that night - is it valid or not?

It's just as valid as if they didn't.