Consiglieri (one of the good guys) Being Eaten by His Own.

[_silentkid]

the LDS church is made up of average human beings doing what they have to do to be saved

Ah...the monotonous, boring, plodding path to salvation (with "I Believe In Christ" playing at a sleep-inducing 40 bpm).

[_TAK]

I feel for Consig.. I really do but equally have to wonder about all those posts of his wherein he posits proofs of the church, Book of Mormon etc.. Who is he is trying to convince?

Hopefully he won't be the next Chris Tolworthy. (This was his site. Then he left the Church.)

'

Oh Geez..
The cabin in the middle of Nowhere-Idyho can't be far..

[_Runtu]

Hopefully he won't be the next Chris Tolworthy. (This was his site. Then he left the Church.)

Chris is one of my favorite people. Leaving the church, though not much fun, is not the end of the world.

[_Ray A]

Leaving the church, though not much fun, is not the end of the world.

The fun starts later.

[_Phaedrus Ut]

I think people are threatened by normal smart people with critical thinking skills not accepting poor apologetics, being honest about their doubts, and open to the possibility that the church isn't true.

Consig is a big boy and from my interactions with him there he has a pretty thick skin. Over the years I've seen many people like him trying to find that one glimmer of hope that helps them hold on to the beliefs they hold in such high regard.


phaedrus

[_why me]

As I posted on the MAD board, the LDS church is made up of average human beings doing what they have to do to be saved. Most are not showmen or showpeople. They are just normal people attempting to practice their callings as best as possible. Most human beings are not entertaining. Most are just boring humans and the LDS are no exception. But that is what makes the meetings authentic. Now of course we can all go to see Benny Hinn sing and preach or hear Joyce Meyer talk about self esteem. They are captivating people and also entertaining.

In this age of instant entertainment, we all seem to be bored with the normal.

Then why aren't you active?

A person does not have to be active to know the score. In this age of entertainment and low attention spans due to hypermedia entertainment it does not take one's actively rate in the LDS church to know that people may become bored with average normal people as they attempt to teach or give a talk. I hear more and more complaints on internet boards just how boring LDS meetings are. Maybe we should look in the mirror and just see the reflection of who we are in this day and age: rather boring when all is said and done--- which is why we humans need to be entertained by hypermedia flash for cash.

[_cinepro]

While obviously not applicable to Consig's predicament, this book indicates it might not be an LDS-specific problem:



Interestingly, I've heard it mentioned in more than one Church meeting that my local Stake President is concerned by the "addiction" some young men have to electronic devices, to the degree that they wash out of the MTC because they can't live without their iphones and Nintendo DS's. It's an interesting problem to consider.

Maybe one day, even Relief Society and Elder's Quorum can be this exciting.

[_consiglieri]

He shouldn't bother posting on MAD. He should post here instead. :)

Kimblieri Ann

You rang, Kimblieri? (Very cute moniker, by the way!)

Reading through this thread, I want everybody to know (Scratch included) that I appreciate your support and kind wishes, and cannot help but find it ironic that there appears to be more sympathy in hell than in heaven.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[_truth dancer]

Wow, can I just say I can REALLY relate to Con's wife! :-)

I'm thinking we would be BFFs!

As always, apologists can not entertain the idea that LDS church may not be brilliant and beneficial and inspirational to everyone. If one can't see or experience this, it is their fault for being too hard hearted, too sinful, too weak, too egocentric, influenced by Satan, or some such nonsense.

Here is my take:

I believe there are basically four reasons for going to church:

1. You believe it is true and you want to go or feel you must obey and attend
2. You find inspiration in attending; you come away feeling invigorated and excited to live a better life
3. You find a sense of community, strength, and support from the culture.
4. To not attend would create horrific consequences for oneself and loved ones.

OTOH, if church feels like a weight, if it depresses you, if you dread it for days and come away feeling dark and discouraged, it may be best to let it go. I do not think this is good for ones emotional, physical, or spiritual health.

My heart sure goes out to Con and his wife.

Maybe she could start posting here! I'm thinking she would find others who totally get where she is at!

~td~

[_harmony]

Personally, I don't find church boring. I find church excruiatingly painful. The chairs and pews are backbreaking. There are so many people, it's always stuffy. And the talks... oh my... the talks. It's painful to hear people who are really smart about just about everything else go on and on and on about things that I know are not only wrong, but are more often than not downright unforgivably foolish.

So I avoid it whenever I can. And when I go, I sit in the foyer, take the sacrament, and leave after I speak to the bishop of the neighboring ward. Unless the speaker is going to be highly entertaining (while shouting out false doctrine), I pass on it completely.