Kevin Graham wrote:I'm in search for another church,
If you need to, your choice. You need to know, that what I'm about to say IS serious, and is sincere. You mock me, but I've been where you are to the degree I allowed. If you were really interested in truth, and right, you would instead of mocking, you would try to understand, even if you never agree. You attitude makes everything.
and I'm looking for something like Mormonism
There is nothing "like" Mormonism, save in a distant sense.
without all the whacky doctrines and untenable truth claims.
1. False premise.... It is your perverted and false views of Mormonism that make it wacky and untenable. I know because I've been you (to a degree anyway). I know how and why you view the Church the way you do, and why and how those views are false.
You need to learn that it is YOU who have become "wacky" and embracing of "untenable truth claims". You have become a destroyer of light, a warrior for darkness. This is the main reason I stopped judging religion, and especially the Church when I was wayward, because I realized what side I was actually jumping on. Because whatever the faults of religion, what they may or may not be, religion and it's people are of the light..... By condemning it and attempting to destroy it, and lead others from it, I become death..... just as you do.....
2. It's impossible for you to join "any" religion, because of your views against religion. Your only option is to simply seek "spirituality", such as with Zen, Taoism, Meditation, etc., to look at Christ as simply a "good teacher" one of many. You now embrace reletivism and the dark side, thus relative belief is the only thing you can embrace and feel comfortable, since you aren't interested in the "rules" and so-called "wackyness" of religion. Again, been there done that.....
3. The Church IS the only true and living Church on the earth. Your falability as a human, and your willing choice to pre-judge when you don't have all the facts, and understand all the facts, is where you go wrong, and why nearly every word you say against the Church is entirely false and a perversion of the truth.
When I was ready to know what was true, if there was a true religion.... I again studied all the various religions of the earth. But again, nothing simply came close. Nothing qualified. Only the Church had the necessary qualifications to be a true religion. Then, I studied to see if it was actually true. And, turns out it was. I had pre-judged the Church, when I really didn't understand fully the issues I was judging it on. I cherry picked the negative seeming thinking that was the actual truth, like you all cherry pick. But, this time around, I was interested in only the absolute truth having no judgment one way or the other. And because of that FAITH, the full facts came to view, I saw things I hadn't seen before, because I had hate and impatience blinding me before, just like you all do.
You know there are positives in Mormonism, like the strong sense of community and focus on family, etc.
Nearly any religion does that, take your pick. Of course, generally only the "organized" religions. Spirituality type philosophy's and practices don't really have those practices, unless of course you join some cult, which I'm sure you have reason enough not to do.
Has anyone come across a list of Churches comparable to Mormonism? I don't remember this ever being asked before.
There are none according to your parameters.
I've gotta substitute Mormonism with something or else I'm getting a divorce. So I'm looking for genuine responses, not smart ass comments.
Do you really need more evidence that you are on the dark side?
It's one thing to disagree or not believe in religion, and even thinking it is of mans mind, it is however another for this kind of hate.
You are capable of being a great man Kevin..... but sadly the devil knows it too, and you willingly give him power over you, tempting your base nature, your base judgments, etc.
You can mock me all you want..... But I have been where you are. Your pride, your arrogance, your unrighteous judgments is blinding you from being able to learn more, the more that would provide the answers you need.
There is a part of you that still knows that there is something different about the Church, compared to other religions. Fight it as you do, you know it..... That is the Light of Christ in you, trying to show you the way. But, instead, you judge, you judge unrighteously.
Further, you suffer a serious fallacy...... Mormonism has such great Community AND Family BECAUSE OF our religion..... not in spite of it.
False religion does not create greatness..... The more true religion is, the greater people it creates. I live in Provo now Kevin..... It's amazing the contrast to the world..... I saw it when visiting before, but living here..... so many good people around me.
The Gospel of Christ makes bad men good, and good men better Kevin.
If you don't start figuring that out, and put away your judgments of the things and people of light in this world, then you will be forever lost. I thank God that I wasn't anti-mormon and anti-religion long, that after a long argument with a good man in the Church of the things I thought were wrong with the Church, I realized that I wasn't on the side of the light in that endeavor. The hate in me, the arrogance, the judgment. I was wise enough then that I had seen the same in anti-mormons already. I didn't want to become like them, so ingrained in their hate and pride, that they ceased learning and progressing, and their bitterness, their contempt of the things and people of good in this world.
Anyway, you choose the man you want to be Kevin..... In your every action and judgment you choose what side of light and darkness you are on. You and the rest of you need to start learning to be much more careful. Just look at yourself..... You say terrible things about good people of this Church, whether they are intellectuals, or whether they are leaders of it.
If God exists, or even if Truth and Right exists..... does God and Truth and Right destroy good??? or does evil seek to destroy good??? You are not on the side of light Kevin, whatever your views are personally. You endeavor to destroy light. As such, you will only destroy yourself and those around you.