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[_Paul Osborne]

Ezias,

It's time to make a major life change. Shift gears and gracefully make an exit from Mormonism. Take all the good things you've learned and experienced with you. In the church we tell potential converts to join and bring what truths they have with them. Well, I am saying the opposite. Bail out and take what you feel is true and decent with you and start a new life. Don't look back and regret your journey in Mormonism. It's all a growing experience and try and be positive in the good things you got out of it.

Yeah, I know how it is listening to so much of the bunk said in various church classes and testimony meetings. My goodness, I wonder how God manages to listen to some of that stuff and not cringe. People say they "know" but they only really believe or want to believe and in doing so they think they know. The only thing we really know is that we get hungry everyday and have to eat. The whole church thing is a faith trip but that's not a bad thing when it fills the needs of those tripping on it.

Take my alcohol suggestion with a grain of salt. I was just trying to help figuring it would be a quick fix and not trying to turn you into an acoholic. I've learned that alcohol is a powerful drug and there surely are ways it can be used wisely. But, it's like anything else, it can be abused very easily. Wouldn't want you to do that.

Paul O

[_Paul Osborne]

What useless b***s***, Paul

Perhaps, but it's debatable. Alcohol is like any other drug and drugs are used everyday to treat the body and mind. It may not be so cut and dry as you think, Jersey Girl.

Paul O

[Rikiti]

.

[Rikiti]

.

[_MCB]

MCB said, "So difficult to admit that they are so deeply involved in loving something that has so deeply hurt them. When, in actuality, deeply inside, they know and are afraind to admit it."

I haven't really thought this out, but could this be likened to the person whose spouse either physically, verbally, or emotionally abuses them?

I have another comment, but may start a thread instead.

It is very interesting, and difficult to figure out. There is Stockholm syndrome, in which the abused person falls in love with the abuser. This is contrasted with what I have been trying to do, which is figure out what makes Mormons tick, having compassion for them. Bhuddism, and the Dali Lama teach this, but it is not taught as a path to forgiveness in Christianity. I don't really understand why.

When I look back at it, "learning how to make excuses for other people" is what led me to psychology.

The article about the power of the double-bind found at exMormon very strongly likens a spiritually abusive church to an abusinve spouse. I can identify with the similarity quite easily because the abuse problems in my marriage were primarily about religious issues.

[_MCB]

MJ doesn't lead to blackout drunks, either. If MJ were legal, its chemical content could be controlled, and buying it would be less likely to put young people in contact with people who sell harder drugs.

[Rikiti]

.

[_Yoda]

MJ doesn't lead to blackout drunks, either. If MJ were legal, its chemical content could be controlled, and buying it would be less likely to put young people in contact with people who sell harder drugs.

It is legal where I live (that is why the church leaders are ok with it). I can buy it at a store similar to a grocery store, no black market drug dealers. I can pick different brand names. It's chemical content cannot be fully controlled which is a reason pharmaceutical companies want it to remain illegal elsewhere. They cannot patent a plant. The cannot profit from medicine you can grow naturally in your back yard.

I take it you live outside the US, then?

[Rikiti]

.

[_Inconceivable]

Ezias,

I resigned last year April.

TAKING IT WITH YOU

Paul is nuts about the alcohol but he's got a good point suggesting to take the good from Mormonism. What you will discover is that there is not one virtuous concept that Mormonism can claim exclusive. It all comes from somewhere else, so take it with you. They would prefer you throw the baby out with the bathwater (all or nothing mormonthink)because it confirms their falacious doctrine of apostacy.

NIGHTMARES

Dreams are overrated. I've had nightmares all of my life accentuated by myself trying to evaluate them for meaning during my waking hours. Now, when I wake in the morning, I don't acknowledge them and summarilly dismiss them. They are not me and I won't bring that baggage into the day with me. Reality just works better without night dreams.

LEAVING THE CHURCH

I felt as you did. I became physically sick discovering the history and attending meetings that regurgitated half truths and even lies to prop up a sickly facade. I continue to study to an extent because it helps me to understand what is worthy of keeping. I hated sitting in meetings. It made me angry and irritable on Sundays. I left because I just couldn't live a lie - one of those very good things I learned by attending the Mormon church.

Inwardly, resignation slew the gorilla on my back. It was like a rebirth to shed the God Awful garments and to just know that I have severed my connection with the cult. I noticed I do have a spine after all this. Outsiders have a great respect for me - Mormons that believe pity me. NOM's are envious they don't have the strength to stand up for their convictions.

My resignation is quite a rift between my wife and one of my sons that is putting in his papers for a mission this week. That's life.

It's what they have to deal with. I can't do it for them.