This Was Supposed to be Me....

[_DrW]

If the head of Church statistics is to be believed, 10 million Mormons have to live in constant fear of regretting their decision to stop attending....

Perhaps more significant is the fact that 10 million Mormons have found a better way to live their lives than in slavish adherence to the whims of the leaders of a religious sex cult that was founded by conman and sexual predator, the current leaders of which have only recently been forced to admit to a small portion of the lies and deceptions that have permeated its doctrines and administration since its founding.

[_mcjathan]

Although it appears that I just popped up with a snide remark, it isn't to imply that CP regrets leaving the CoJCoLDS. That will come sooner or later.

Where is the fun of religion, if you can’t disapprove of other people! There are some people, I suspect, who would be outraged if, when they finally arrived in heaven, they found everybody else there as well. Heaven would not be heaven unless you could peer over the celestial parapets and watch the unfortunates roasting below.

[_Bazooka]

If the head of Church statistics is to be believed, 10 million Mormons have to live in constant fear of regretting their decision to stop attending....

Perhaps more significant is the fact that 10 million Mormons have found a better way to live their lives than in slavish adherence to the whims of the leaders of a religious sex cult that was founded by conman and sexual predator, the current leaders of which have only recently been forced to admit to a small portion of the lies and deceptions that have permeated its doctrines and administration since its founding.

Here's the question.

It has been shown (not least by the Church itself) that past leaders have made serious mistakes and errors of judgement linked to personal preference and egotistical agendas. Are we really supposed to believe that sort of behaviour stopped with Hinckley?

[_ludwigm]

... sort of like Ausfahrt (freeway exit) ...

One of many.

As living and were educated in a multilingual environment (I was taught Russian officially, English and German privately and one of my grandfather was a Swabian German who lived in Croatia) I've learned a lot of words one should avoid in different language environment.

As a kid, I used to learn all critical words in all language with dirty meaning...

[_Craig Paxton]

Choices are funny things eh Paxton?

So you've decided to start posting over here huh... Well welcome to the Wild Wild West...

[Guest]

For members who rely on the CoJCoLDS to provide the majority of the social, ethical and emotional structures of their lives have missed the mark.

The decision to leave such an organization does have costs and paying those costs can clearly be wrenching but no different the leaving a job you have had for many years.

'Telling us that was brave of him'? I fail to see the bravery for an apostate to share with a group whose majority are apostates or non members that he chose to turn his back on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Especially when fellow members of this board will jump to the defense if anyone calls into question their point of view.

Although it appears that I just popped up with a snide remark, it isn't to imply that CP regrets leaving the CoJCoLDS. That will come sooner or later. My comment was to bring up the fact that leaving the church and the gospel behind is a choice. Choices come with consequences. Those consequences can be viewed as either good or bad and entirely up to the individual's point of view.

Just for the record...I completely disagree with your premise that you can sum up disassociating from the Mormon Church as something as simple as leaving a long held job. Who are you to minimize an excruciatingly difficult “choice” that you have never had to make and try to pass it off and diminish it in such a trite manner. Screw you! You sanctimonious, holier than thou, bastard.

On one hand you acknowledge there are “costs” and that “paying those costs can clearly be wrenching” you then minimize that experience by suggesting that it is equivalent to leaving a job? Clearly you have no understanding of what those who choose to leave Mormonism’s false claims go through nor the costs of doing so. Little do you know that the easy choice is in remaining in the church... that is the easy choice…It take real integrity to leave behind the church and all it represents…to subject yourself, your reputation and all you hold dear to the judgements, specualtion, rumor and shunning of those who call themselves the followers of Christ. This dificult decission is even more difficult when so many of us still have true believing members of our family that remain behind in the clasp of Mormonism. So tell me please...how is your view as you look down your nose at us from your seat high on your rameumptum?

[_Tchild]

'Telling us that was brave of him'? I fail to see the bravery for an apostate to share with a group whose majority are apostates or non members that he chose to turn his back on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Especially when fellow members of this board will jump to the defense if anyone calls into question their point of view.

When one awakens from the Mormon fog GR33N, this "gospel" is seen as either not true as sold by LDSism, or not exclusive to Mormonism. You LDS inc. do not own the truth to dole out to obedient tithe payers. If there is a gospel, it is free for all. The apostate is free to decide for themselves how truth is to be understood and realized for the individual. It is a subjective, personal approach that removes the dogma and self-serving religion middle-man. For some it is another religion, for others, no-religion.

That is real freedom and the cost one pays is dropping the mental shackles, and oft times, the social ties with those who demand we continue to wear the chains . Sometimes, that takes a lot of courage, especially when one's past religion was so loaded with judgements and self righteous finger wagging.

[_canpakes]

Sitting around drinking coffee and watching a sunrise on Sunday is what you consider to be the culmination of "expression beyond the prescribed bounds"? That's what enlightened people do...and that's how ultimately being "fulfill[ed] or successful" pans out? That's "freedom"? There's got to be something more to it than that.

MG -

Sometimes, some of the most amazing and complex gifts from any being that you would call God lay right at our fingertips within the world around us, as opposed to being found within the confines of a man-made sacrament hall or book of scripture.

I'd recommend an occasional quiet morning spent with a sunrise to anyone. It can be very good for the soul. And, remember - you only have one brief chance a day to see one. : )

[_Fence Sitter]

Sitting around drinking coffee and watching a sunrise on Sunday is what you consider to be the culmination of "expression beyond the prescribed bounds"? That's what enlightened people do...and that's how ultimately being "fulfill[ed] or successful" pans out? That's "freedom"? There's got to be something more to it than that.
MG -

Because everyone who is at all familiar with Sundays for Mormons knows how much of a day of rest it really is.
You know what "enlightened" people don't have to do on Sunday?

They don't have to get up at 6:00 AM for an early meeting with the elder's quorum presidency or as part of the bishopric.
They don't have to rush back home to help get up the children to make sure they are dressed and fed for a intolerable three hour block of meetings.
They don't have to skip two meals on every 4th Sunday while sitting through a extremely redundant support group meets (a.k.a. F&T mtg) when people get up and tell everyone else how they "know" things are "true" without really understanding just what the hell they are saying.
They don't have to frantically prepare a lesson for a group of teenagers who will ignore most of what they are saying.
They do not have to spend their evening attending more group support sessions (a.k.a. as firesides) to listen to even more of what they had to sit through during the block sessions.
They don't have to sit around in the foyer listening to a talk over the ceiling speaker that is either too loud or to soft, about a subject they have heard dozens and dozens of times before, delivered poorly, while watching a unruly child of their own run up and down the corridors.
They don't have to sit around and wait for their wives to finish saying extended goodbyes to a dozen other people she will just see next week.
They don't have to come right back to church that afternoon for a meeting with the bishop for themselves or one of their family.
They don't have to wonder if they can fit in a home teaching visit or two before their evening visit or meeting.
They don't have to sit in sacrament meeting listening to a high counselor spend 40 minutes more on a boring talk he promised to wrap up in five minutes.
They don't have to listen to 5-10 minute long opening or closing prayers given by people who want to make sure every known person in the world is either included for a blessing or thanked for their service.
They don't have to listen to inspirational stories given in F&T meeting which start out with some horrific tragedy in which one LDS person escapes unscathed because God loves him more than the rest of the people in the story.
They don't have to eat a piece of bread that was prepared by a 14 year old who probably used the restroom without washing his hands just prior to touching the bread.

When you compare all that, it is no wonder some of us feel that waking up late on a Sunday to a cup of coffee and Sunday paper is an amazing experience.

[_GR33N]

f*** You! You sanctimonious, holier than thou, bastard.

Boo hoo, did I hurt your feelings? Somebody disagrees with you and you resort to name calling?