"Recovery from Mormonism: A site for those who are questioning their faith in the Mormon Church and for those who need support as they transition their lives to a normal life. We are not affiliated with any religion and we do not advocate any religion."
One of the goals, yolinda, is to learn that one doesn't have to answer to folks who think they hold the truth.
Timothy
Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/2011 04:17PM by Timothy.
What exactly is the goal here? To remove the hurt that has lasted possibly many years from many, from the lies and to regain a feeling of self-worth for many. To live freely without such a daunting thing threatening to take everything away at the slightest thing done wrong. To become people who love people for who they are, and not what religion they choose.
Is it to unprogram our mormon programming? I believe for a lot of us it is. This religion programs into your mind that if there's anyone unlike you, they are evil, and you shouldn't coerce with them. We wish to be able to do naturally human things without guilts. Simple things, such as even, enjoying our spouses.
Is is to rebel from God Altogether?
Some people don't wish to live with a god, some are here to find an unconditional loving god.
Is is to rile people against the Mormon Church? We're not here to turn people away, we are sharing what has hurt us. Most of us have come here after we've decided we've had doubts or after deciding to leave. Ever since I've come here I've found nothing but unfiltered truth.
Is it to heal without a moral compass or a new moral compass?
We're not here to go against everything and become serial killers if that's what you mean. Certainly not. I find joy in setting my own values, what's important to me. And this is just me, but I am setting my own new moral compass. Freely.
When I started seeing the "whites of their lies" I started my journey out of Mormonism and that journey meant taking the same critical look at other religions. It meant recovering from the years of false teachings and even abusive teachings of religion.
Recovery for me means becoming my own authentic self.
I discovered my moral compass hasn't changed. My moral compass doesn't come at the dictation of a religion or a belief in God.
Everyone's recovery process is different. Some people come here to vent, to cry, to get advice, to socialize, to read, to learn...I don't think it needs to be put into a box and defined.
Even though many of us share similar experiences and situations, it doesn't mean we feel or percieve them the same way. I don't expect anyone to follow the path *I* took out of the church because it may not work for anyone else.
You are asserting in your questions that god is real and that’s where we must start. Well you can't rebel against a supernatural being if it doesn't exist, therefore there can be no rebellion. You, the believer, created the rebellion, for others who are not even participating.
The moral compass thing you seem to have a hard time with as I've seen that question from you in other posts. This is what I've done with my moral compass.
I cleared off all the supernatural beings from atop the crystal. As I swept them away the beings became nothing more than the dust of others imaginations and the crystal became not only clear but the needle stopped spinning and pointed North to truth. It became so clear that even the compass was no longer needed. Now the direction to truth became "self evident".
Yolinda, mormonism is not a religion it is a cult.
Cults only SAY that they want to believe in god and help people and teach morality, but in reality they will tell any lie or twist any doctrine to control their followers.
It is possible that there were some benevolent intentions by JS and some of his followers early on, and certainly there have been well-intentioned individuals along the way, but mormonism has long since abandoned any reasonable integrity.
No one needs to "recover" from leaving a traditional religion, only from a cult. Cults like mormonism destroy healthy relationships, interrupt the development of healthy critical thinking, damage people's ability to set and interpret healthy boundaries, and create false dependencies.
Many of us will take the rest of our lives "undoing" the emotional, rational and relationship damage that the cult has caused. Most of us will only partially recover and live with the handicaps and "baggage" we have been dealt.
Cults are the ONLY groups that teach that morality depends on the cult or the cult leader. Religions do not do this. If you believe your morality depends on some external god you have been victimized by a cult.
Please look here: www.howcultswork.com
Evaluate TSCC by this standard. Do you really think people just invented a definition of a cult and go around building websites just because they are enemies of TSCC?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/2011 04:47PM by rodolfo.
There are hundreds of thousands of churches in the world.
You really need to be slightly more specific.
If you're asking about whether or not the Mormon Church "does good" the answer is NO. The Mormon church goes out of its way to hurt people, such as homosexuals, who've never done a thing to them. It's a toxic waste of a faith system and those members who are good people within its environs are good in spite of their allegiance to the LDS faith, not because of it.
Please do not bring up the supposed humanitarian acts in New Orleans or in other natural disaster areas -- the fact is that the Mormon Church CLAIMS to be helping and yet fails to provide an accounting of finances actually spend on charity -- claims are not necessarily reality and I don't accept them without evidence.
I agree. Does the mormon church do good things? 2 answers there. 1) yeah-but so does any church,or people in general. You don't need anyone to help you do good. Just a kind heart,which I guarantee most everyone posting here has. 2) Even if the mormons do good things,it doesn't make up for all the rotten,lying,controlling,devious things the church does.
Many people of other nations do see and are disturbed by Americans as cultish for their salute of the flag and by the nationalistic near-religious defense of the Pledge of Allegiance with its religious trappings.
As an American - no. Our nation is not "free." It has its good and bad qualities like many other nations in the world, and we are not the best nation out there - nor are we the worst. We just are. (and that's honestly okay)
We are not "the best" in general sense. In many ways, we're an incredibly backward nation - especially concerning religion. Religion in this country is likened accurately to the oppressive regimes in the Middle East. We are an incredibly prudish society compared to other first world nations. We are decades behind some of them in rights and equal access for citizens.
In some ways, perhaps we are better than others, but not in all aspects- and freedom is definitely a place where we need major improvement. There is ALWAYS room for improvement. To believe otherwise would to become complacent and to prevent the nation from growth - which I think many Americans have become about the USA.
“If I chose to salute the flag of USA in a parade, and others do not, should they think I am cultish?” When you’re at church and everyone stands and reinstates their public display of lockstep obedience by raising their arm to the square to vote on sustaining the LDS prophet as “prophet, seer, and relevator” and you did not raise your hand, what would the members think of you?
“Does the church do good things or not?” Does the terrorist organization Hamas do good things? Yes they do. They fund schools and provide money for food and medical to those less fortunate. Is there an underlying agenda for these “good” actions done by Hamas? Yes, and you and I are both aware of them. School curriculum and subjects are censored and controlled. Basically they are grooming children to think the “Hamas” way. Hamas can now trumpet the fact that they provide needed services at no cost to the less fortunate in sweeping statements that does not describe the real agenda. “Yea Hamas, they aren’t the bad guys we thought they were after all. Look at all the wonderful things they do!” Yet the real agenda never changes nor is it discussed in public and if you are a member you had better not criticize it. Sound familiar? The LDS church trumpets what good it does do.
In forty years of membership I was told that the money went to two things. First it went to building Temples and Second, to humanitarian work. What evidence do I have that “all” the money went where they say? None. Nor will it ever be provided. One would be in front of the SP explaining their “lack of faith” if this perfectly sensible question were to be pushed. For all I know they could have built ten thousand temples with the money.
The LDS church has its members wear matching shirts to deliberately advertise their good works. Why? What was the supposed example that Jesus set? Jesus told the recipients of his good deeds to go on their way and tell no one.
“Is our country free or not?” Try living in a different country for a couple years then ask yourself this question. Otherwise take this one to a different discussion board (IMO).
believe the same as you. I get so sick of attitudes like your's.
Even as a mormon, my moral compass was different than EVERY PERSON I KNOW.
NOBODY HAS THE SAME BELIEFS--no matter who you are. Sure religions try to make you believe the same thing--but everyone views life through a different lens.
Get off your f*cking high horse. It is people like you who convinced me that christianity was bullshit.
Actually for me, it's an opportunity to start my own church. I understand the tax benefits are enormous. My business plan is to only charge 5 percent of earnings, so I expect to get some switch-over from financially savvy Mormons.
And for those of you who don't like being controlled by your church, I won't try to tell you what to do with your life. I have a hard enough time running my life. So... just keep those checks rolling my way and you won't hear a thing from me.
I find it is a place to learn and exchange experences. Each of us has had good and bad relationships with the mormons. For me it is good to know I am not the only one to have been kicked and screwed over by the mormons.