Someone else, in another thread, stated that he (she) thought that "Jack Mormons" were the worst type of Mormons. They don't go to church, don't hold TRs, etc., but they will defend the church if it is attacked, even more so than TBMs.

I have a sister who is a Jack Mormon. She is very opinionated and can display a nasty temper. I was surprised a while back when I sent her some tidbit of Mormon history and she responded with very ignorant of the facts logic and with alot of anger at me for "running down the church" (you could argue I wasn't, I just sent her something historical and interesting...).

Needless to say I don't send her stuff anymore. She has NEVER been active so I just don't get her love of anything Mormon. She has never been married and has stated that the church doesn't accept her as a never-married. So it adds to the strangeness of her defending the LDS church.

I tried to categorize Mormons. There are several brands:

1. Utah Mormons
1a. Jack Utah Mormons
1b. TBM Utah Mormons
1c. Utah Mormons from elsewhere (they don't fit in...)

2. Outside of Utah, but in the US Mormons

3. Intellectual Mormons (this is a tough group to be in...)

4. Converts

5. NOMs and I guess some of us (me)--ones who have figured it out and don't believe.

Maybe there is more, but the Utah Jack Mormon is an unusual breed...

I used to be a Jack Mormon....but now I just don't give a shit about the church or what any say about it in my presence...

Any description that puts Utah and Mormon in the same sentence without the prefix "ex" in front of either word, is pretty much the worst Mormon around. However, with Jack Mormons I have more pity that irritation. Because they have the burden of believing the church is true and also believing they aren't good enough to live it. It's almost worse than thinking it is true and living it. We are so lucky we know it isn't true and know we are right so we are free of guilt and much more able to deal calmly with manipulative Mormons without letting TBM's define us. Jack Mormons are kinda incomprehensible to me because of what they put themselves true believing in something but not living it. Like if I'd stayed a NOM or something. Truly believing Mormonism to be a hoax but not living in the free exmo world. The guilt of living "wrong" somehow. I wish there were some way to get through to those who are half-way out and ease there burden but there isn't much you can do with those trapped within their own mind and their own beliefs.

My wife is a strange Mormon type: a cross between a jack and a TBM. She doesn't have a calling, doesn't pay tithing, doesn't have a temple recommend, wears garments only 80% of the time (often not at night), attends church maybe 75% of the time... But believes 110%!!! She doesn't question the truth of "the gospel", only her worthiness. She is miserable because she is plagued with guilt, which makes her depressed. But the only solution she prescribes herself is MORE CHURCH!

It is particularly challenging trying to share the truth with people like this because they place the blame for all Mormonism's failed claims on themselves. Before they can accept it is the doctrine that is wrong, they need to test it to the limit, but for a variety of reasons they won't.

EDIT: I should also add that she was a virgin on our wedding night, has never touched a drop of alcohol, tea or coffee in her life, doesn't swear (much), attended Seminary and Institute, would have loved to study at BYU (though thankfully she never applied), is keen on her geneology etc... and yet doesn't read her scriptures, barely every prays, hasn't attended the temple since our wedding etc.

She is a hypocrit. She is paralysed by her belief system. She clearly doesn't enjoy church, yet doesn't enjoy "the world" either. Even if she gave up attending church for good, she would never be likely to drink or live like a "normal" person. She needs to know the truth, which could truly "set her free". I believe the church is the root cause of her depression, yet she believes it is her "not living it" that is to blame.

I hate the f***ing church.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2011 09:35AM by freeman.

freeman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> She is miserable because she is
> plagued with guilt, which makes her depressed. But
> the only solution she prescribes herself is MORE
> CHURCH!

That has to be the best description of a harmful addiction that I've read in a long time. Substitute "heroin" for "church" and it fits perfectly.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2011 11:35AM by baura.

baura Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> freeman Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > She is miserable because she is
> > plagued with guilt, which makes her depressed.
> But
> > the only solution she prescribes herself is
> MORE
> > CHURCH!
>
> That has to be the best description of a harmful
> addiction that I've read in a long time.
> Substitute "heroin" for "church" and it fits
> perfectly.


I was thinking...MORE COWBELL...but this is a serious topic, so I'll keep to myself..

Interesting thread. Jack Mormons are an interesting breed. Thought your readers might be interested in this post from The Cultural Hall, "How to be a Jack Mormon" http://www.theculturalhallpodcast.com/2012/06/how-to-be-a-jack-mormon/

Jack Mormons are like a race, not a religion. Kinda like Jews that never observe holidays nor go to synagogue.

Ron

My husband is Mr. Jack Mormon and he is a walking contradiction and has to live with the fact that he is a hypocrite. How would you like to hang on to a religion so fiercely that it is more important to you than your wife, yet you don't follow it or even go or tithe and possibly not even pray? I don't get it either. At least when I was Mormon I tried. I wish I understood better how his mind can compartmentalize and think one way and do another with seemingly no guilt or issue.

"Maybe there is more, but the Utah Jack Mormon is an unusual breed..."

It's funny you say that because I met a mormon from Houston. We both live/work in Utah now.

He said that Utah mormons are just plain weird. He also said that if he has kids, he won't be raising them in Utah.

He's a young guy but has no overriding pressure to marry and have kids.

His sister goes to college in Utah and has been judged very harshly by the other girls at school for having a....uh....um...

a TATTOO!!!!!!!

The arguement I've detested lately from my fave Jack-mo is, "Well, every religion is like this!"

Ughh...if every religion is like this, why would you let your children be baptized into any religion?!? And don't give me the ridiculous notion that "it was the child's choice." you don't let your kid eat Skittles and chicken nuggets every night. because "it was his or her choice, " now do you?

They want membership without doing anything for it. It's like a superstition. They don't like to think or read about it.

Often they raise heck in their youth and get religion later.

They can be charming and amusing but the hypocrisy really gets to me.

There is a subset of jack Mormon - single mothers who attend church "for their kids". They are jack in the sense that they do not involve themselves with any part of the religion for their own benefit. They usually let everybody in the ward know that they are not interested in church for their sake, but for their kids.

Fine. Their choice. But why force your kids to attend a church that you aren't prepared to live yourself?

this is the type that causes me much head scratching...

my sister falls into this category - she'll go out and party all saturday night (good for her, btw) but then makes sure that her kids are all uniformed for church the next morning...

i thought is was just a phase but it's been going on for years even though she's married to a cool nevermo now... i still don't get it

her oldest is a teen so it won't be long before she'll be paying for a mission - and possibly even excluding herself from a wedding or two...

weird

When I was younger, all of us who were mormons but liked to break the WoW and never go to church called ourselves Jackmormons. We were members and for the most part believed the church was true, but we didn't have time or desire to be bossed around by church people. Myself, I dabbled in a few different sorts of 'spirituality' like TM and read a bunch about satanism and took acid too many times.

Although a rebellious streak ran through my blood, it was the TBM holier than thou youth and the leaderships kids who drove me to the ranks of the hoods and the jackmormons. They were cool to me and the TBM kids beat me up all the time...where else could you turn?

The hypocrisy in my hometown of 99% LDS was astounding. The Bishops kid bringing girlie mags to Mutual and then getting people in trouble if they brought one. Leadership kids breaking all the rules but still passing Sacrament, while those of us who were not of the elite would be told in front of PH meeting that for getting caught going into town for coffee we would not be able to Usher or Pass.

Admittedly, being a Jackmormon creates its own hypocrisy. You could skip church for years church and watch bad movies and drink, but stand up for the church and claim to believe it at the same time. I know quite a few people who will never go to church, but fight to the death to protect it from evil speaking.

Oh Lard-Gawd, YES!!! I was married to one for 18 years - he smoked, drank, had a porn addiction, chased young woman, wasn't honest in his business dealings etc.

I was the perfect Mormon Convert and did *everything* I was supposed to do. He liked me on that high, exalted Molly-Mormon platforn. He figured I could indoctrinate his kids, and he could latch onto my temple robes to fly right into the CK with me.

At about year 12, I discovered the truth and resigned from the church . . . taking all of my kids with me. JackMo hubby refused to leave. He stayed and straddled the fence, just in case it was all true after all. He was hedging his bets!

Now he's divorcing me for exiting the church and not living the Gospel standards. Go figure . . .

Shannon ;o)
Formerly JackMormon'sWife

Sounds more like a Jack-ASS... and that coming from ME! Good riddance to him :-p

I agree with flyboy21.

I have to add two more. Status seeking mormons. These are the mormons that are mormons just to get ahead in the world. (of utah) And mormons that are in it just to get whatever hand outs they can

I've never been chastised for anything the way I was chastised by a jack mormon.

My sin? I made the comment that I thought the american indians were from Asia. That was in 1974. Talk about revelation! I was more tuned in than the so called prophet.

I used to be a Cafeteria Mormon. Not being able to swallow it, but attempting to establish some sort of accord with it. That failed. I have some sort of brain damage, I guess. I can't compartmentalize.

elcid Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Someone else, in another thread, stated that he
> (she) thought that "Jack Mormons" were the worst
> type of Mormons. They don't go to church, don't
> hold TRs, etc., but they will defend the church if
> it is attacked, even more so than TBMs.
>
> I have a sister who is a Jack Mormon. She is very
> opinionated and can display a nasty temper. I was
> surprised a while back when I sent her some tidbit
> of Mormon history and she responded with very
> ignorant of the facts logic and with alot of anger
> at me for "running down the church" (you could
> argue I wasn't, I just sent her something
> historical and interesting...).
>
> Needless to say I don't send her stuff anymore.
> She has NEVER been active so I just don't get her
> love of anything Mormon. She has never been
> married and has stated that the church doesn't
> accept her as a never-married. So it adds to the
> strangeness of her defending the LDS church.
>
> I tried to categorize Mormons. There are several
> brands:
>
> 1. Utah Mormons
> 1a. Jack Utah Mormons
> 1b. TBM Utah Mormons
> 1c. Utah Mormons from elsewhere (they don't fit
> in...)
>
> 2. Outside of Utah, but in the US Mormons
>
> 3. Intellectual Mormons (this is a tough group to
> be in...)
>
> 4. Converts
>
> 5. NOMs and I guess some of us (me)--ones who have
> figured it out and don't believe.
>
> Maybe there is more, but the Utah Jack Mormon is
> an unusual breed...

Add Gay Utah Mormons to this list... especially those, who you, as a straight man, have to convince them that they're intolerant towards gay people despite being gay themselves.

Personally I prefer a jack Mormon
(someone who admits they aren't living up to standards) than a liar who hides their sin but acts like they are holy.

Jack Mormons are in a liminal state. They are taking their religion for granted because they're either halfway out the door of it or were never into it in the first place.

I feel bad for them. I've lived with ALOT of them as roommates during my stint in college some time after I left Mormonism, and like I said in another post, most of them seem like they're in it for the social status, and riding the waves of the perks it creates like acceptance into a popular group.

Not sure if they are the worst, though. Maybe worse in their own way. True believers judge and pity you, Jack Mormons will just take advantage of you--my experience.

I don't know if they are the worst, but they do amaze me. If you do not practice it or live it, why be a part of it?

I have a good friend who drinks, gambles, womanizes, yet at the same time claims to believe in the mormon church 100%. He claims when he is older he will settle down and be a good Mormon.

It is weird to me. My problem with him is not his hypocrisy about the church, but that he is a bad person in general. He lies repeatedly, and cheated on his now ex-wife their entire marriage. Funny thing is she was not a mormon, and he converted her before they got married. Worst thing she ever did I'm sure considering what a scumbag he is.

I read a college football forum where there are a lot of Mormons. I remembered a dozen of their monikers because they were defending TSCC last fall. "I'm a Mormon and we don't believe that" sort of statements. So Memorial Day weekend, whaddya know, about half of them posted on a thread about what they were doing for the holiday saying they were grilling and named the beer or wine they were serving with it.

I have no problem with Mormons having a drink or two, but why pipe up on a football forum of all places defending TSCC if you're not even really Mormon?

All of the Jack Mormons I know are the losers of their family. I think that they don't go to church not because they have done their homework and know it is a lie like ex-Mormons. They are just not church type people. They all tend to be slackers and rebellious. For some reason they really irritate me.

Overheard some Mormon women making fun of the jack Mormons they've met in Utah County, and they started talking about this webpage :)

http://twitter.com/#!/ProvoAllStar

I was married to a Jack Mormon who claimed to believe in the church, yet he liked to drink beer with his frat buddies, and said that it was bad for business to turn down a glass of wine or other beverage in a business function. This was the same person who when I was a naive investigator, had a major fit when I drank iced tea in front of him. At the time, I thought that since the tea was iced, it was allowed.

He was also a womanizer, and when I later found out that he lied about how he got an STD when he cheated on an ex and gave her the disease, I made sure that after filing for divorce, I saw the doctor and got tested for everything. Fortunately for me, every test came back negative.

My brother and SIL are in a weird category that I call Mormon, but not Mormon. They got sealed in the temple, but are okay with getting tattoos and drinking. Yet they have the balls to tell me I do not understand the religion, because of things I have said or posted.

My husband is a jack mormon. He rarely goes to church, no tithing, no recommend, etc. But he will never criticize anything the church does.

He also seems to think he doesn't measure up. A few years ago I asked him why he doesn't pay tithing.
His answer "Because I don't have enough faith."

Mine is also Jack now and Jack forever. Paralyzed from exploring anything else or thinking anything else. He thinks he has the best of both worlds and doesn't realize he is short changed. Believes Mormon women are the ideal but if he had one he would hate it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/17/2012 09:30PM by suckafoo.

What allowed us to leave but others can't?

I've tweaked the OP list a little bit.


1. Utah Mormons
1a. Jack Utah Mormons
1b. TBM Utah Mormons
1c. Utah Mormons from elsewhere (they don't fit in...)

2. Outside of Utah, but in the US Mormons
2a. Mormon Corridor Mormons
2b. Outside of the Mormon Corridor Mormons
2c. Military Mormons (pretty worldly, these folks)

3. Intellectual Mormons (this is a tough group to be in...)

4. Converts

5. NOMs and I guess some of us (me)--ones who have figured it out and don't believe.