I know that everyone does this at one point or another, but I really wanted to thank you all. You've made me brave. Really, really brave. I have very few of the problems ya'll do: my husband joined when I did, but became "jack" very quickly; my Ward has left me alone (is that "good?" or should I be insulted?); I don't have any immediate family in the Morg, so they're all just terribly relieved that we left.

The main difference for me is that I LIKE organized religion. I like having people I can call on who believe it's their JOB to be my friend! I like having guidelines (on which I'm always ready to use my crayons to draw outside said lines~LOL). When I told my brother that I was returning to the Catholic Church (or becoming a "Cat-licker," as he jokes) he said, "Thank God!" I asked why he said that and he said it was the only time he really remembers me being happy as an adult. (Note, my bro is NOT Catholic, so it wasn't like I was rejoining the family fold.)

So, now I have a fun, Irish Priest, who seems to understand me more than the Bishop who's known me for 20 years. And you know how the Bishop always wants the "details" of sinning? My Priest said (you have to hear this in his Irish Brogue) "You know, a good confession can be done in three minutes flat." I sort of said, "HUH? So I just list my sins as fast as I can?" "No," he replied. "It's just that not EVERY sin needs a story..." God I love that man. Oh yeah...there's coffee after church, too!

After a month of belonging to my new parish, I called the woman who is the head of the "Welcoming Committee." I told her I was new in the Parish - now...Welcome me, dammit!LOL She said no one had ever done that before. Then I had to practically BEG for some assignment...I'm now a Lector (reading the scriptures during Liturgy). But, again, I don't think they were used to having people show up who were so....willing. One person said they were gonna have to "steal...er...cough....convert" some more Mormons, if they work as hard I do!LOL

Now for my True Confession for y'all: I love the garments. The 100% cotton chemise is my personal fav. And TSCC loses money on every piece sold (they're down to about $2.50 a piece, now). I know most of you HATED them and could not wait to get out of them. I told my Priest about them and that I would miss them and he said, "We don't care about your underwear! If you still want to wear them, do!" So I do. But not always...just usually. I find women's "worldly" underwear to be expensive, itchy and sweaty. Feel free to stone me with coffee beans.

And THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! You are all the most mixed-up, wonderful, funny, frustrating, smart people I know. (Sounds of applause!!!)

I'm glad for you that you've found a place in a community that fills your need. I became, very briefly, Catholic about 20 years after I left the Morg. It was largely due to the influence of an Irish priest in Southern California who happened to be a shirttail relation of my (Irish-born) husband. (The priest had grown up with both of my husband's parents, and his brother is married to one of my husband's aunts.)

I mostly enjoyed my brief time in that community; this particular priest's charm and his way with people were very special. I too was a lector, and I loved that responsibility.

There came a time when it no longer worked for me, of course, and gradually I let go of the whole Christian-God tradition. (RfM played no small part in that transition.) By this time, the priest I loved so much had died, and the man who replaced him in the parish was a disaster who drove away people. And the slimy cardinal of the Los Angeles diocese drove away even more people with his handling of the sexual predators of children. So I no longer practice or believe. (But that's me, not you, of course.)

I will say this about priests like the one in your parish. There are a great many wonderful priests and other religious who have with sincerity devoted their lives to the people, acting with integrity and honesty. And it burns me up that the hierarchy -- including the present and last pope down through many cardinals and archbishops -- have betrayed them by ignoring/covering up the sexual abuse, while the good men and women in the trenches have to go about their work with twin burdens of their own sacrifice while still facing the hurt among the people. I've known priests who are truly good men, and while I no longer accept their theology, I know they are doing their best under worsening circumstances.

Anyway, good luck to you!

we have all had our share of *other people* people choosing what underwear we wear.

no one is going to crowd on you just because you like something different

at least now you get to choose your own underwear...whether you prefer the tiniest thong or thermal longjohns, it's now up to you.

Even though I am not a theist, I'm glad you are where you feel happy.

What a contrast you've drawn between the morg and a church where you have flexibility and respect.

It's sort of funny that I AM so comfortable there...they like to be the "one and only" as much as TSCC. I suppose I need to see hospitals being built, run and funded by the TSCC before I believe that they care as much about religion as they do their corporation.

I'm not one to tell "dirty" jokes...although the double entendre is not beyond me. But when I was "in" it seemed as though I was always making people gasp. On a similar note I never quoted Mormon scriptures during my sacrament talks (except to show similarities to other religion's scriptures). I thought I'd never be asked again, but after the first time I became my own little ward superstar. The reason? The poor people in the pews got to hear things that WEREN'T the exact same thing they'd heard for the last 50 years.

I managed to avoid the Kama Sutra, but many East Indian scriptures DID show up in my talks. People talked (NICE things!) for weeks afterwards.

Which begs the question, how bored ARE these people?LOL I mean, really, if I can hold their attention and have 'em talking about it, could you imagine what effect an actual prophet of God would have on them?

The really nice thing about Catholicism is that members can ignore the leaders.
No one gives a crap if you show up or what you do, such decisions are left to the individual.

In fact, the general membership is usually ahead of the leaders by decades or centuries, and eventually the church follows the general trend.

Actually, the anonimity of the Catholic Church is one of the things I like...and the fact that I can go to Church on Saturday Night AND go to Sunday Brunch! Whoo Hoo...Normal Life!