I'm curious...I'm very seriously considering leaving the church but it seems that many of the posters on this board are atheists. I am by no means an atheist, and not because I need religion to think I am a moral person; I just truly believe in a higher power and am very spiritually inclined. I would probably describe myself as Protestant, and go to a Protestant church if I do leave, because of my cultural background and comfort zone, although I respect all other beliefs (including atheism) and identify with the beliefs of many other religions/belief systems (Hinduism and the Bahai faith in particular) to the point that I know I'll never believe that there's "one true church" (seriously, what does that even mean?). I believe in God and Jesus Christ, but I see Jesus' resurrection as possibly figurative rather than literal. Basically, I am not Mormon material, what with all the "bodies of flesh and bone" glorified man ridiculousness, eternal polygamy, subjugation of women/minorities/gays/single people/people who have normal desires/everyone who isn't an old, ultra-conservative, sexually repressed, married white guy from Utah, etc.

So where do you go from here? Why is it that many people who leave Mormonism seem to leave behind religion altogether? Am I mistaken in that--does it just seem that way from this board? Is it that people have been very damaged by this extremely organized, cultish religion, so they want to get away from anything like it?

Any advice/personal stories would be helpful! Thanks!

I like going to the United Church of Christ. They're friendly, whether or not you're a member. The sermons are meaty and usually have something to do with love. I like their music. And they don't care that I'm not a believer.

That said, your mileage may vary so you should check out different churches for yourself. My best friend gave me this advice "Think of church as live theater, then pick the one with the best performance."

P.S. One of the best things about not belonging to any religion is that I get to have my own beliefs and define what is sacred to me.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/2011 05:54PM by wine country girl.

These former missionaries along with families found Biblical Non-denom Christianity.
http://www.sacredgrovesonline.org/

http://www.sacredgrovesonline.org/videos/adamsroad_lifeofmissionary.htm

The problem with most religions, as most of us know, is if you don't subscribe to every bit of doctrine, you're considered a heathen. I consider myself a spiritual person, but I pretty much follow my own path, and don't force it on others.

I left the mormon church and it took me a long time to recover and shape my beliefs. Today, I am non-denominational Christian. I don't attend church. I don't feel anyone needs to explain to me what I believe. I raise my kids to work hard, be law abiding, honest and respectful of other peoples beliefs. I still have a lot of family that is LDS, and good for them if it works for them.
I am happier, healthier, wealthier than I ever was as an LDS girl and I have learned to stand up for myself. Hooray for recovery. Best of luck with yours~

When I realized the LDS religion was a very bad fit for me, I went back and re-examined the spiritual thoughts and experiences I had had throughout my life. I noticed that the vast majority of them revolved around certain themes. I began researching this in great detail. I am now a follower of neo-Pagan Druidic religion. And it brings me more happiness and spiritual fulfillment in one day than the Mormon church brought me in all the time I was a member, combined.

I don't know if I belong to any certain belief. Just try to do the best I can.

I am a christian but what church I attend or what theology I follow is irrelevant to your situation. There are plenty of good churches just about everywhere and if your belief in God remains strong you will have every opportunity to find the one that fits for you. Take your time, check them out and make your choice based on what fits, your needs and where you might contribute. There is no hurry and most do not require your name on a membership role for you to participate or attend.

I'm a Shaiva (into Shiva) yogi, advaita vedanta which is much like Buddhism.

One point, you do not need "God" to be a "spiritual" person. Many of us godless evil atheists have great "spiritual" lives. We have the same sort of experiences that you have and attribute to God, we just don't attribute them to a magic sky daddy.

I was raised an Atheist but investigated religion (I ended up focusing on the LDS) to try to figure out what I was missing with this God thing. Though I never was convinced about god and never stopped being an atheist, I went back to being a happy atheist when I finally figured out once and for all how silly and often how immoral (yes, even the Jesus story I find immoral) all that religious stuff sounded. Oh, and also that I figured out they they have nothing to show (prove) that there is a God or that their version of God is any more valid than the 4000 + gods that people have claimed to exist.

I have highly "spiritual" experiences meditating in a forest, walking along a deserted, fogy, northern California beach, etc..

but hey, if you need a god to have these sorts of feelings, more power to you.

I don't "need" a god to have these sorts of feelings, I get those too, from the same experiences--I just believe in God (not a "magic sky daddy" as you call it, as I don't call him/her Heavenly Father or think of him/her as my male parent) as strongly as you believe that there ISN'T a God (or gods).

I made a point of not insulting atheists in my original post. I respect them as much as anybody else. I just don't relate to having no belief in a higher power. Also, some atheists don't seem to like the word "spiritual," as they attribute those feelings you're talking about to the world around them, and their senses, etc., and not any divine power. So some of your fellow atheists might not agree that they have "spiritual" lives

Or are you one of those people that have made up your own personal version of God, thus, knowingly, believe in a made up God?

I don't believe in God, because nobody can answer some basic questions like "witch of the thousands of gods it the true god?" I do not believe in God because there is no empirical evidence that there is a god, thus best logic practices would mean we assume there is no god.

So, What God is the true God? What empirical evidence do you have that there is a God (and no, the existence of life or something else is not evidence of God unless you can show proof that god did indeed create it)?

BTW, invisible sky daddy is just ONE of many names for "God" what give you the right to look down on me for using just one of many names for God?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2011 12:35AM by MJ.

I didn't say I looked down on you for anything. I was pointing out that that is only the Mormon view of God, and most other religions do not think of their god as a father; so I don't attribute my spiritual experiences to a "magic sky daddy."

I believe that there are other paths to knowledge and understanding besides empirical evidence, particularly after studying scientific "facts" and realizing that scientists don't know much about the universe and can't explain most of the mysteries of life, and they do their own enormous share of assuming--and basing theories and hypotheses on extremely shaky assumptions. I believe that science itself is a religion, and a "god" to some people (which is fine for them). I do not believe that it is flawless or the only way to find out the actual "truth." There is absolutely no quantitative/empirical evidence for love, emotions, loyalty, compassion or any of the many things we experience daily, but that does not mean that they don't exist.

It seems that you are the one who is bitter and wants to look down on others for not sharing your faith (or, rather, lack thereof). I said absolutely nothing against atheists and I did not wish to provoke an argument. But I am curious as to why you insist that you have a "spiritual" life as an atheist, since spirituality by definition deals with the intangible, immaterial, transcendent and/or divine, and not the tangible things of this world.

http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=spiritual

Which of the 4000+ Gods do you believe in, or are you just making one up, thus knowingly believing in a made up God? Or are you now saying that you are believing in a God that NOBODY else but you has found by your magical, unexplained path to knowledge?

Seriously, you say "I believe that there are other paths to knowledge and understanding besides empirical evidence, particularly after studying scientific 'facts'..." Then what EXACTLY is your evidence? A burning bosom, like the Mormons use to "prove" their religion is true? What validation do you have that your "other paths" lead to reliable results, or to an actual truth?" Seriously, you could "believe" in pink unicorns, but that does NOT make it a truth, neither does believing in these "other paths", so what are they and what PROVES that they lead to truths?

You are quick to bash science, yet you offer no alternative. I do not believe science is a religion, it is NOT A RELIGION to me. Upon investigation, I find the scientific method to be the most reliable method of gaining new knowledge, and nothing more. IF someone, perhaps you, could point to a more reliable method for doing this, I would change my mind. As of yet, I have not seen anything better. In fact, I have not even seen an alternative to science provided by you.

So, what exactly is your path to the knowledge of your God?

And other sources have quite different definitions... as has been pointed out here, dictionaries only report how they have seen the word used, they do not control nor dictate the meaning of the word, but lets look at Websters shall we:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spiritual

: of, relating to, consisting of, or affecting the spirit : incorporeal <spiritual needs>
2
a : of or relating to sacred matters <spiritual songs> b : ecclesiastical rather than lay or temporal <spiritual authority> <lords spiritual>
3
: concerned with religious values
4
: related or joined in spirit <our spiritual home> <his spiritual heir>
5
a : of or relating to supernatural beings or phenomena b : of, relating to, or involving spiritualism : spiritualistic
— spir·i·tu·al·ly adverb
— spir·i·tu·al·ness noun
See spiritual defined for English-language learners »

Clearly Websters allows for godless spirituality



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2011 11:43AM by MJ.

My journey out of the Mormon Church caused me to begin looking at all religion with the same critical eye. That's how many of us start along the journey to atheism.

Today I describe myself as a hopeful, but doubtful skeptic. I want it all to be true, but I just don't think it is.

But, I would say that you have all the time in the world to make a decision. Nothing has to be decided overnight. Try out as many churches as you can, and find the one which is the best fit for you.

You don't have to jump from one church and straight into a commitment with another. Shop around.

Belief.net is kind of interesting. There's a questionnaire that you can take which sets out to try and help you find the religion which best fits your belief.

Since I left the LDS Church, I've taken the questionnaire again several times. It's amazing how much it changes with each bit of knowledge that I've managed to gain as I study different philosophies and catch up on the science I've missed out on over the years.

Dude.

I can perform weddings and will gladly do so for free if there is an open bar. ;-)

I spent many years studying world religions and spiritual philosophies when I was younger. Still do to a lesser extent. I also attended many different churches out of interest.

My own beliefs are eclectic, highly individualized, and always evolving.

I haven't entirely ruled out joining a church again one day. The UU's would probably be the best fit for me, but the more liberal Protestant churches are also a possibility.

I do not believe its veracity word for word. But I do get a lot of very good advice and encouragement from reading it.

I am a lone Christian, I suppose. I don't belong to any established sect or church in my area. Right now I read scripture and pray and every month or so I buy some toiletries and donate them to one of the churches downtown outreach centers for the poor and homeless.

I was feeling bad about the devastation in Japan today and ended up going to Target then donating about $30 of soap, toothpaste, razors, and shampoo. I've experienced unemployment despite having a master's degree. It's scary when you are running out of money for essentials and need a hand. So now that I'm making a good living again, I hope I can help someone else get thru their bad times.

After the LDS church burned the religion out of me, it took years to figure out what I believe. Simply put, I consider myself a spiritual person who follows the teachings of a man named Jesus. I now know that I do not need to pay money to a church to be considered a "worthy person". I do not need to believe in all the dogma of any particular church to gain access to the hereafter. I enjoy studying about ancient history and learning why we believe what we believe. I have found that most people do not know why they believe in their religion, they do so because it is a part of there social structure and is not based on anything that has to do with study or historical truth. I finally feel free and content. Good luck to you in your search for truth and happiness.

I haven't attended any church since dropping the Morg. But I still love to read the Bible. I try to read the NT in Greek periodically and really enjoy following the historical Jesus debates/dialogue between the scholars.

That is about as far as I have taken it since giving up on Moronism.

mormonism scorched my faith and I went out of the church into a "mormon crisis". I dabbled in christianity, finally getting it into my thick head that mormonism never was, never is, and never will be christianity, long story. part of the reason I left mormonism was due to the fact that reality did not match up in many ways to the logical story of mormonism which is mostly a lie to cover another lie to cover another lie. Christianity has its issues (creationism, anti-abortion, extreme evangelicals, past crusades, etc..) but mostly it is a good thing and hopefully not based on too many lies, or at least the lies are so old, by now you can prove them one way or another.

Don't expect me to do anything for you, just believe in me and give me money.

"Why is it that many people who leave Mormonism seem to leave behind religion altogether? Am I mistaken in that--does it just seem that way from this board?"

There are some who would answer this question by saying. "I studied my way out of Mormonism, and I studied my way out of Christianity too."

They would be half correct. You can study all you want out of religion, but unless you believe in the correct Jesus (RAPTOR KIND!!!), then you are a silly goose and possibly have a smelly face.

If you wish not not be such a silly goose and for a face that smells as fresh as a summer's ham--believe in me and give me your money.

Aren't you afraid the big bad Atheists will get you ?

Again, I did not say anything against atheists. Just because I'm not one doesn't mean I think they're bad, evil, or scary. I don't understand why people are so defensive. And just because I don't want to follow the extreme, often demeaning, cult-like teachings of Mormonism does not mean that I have to think all religions will be the same, because they are not.

I am now sort of Pagan. Some people call me a witch even. (And I think that's kind of funny so I go along with that..)

I'm not part of any organised group as I've had enough of other people telling me what to believe. But I live my own life in my own way.

I take my cues from Nature, I live with the rythm of the seasons and try to be as 'natural' as I can be.

It gives me a spiritiual connection that I feel I need. I can't just be a complete atheïst, that doesn't feel right for me.
But I don't believe that we are governed by a conscious creator either. A creative power would really not be bothered with the day to day faff of human life.

To me, it's about balance, and the natural laws of cause and effect.
Works for me. ;-)

Hide yo kids hide yo wife and hid yo husband cuz they rapin everybody out there!

I am at the beginning of a new part of my spiritual journey, one that has left organized religion behind.

For now I am just trying to learn who I am within this shell of flesh.

I am not too concerned with the existence of a God external to myself right now.. if there is one of importance to me I'm sure I'll find out about it/him/her sooner or later.

I don't believe in god anymore. I believe in the goodness of humans though. I have faith that there is good in the world and that helps me to motivate myself to do what I think is right. I am less interested in how you are spiritiual as much as what does spirituality help you do.

When I left the church I consequently left Christianity because most of the cog-dis I used to believe in the church disappeared for Christianity as well.

I am not disrespecting any of you who are still Christians, I simply view Christianity in the same vein as the morg, with just as many problems requiring me to use cognitive dissonance to continue to believe.

With that said, I will tell you where I am regarding belief in a higher power. I have studied numerous religious beliefs since leaving and to be honest, any religious organization that asks for donations in the form of, "pay your way to heaven(tithing and such)" are out for me. I like many of the ideas presented in Hinduism, and I really like many of the ideas in Paganism. In fact, my wife and I were married by a Pagan priestess in Las Vegas last year and it was one of the most beautiful ceremonies I have ever witnessed. But in reality I don't buy into any of the religions currently being professed in this big wide world that I am aware of.

I have kind of adopted my own belief system. I believe there is a Higher Power, but I don't have a firm idea of who or what that Power is. I firmly believe in Karma and that one will pay for their deeds and actions (or receive as the case may be) through this law. I believe in reincarnation because it is something I have studied in depth and it makes a lot of sense to me. Aside from that I am still learning and forming my opinion on God and all things divine.

Religion wants me to find Heaven, Spirituality wants me to find myself.
I choose the later.