No, but I passed on a LOT of really nice guys because they didn't fit into my religious box.
Now I'm 35 and single, and I look back on a lot of those decisions with regret. It's not that I wanted to sleep around or anything, but I probably could have met someone to settle down with if I hadn't been so close minded about it. It's one of my biggest regrets regarding religion.
I can relate. Most Mormon girls would never give me the time of day, because I came home early from a mission, and wasn't a future bishop type. (Didn't help either that in the southeast USA, there are three single guys for every single woman.) On the other hand there were some gals, really nice women, who looking back, were probably more or less compatible with me, and would of been interested, but were not Mormon.
I almost didn't marry my husband because gasp he was inactive he drank some alcohol and didn't pay tithing. He got active again for me so that we could get married in the temple. I have apologized to him last year for my behavior. Oh and I did ask him if he was addicted to porn to which he responded "no are you?". I was looking for the source of why he was inactive. Come to find out that he knew church history more than I did.
No, we never avoided people bc of smoking/drinking (outside the Morridor that's kind of hard), but we do feel like what little time for socialization we had, we spent with other members, thereby reducing time we had to develop other friendships.
I come from a different point of view. I avoid time spent with people who drink too much, and smoke as it's the cause of so many deaths, some in my family. It was never about religion for me. I was a convert. I never did like to be around people who smoked, or drank alcohol. Didn't like the smell of either even as a child.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2014 09:38PM by SusieQ#1.
Friendships with a smoker or drinker were okay by me. But I could not have a significant other that smoked.
I tried once, but she would toss the cigarette butts on the lawn. She even tossed them on the lawns of people we were visiting and I'd have to go over and clean up after her. Tried to talk with her about it but to no avail. So I ended it :(
Worse. I cut a great friend out of my life simply because he watched "R" rated movies. He was the nicest guy ever. Such a great friend. But I was trying to be worthy of getting my calling and election made sure so I cut him out of my life. This is one of my biggest regrets in life.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2014 10:40PM by wolfsbane.
When they smoked and drank all my stash, I tried to forgive. When my parents sucked the breathing air out of my childhood, I tried to forgive. When the church shot arrows through my heart and head, I tried to forgive.
Then one morning I woke up and I was 49. I went into a Dennis Hopper rage and told them all to go consummate themselves.