Posted by:
JoD3:360
(
)
Date: March 28, 2011 05:43AM
It is good to hear from you again!
I agree with so much that you've written. Finding out that the most important thing in the world isn't real is truly a very hard thing. Many times, even recently, I find myself wishing I had never discovered the truth. Leaving the church was extremely painful. Even today when it is a simple matter to pull up false statements and changed doctrines, there is, every once in a while, a hole a mile wide in my soul.
It is most fortunate that my wife and kids are onboard with me, but those I counted as friends are not. The brothers and sisters and parents are not- yea, even the jackmos and the exed one are accepted, but not the one that walked away.
I truly don't have anything against the people I knew at church and am friendly to them when we meet in passing, yet always wary of confrontation. I miss their handshake and pat on the back. I miss their acceptance of me, mending my broken person, and I mess teaching them and them teaching me, but I know that unless I pretended to my utmost ability, I could never be among them again.
I know too, that returning, whether under pretense just to get along or by sincere belief, people like us could never teach a class without them doubting our sincerity, we could never participate in class without a carefully trained ear focused on our every word ready to report any deviation.
Truly it sucks to give up the one thing that binds us all together and be left to kick against the pricks as they call it, but when something is as blatantly false as this is laid bare, no matter how uncomfortable, there are those of us who, like you, just can not live a lie.
After all, it is integrity that the church demands of us, and we should show nothing less.
From "Integrity," from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:
Vices that undermine integrity-
Arrogance, dogmatism, fanaticism, monomania, preciousness, sanctimoniousness, and rigidity. These are all traits that can defeat integrity in so far as they undermine and suppress attempts by an individual to critically assess and balance their desires, commitments, wishes, changing goals and other factors
Contrary to Hinckleys Book title,
ii) The "Standing for something" or Respect for Others Interpretation
On this view, integrity is not defined by which beliefs one must stand up for but by how one stands up for them. ON this interpretation, integrity requires us to be honest open and public about what our beliefs are. Integrity requires us to stand up publicly for our beliefs in addition to acting on them. This shows respect for others in our moral community by not dissembling or hiding where we stand and by fostering the moral debate that is crucial if a community is to make good decisions and if moral change is going to be possible. A society of liars and dissemblers is not one that is going to have good moral or political debates or make good moral or political decisions.
http://philosophy.csusb.edu/~tmoody/Past%20classes/F05%20191%20integrity.htmHe can hardly demand our integrity when he himself openly dissembled or hir where he stood on national TV and then lied to his own people about it.
To see the lie and then walk away regardless of the pain is a sign of true moral integrity. Something that the Prophet can scarcly recognize.