I just resigned from the church and the bishop sent me an email to express his concern. The main theme is that revelation trumps doubt. I'm so very tempted to send a response to lay down the well documented facts that TBMs either do not know about or chose to ignore. I don't know what good can come of it other than to defend my position. Is it worth my trouble?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/2011 11:41PM by Unchained.
In mormonsim for the same reason he does not believe in Islam and Mohammad.
You could always give him a heart felt plea that he return to the belief in Santa Clause and he would be much happier being on the nice list compared to the non believers on the naughty list. Tell him if he sings jingle bells and claps his hands really hard everyday for a month his belief in Santa will grow and he once again will be filled with Xmas cheer.
Well first off, having resigned you have no responsibility to him.
It can be helpful if you need to get it off your chest, and it will be at least a good opportunity to state your case.
Since you have already resigned though, I'd not engage in anything further than sending him your most reasoned argument and then block his email.
For me, I debated with mine for several months before leaving the church. He was very understanding at first because I wanted it to be true and I needed serious answers, but as time went on and my boldness grew it became very unpleasant. In the end, the only thing I got out of it was that her knew very well that I did not leave due to sin or offense.
"Common sense trumps appeals to invisible authorities and magical thinking".
Or this one: "Personal boundaries trump meddling religious leaders"
Or this one: "Mind your own business and I'll mind mine."
It blows my mind sometimes that people actually think they can claim that GOD HIMSELF is on their side and you are supposed to just take their word for it.
Unless you'd like to practice your debate skills. He clearly isn't thinking logically, so it's not like he's going to actually think about what you say.
Yeah, you're right. It's so frustrating though. When I finally discovered all the evidence against JS and the gang, I felt like I needed to share it with everyone. I still do. But I'm starting to get the feeling that no one on the inside will hear it. It's a shame too, because real Church History is much more fascinating than the stuff you get spoon fed week after week after week.
I felt the same way. When someone would ask why we quit going, I'd bombard them with a ton of information. And that was really for two reasons- one I needed to vent, and two it's possible that any one of those items might spark some interest.
My wife on the other hand simply says, because Bishops and Stake Presidents cut the throats of little kids at Mountain Meadows.
Or a response like, "Thank you for concern. I have no further need or desire for contact, as I am not a member of your church." He likely *needs* you to debate him so he can feel angry and solve his dilemma of your leaving that way. A debate with you would also serve for material for him with which to warn the flock.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2011 02:09AM by robertb.
I am in the same position. I sent my resignation letter in last month. At first I received a letter about how dangerous this is regarding my salvation and eternity etc. Blah Blah! Getting out of the evil church has made my picture of eternity much better I agree. When I called the church offices in SLC, they said "we don't want to keep anyone in the church if they don't want to be in it." So I asked them to make the resignation take place immediately. They want a bishop to make sure that I am who I say I am and then they will do it. Yeah right! Funny thing is, I have lived here for 14 years and have NEVER met the bishop prick. So, if he says he can verify who I am, he is doing it by some evil guide like Lou C. Furr or B. L. Zebubb. I told the lady on the phone that I'd never met the Bishop prick and she was surprised. She called me "sister" and I told her that I am not her sister. I will have nothing to do with that evil organization of money hungry creeps. So I say if you want to write a letter of what you found, post it here and I will add to it and then we can both sent these letters to the church head honchos and to the Bishop pricks!
I appreciate the offer. I'm not really looking to pick a fight at this point. I just want somebody in the world of believing Mormons to look at the evidence against JS or the BoM and at the minimum acknowledge that I have some claim to my position that the Church is not true. Right now everyone thinks I'm crazy. That I've gone off the deep end. They don't want to see or read any of it. They want me to read, pray, fast, and come back to church. I'm like, "I've done that for nearly 30 years, and it hasn't done it for me". Interestingly though, no one has come forward and said they had some vision-based testimony. Everyone is like, "Well I learned the church is true over time..." Gee I wonder why that is...
Please share the truth with him. You don't have to go into a long essay - just point him to some websites if you want and tell him the version of church history you were taught is very inaccurate, enough so as to make the church's claims unfounded.
Or write it out - may make you feel better.
The best way to share what we know is by telling people that are willing to engage in some dialogue.
Do what you think is right. In other words, be true to yourself. If you weren't that kind of person you wouldn't have resigned in the first place. From now on you get to make your own decisions and be responsible for the results. There will be nobody else to blame for a oops and nobody else to take credit for your success.
Based on past experience I recommend the following. Have a discussion in a neutral public place. Be fearless in saying what you think and providing information to back it up. Be respectful and keep it as light as you can. Be friendly. Be ready to suggest alternatives to mormonism.