Posted by:
SusieQ#1
(
)
Date: April 26, 2016 11:44PM
I'm in the 70+ group. When I grew up (before I converted), we didn't have a phone (land line) for a long time, TV came on the scene when I was in high school, no Internet, of course.
It was a time when we were taught to accept what adults told us: school, church, the law, etc. Who would even consider that the information we were given could not be trusted?? It was rare to question an ecclesiastical leader. But I had questions. Didn't get any answers though.
Converting was accepted, at the time, in our little family, as joining another Christian church with the Savior at the head of the church. Nothing unusual about that. I come from a long line of Christian ministers. Was very active in CYF (Christian Youth Fellowship) from age 13 to graduating from high school.
I was never angry about finding out the story wouldn't hold up. I reacted with snickering and chuckling! I knew something was "wrong with the picture" but didn't realize it was Joseph Smith Jr until I did some research and realized there were no golden plates from any angel, the BOM was plagiarized from many other works, the people, places and things, were imaginary. The story of him running through the woods with them with psychics chasing him struck me funny. (The most fun I had was reading B H Roberts .. Comprehensive History of the LDS CHurch.. and my favorite chapter is: "Joseph was not the only psychic in the vicinity of Palmyra"!!
I was more disappointed, frustrated, annoyed with some of the leaders and their ridiculous ideas and terrible treatment than angry while I was a member in the latter years.
So I never went through an angry stage. Not necessary. Being a convert at college age probably helped a lot in that department. I didn't find anythign about religion to be a reason to be angry. The behavior of the members? Yes. They could be very, very disturbing.
It occurred to me that Mormonism was just one of a huge list of long standing religions that are based on metaphysical, supernatural, visionary claims that people believe by faith. The core is almost always the same. The parts are almost always the same: Specific leaders with authority, special writings, specific foods, clothing, music, architecture, etc.
The idea of pleasing a deity and savior in order to live the right kind of life to get some kind of reward in an afterlife has been a way to use religion to control believer's thinking, actions, behavior, dress, what they eat, traditions, rituals etc., for thousands of years. Nothing new about that.
I have maintained that faith is always more powerful than factual evidences of claims. The "spiritual witness" is so strong people have been known to die for those faith based belief throughout history of humanity. No real physical evidence is every necessary.
I never felt I was lied to, as such. I was taught a visionary claim which was not a new idea to me as a convert.
Mormonism is just easier (and smaller) to debunk it's claims as not likely to be factually based. But, that is not the point to the believer. It's the message, the claim by testimony - spiritual witness that holds the emotional bond/attachment for generations.
In this technological age, younger people, in particular, tend to be less interested in faith based claims and more interested in substantial, factually based evidence that will hold up to scrutiny.
I changed my mind about my religious beliefs. We can do that. I find it much more beneficial to take it out of the equation: release myself from it's pseudo power, and use my own good sense and my own brain to determine how I want to live my life. Of course, that is directly opposite to what religion claims a deity and savior want. But I don't care!
The important part, in my view, is to make peace with all of your life. There is no room for negativity for anymore than a minute or so. I've done that. It's great!
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/2016 11:46PM by SusieQ#1.