Posted by:
Elder Berry
(
)
Date: June 12, 2018 12:15PM
Poster "Jay" was querying on the diversity of "us" as a community. This is a very generic question. I for one love interacting with ExMormons in the context of Mormonism no matter what they do or do not believe because we have a shared experience and can understand one another viscerally. Sometimes we can enjoy each other vice-erally with drinking.
I don't know about "our" diversity but I do know two things prominent in Mormonism which some of my little family tread water on in trying to uphold.
They are Absolutism - the belief in things black and whitely absolute such as the existence of God and Tolerance - the ability to let others do as they will in regards to lifestyle choices and beliefs with as little judgement as possible.
My Mormons have an easier time with Absolutism when it comes to their gods. Elohim and Jehovah/Jesus exist and their spiritual guide is guiding them and these beings have an eternal existence. Where they falter in Absolutism is in things like homosexuality. Ask them if gay people with be straight in Heaven and they don't know while I know their church absolutely preaches this.
Tolerance in a live and let live as long as it doesn't harm me personally is easier for my family. They follow this course while not personally judging others except in things like drugs, sex, and rock and roll. They think people who use pot are making poor choices while people on prescriptions aren't. They believe (most of my family) that gay marriage is a good thing.
So my little family is not in sync with their leaders. Absolutism and intolerance are hard to uphold. But they aren't attributes of ExMormons per say. Many ExMormons believe in absolutist beliefs and many don't tolerate (in their judgements of others) a live and let live way.
But in my experience I would say these things are constraints that even believing Mormons have a hard time with and when they lose their Mormonism, these constraints on their mental memespace weaken or completely fail them. I know they have for me. Losing Mormonism was a mental relief and I didn't have to uphold a black and white absolute truth nor the intolerant judgement of others it implies.
What about you?