Life and its complexities finally made sense when I treated all religious and spiritual beliefs as only myths.

Things like faith and prayer and holiness failed over and over. What was wrong with me that I couldn't make it work? It took too many years to realize the problem wasn't me. It was the make-believe I was trying to make the foundation of my reality. Tenets of faith weren't guiding me to wise decisions, they were swerving me into the ditch.

Meanwhile, non-mythical thinking worked much much better. Non-mythical explanations fit observable reality and didn't conflict with actual experiences. Non-mythical instructions didn't insert irrelevant or counterproductive "essentials." And, contrary to what they myths warned, non-mythical thinking allowed me to be a better person.

I agree! But now I need to send some good thoughts to someone. Now where is that lucky rabbit's foot of mine?

olderelder Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> . . . Tenets of faith weren't guiding me
> to wise decisions, they were swerving me into the
> ditch.
====================================

Odd how that works out, too. Putting oneself as one's mental point of origin paradoxically makes life better for those around us - all things around us. Life is somehow lighter.

It's like that put-the-oxygen-mask-on-your-own-face-first thing.

(swearing)

Attempting to figure out the church to me was much like slaving over a puzzle where, unbeknownst to me, two similar, but different, puzzles had been mixed together. All my time, energy, and cuss words hadn't worked and wouldn't work.

So, out of frustration, I distanced myself, took some new paths and roads, explored new scenery to give myself a break. Time and new perspectives were the cure and the flash of revelation where I knew it was a fraud made all of those disjointed puzzle pieces make sense. They could NEVER fit together! BECAUSE I had been lied to over and over and over again.
When the fraud realization struck me, I was elated, but drenched in anger....anger that I had been betrayed, deceived and lied to, and the cult did not care one iota. The cult was a load of shit and I was treated like shit.

For all its harm, its greed and gory deeds, the cult deserves to be exposed and end up in the gutter.....and, in my opinion, this is already happening. The saying, "You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time", fits nicely here because thousands have and are happily waving good-riddance to the cult.

The leaders who reside on the hill, in my opinion again, have revealed in their recent sermons, rescues, and firesides to members that they are very aware of the deluge, causing them to up their game of attempting to guilt, shame and scare (obey or else!). It clearly and loudly shows they themselves are running very, very scared. The bet they made to play the game "of fooling those they called fools", is not taking the course they were so certain of.

Squirming they are that they might just loose their life of riches, pomp and power, and oh, Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful indeed!

presleynfactsrock Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> (swearing)
>
> Attempting to figure out the church to me was much
> like slaving over a puzzle where, unbeknownst to
> me, two similar, but different, puzzles had been
> mixed together.


Yes! And if you ever managed to form part of the picture, and they didn't like what it revealed, they would insist you put it together wrong.

And also with presleynfactrocks where she says she gave herself a break. I was forced into a break so my husband wouldn't be called as bishop and getting a break gave me perspective. You have to step away from the vehicle.

My exmo therapist said, "We both tested mormonism to its limits and it failed us."

It doesn't work. I guess it is like "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." Isn't that insanity--my word finding isn't working well today! I tried SO DAMN HARD for SO LONG.

I was also angry. As long as they leave me alone and allow me to live my life, I'm okay and I have a much better life, but it sure makes me angry when they think that they need to save me or fix me. I'm better than I've ever been in my entire life, why would I want to go back. Can't they see how much better my life is now???? I mean only an idiot wouldn't be able to see that. They just want to keep you down.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/07/2019 06:04PM by cl2.

Well stated. That last paragraph is a keeper for me.

Well said, Olderelder, and you others, too. My experiences with the cult have been very similar.

consecrated olive oil.

Why, just last week I accidentally rode my bicycle over a cliff.

I thought I was a goner for sure until I remembered I had a vial of consecrated olive oil in my pocket. It was a race against time to see if I could get it out of my pocket in time. Somehow, I managed to do it and raise my arm to the square half a second before impact. Next thing I know, I'm standing next to a completely demolished bicycle, but I'm none the worse for wear myself.

Please be sure to look for more faith-promoting anecdotes in my soon-to-be-released book, "Faith Rewarded: 101 Really Hard to Believe Stories to Restore Your Faith in Faith". (It's posthumously endorsed by Paul H. Dunn.)