Posted by:
levantlurker
(
)
Date: November 21, 2023 05:06PM
I've been out for about 7 years (thank you, RFM), but looking back, I was never a TBM. I pop into the forums occasionally, usually after the missionaries manage to track down my last address. I'm generally friendly.
Even though I never really believed in gawd, I always found the faith of my parents to be interesting. I didn't grow up in the Moridor. I went to college on the left coast, Mormonism to me was always a quirky interest that not only I found fascinating but others found fascinating. I was an atheist in college, but I ended up leading my college's LDS (sorry.. guess I can't say that anymore) Student Society. I just liked the cultural bond (and the dating scene).
I have great memories of debating why eternal progression was ethically superior to eternal damnation. I remember taking an astronomy class and sharing "If You Could Hie to Kolob" as a beautiful vision of the multiverse. I remember talking about Heavenly Mother to feminists. I remember talking about the Mormon pioneers in history class and how (despite the Native American genocide) they built the West. It was just.. different. And therefore interesting.
I don't recognize today's Mormonism. TSCC is so obsessed with jumping on the Jesus freak train that it's buried everything that to me made it something worth protecting. Despite all the pain and anguish its caused its global membership, there was still a unifying culture and quirkiness that bound us together.
It's been extinguished. And for what? To appeal to Evangelicals who will never join it?
It honestly saddens me. I feel we could have had something akin to Judaism. Different flavors/intensities of the same underlying belief/cultural experience but without an oppressive authority. The SLC headquarters is just too selfish to let it happen.
Love you all. Just ranting.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2023 05:08PM by levantlurker.