When I first came to terms that I no longer believed in TSCC,
I still had a desire to believe in Christ so I started listening to Christian radio and at first really enjoyed the messages so much so that I was often moved to tears and accepted Jesus when prompted by the speaker. So as I continued to listen, familiar things keep popping up, like, missionary work, tithing, praying for things. I have done those things and I don't want to get bamboozled again. I am starting to feel agnostic and that is very disturbing to me. Can a reformed Mormon go to another Christian religion?

I understand the idea of taking things a step at a time, and you certainly can go to another christian religion if you feel the desire.

But you can also give yourself permission to step outside those boxes and believe or not believe as you see fit. Your personal filters are what allow you to determine what is best for you: what if you give your filters your full trust and confidence? Where would you end up?

Maybe that is looking too far ahead and you don't think you want to go where you're headed, but just remember that you don't have to get there any sooner than one day at a time.

You can believe what you want - this is my experience. I find it difficult to apply the logic partway. Once I went far enough to realize Mormonism was made up it's pretty easy to see that Christianity was made up too. Spend a little time reading the Bible and it is pretty clearly mythology just like Greek or Roman mythology.

"Don't blindly believe what I say. Don't believe me because others convince you of my words. Don't believe anything you see, read, or hear from others, whether of authority, religious teachers or texts. Don't rely on logic alone, nor speculation. Don't infer or be deceived by appearances."

"Do not give up your authority and follow blindly the will of others. This way will lead to only delusion."

"Find out for yourself what is truth, what is real. Discover that there are virtuous things and there are non-virtuous things. Once you have discovered for yourself give up the bad and embrace the good."

- The Buddha

LOVE this quote, ss!

How about just look at the evidence with an open mind and allowing your beliefs to be formed by what the evidence suggests?

I have found that, since leaving the church, I like my concept of God so much more. I no longer fear Him, just talk to him like a friend, express my gratitude, ask for help when needed. I just address him as "God" and it feels right. While in the church, I was so afraid of him punishing me for my every thought, let alone action. SOO glad to be out of that suffocating, frightening atmosphere! I wish you the best in your search! I have been told that the Unitarian church is very benign in its approach to religion, and that many ex-mormons are comfortable with it.

It's hard, sometimes, coming out of something like Mormonism and its insistence there's only one correct path, only one true set of beliefs and doctrines, only one proper way to live and think, and only one way to avoid punishment in the hereafter. Sometimes people try to find a replacement one true set of beliefs to conform to. Because they think that's what they're supposed to do -- follow some voice of authority.

But chances are, you know what you actually believe -- whether you're aware of it or not. The trick is to get away from all the various people who want you to believe just like them. In your case, that might mean turning off Christian radio for a while and just thinking about what seems true, just, comforting, helpful and meaningful to YOU. And with that you have the Church of Orion74. And if you change your mind about some things because of that you observe and learn as you go through life, then so much the better.

With enough faith you can believe in anything - even things that aren't true.

But most people with faith don't believe what they believe because they have sought the truth, they believe it because it makes them happy. If that works for you, great. If you want to believe in what is true, then you need to apply scientific discipline to try and find the truth. I am in this group. No matter how nice or appealing some religious teachings are, if there is not a shred of evidence to support them as being "true", then they are not for me.

Thanks to all who posted. This site really has helped me gain new perspectives. Changing a way of life is difficult and this is my only outlet to what I am going through. Thanks again!

Personally, I found the grinding propaganda of Mormonism to be so destructive to my suspension of disbelief that I almost had to become an atheist.

God thenFather loves and adores you. He would never do anything to hurt you. If he did, God the Mother would straighten him out. He would nevernseparate you from those you love.

You don't need a list of religious tasks to believe in Jesus. In fact he spent his whole ministry basically pointing out that religion and religious leaders were misguided and preferred to hang out with the sinners, prostitutes, etc. What I personally did was I took man out of the equation and just became a follower of Jesus and his teachings. Pretty much just reading the words directly from Jesus and trying to implement that in my life. Religion is optional and really can get in the way of a real relationship with God many times (as Jesus so beautifully pointed out). God loves you. I hope you keep the faith you have brother.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-02-17-un-hunger_x.htm

And that is happening to INNOCENT PEOPLE!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/28/2012 08:07PM by MJ.

cares. Look deeply into your heart before you throw the baby out with the bathwater.

All the best with your quest!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-02-17-un-hunger_x.htm

Such suffering of INNOCENT CHILDREN allowed by a loving god? Not by any definition of love that I understand.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/28/2012 08:09PM by MJ.

Believe in yourself first. If you are inspired to believe in a higher power, fine. Just don't let it rule your every moment and take away your ability to reason for yourself.

If you want to look into non-Mormon Christianity, focus on the differences. Like an omnipotent, universe transcending creator God (not an exalted man who rearranges matter like a bin of lego), or salvation by grace (not "after all you can do"), with the conspicuous absence of "levels" of heaven.

Read the gospels. Realize that Jesus was more of a hippie than a traditional "prophet," a dude who chilled out with social outcasts (lepers, Samaritans) and ate with tax collectors (modern equivalent in terms of pissing-off-the-clergy: knocking back some suds in gay bars), not an avatar of the Old Testament God who returned after his resurrection to slaughter apostate Americans. The most violent/aggressive thing you see in the Gospels is the throwing out of the moneychangers, which is kind of equivalent to evacuating and burning down a CTR ring factory. Or WWJD bracelets. Jesus was the kind of guy who would decry the commercialization of Christmas (and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't claim himself as the reason for the season; "CHRISTmas" is just the culturally hijacked solstice celebration of making it through winter).

The whole point of Jesus was to change the relationship between man and God away from the Old Testament covenants. In focusing on one's heart, as opposed to one's actions; actions are simply a symptom of the heart, and by themselves they are meaningless vanity as far as God is concerned.

According to Jesus, the two greatest commandments are to love God with all your being, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Of course, the second follows the first (if you accept God to be a loving deity). Pretty much any other question about life can be interpreted under those two commandments - or is ultimately irrelevant.

Learn about the Scientific Method (SM):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method

Then see if you can figure out how to use the SM to prove that god or J.Christ exists. If you are successful in doing this, please return and report. You will be the first person to ever accomplish this task.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2012 01:55PM by saviorself.

Gets rid of one disease then asks what to replace it with.

I just love these out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire stories.

Disturbing? Why?
I think part of religious conditioning is to hijack our instinctive sense of faith to "believe" in dogma.
But there's much more to belief and faith than religion.
Ironically, I find that religion actually LIMITED my belief and faith in the LIMITLESS possibilities for the future of life.

My name is Amos, I have more hope, faith, and belief than ever...
...and I'm an "atheist".

I don't believe in the flying spaghetti monster because it is not real, and thus, the only thing I can give it...is beliefe, the only thing that makes it "real" is the beleif in it. I know it is hard to wrap around and doesn't make sense. But there it is. That is the nature of beliefe.

On the other hand...I "believe" in the law of gravity because it is a testable fact. Matter of fact...even if I don't "believe" in it....the apple is still gonna fall.

So if I become an atheist, I am still replacing one belief or way of life with another. I really can see how a person can become atheist once Mormonism had been cast aside. To my surprise my brother took me aside and told me he also does not believe in Mormonism anymore and that his faith in God has been shaken. He remains active due to family constraints.

Atheism means you do not believe in God. Past that, you are free to explore and make up your own mind on how to live.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2012 06:54PM by MJ.

hung up on needing to join/belong to some group.
You could just be a human being with an open mind, with your own innate concept of right and wrong.

How does an atheist determine right or wrong in your own personal life? As in personal boundaries or ways of behaving?

So, what you are basically saying is that if you did not have religion in your life, you know you would be raping, killing, robbing, etc. because you could not tell right from wrong?

But the idea behind the Golden Rule -- reciprocity -- has existed as far back as humans living in groups. It's essential if everyone wants to live peacefully. Because if you treat others badly, you will be treated badly in return.

My personal atheist guide to right and wrong is simple.

Level 1
- Will what I want to do harm me?
- Will what I want to do harm someone else?

Level 2
- Will what I want to do improve me?
- Will what I want to do improve someone else?

What more do we need than that?

It doesn't actually even consider the other person's wants or needs.

It's the most honest thing you could be.