I've removed anything personally identifiable. Commentary afterwards.

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"My calling in my ward is [calling]. So I get to teach the [class] in the ward. Today the lesson was on education and how it is important in life and to God. One of the scriptures that was suggested reading was 2nd Nephi 9:29. If you still have your scriptures you can look it up."

"I remember how smart you were and probably still are. If I remember right you graduated [from a hard college with a challenging degree]. Most of the time when people quit the church is because they are doing things that are against the commandments of God. Whether that is why you have left and justify your leaving because of other reasons, I don't know. But sometimes I wonder if you having studied and know so much that you have rationalized your intelligence over the gospel of jesus christ."

"I remember you telling me about your (and your family) joining the church. Your parents looked to you and how you felt. You had a testimony."

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I guess for starters I'm amused to be getting this today. Yesterday, I had a lovely time at my high school reunion, catching up with people I haven't seen in years. People weren't judgmental or anything. It was just nice.

So to see this guy's e-mail is just a bit much. I'm first of all amused how he goes with 2 Nephi 9:29, when I know it's 2 Nephi 9:28 that he's really driving at.

He references my family's conversion, which is accurate, except that my parents based their decision on what I wanted as a 10 year old. I hardly think that's a basis for rational parenting.

I don't really know why he chose to send this now. It's not as though he couldn't have read this scripture a hundred times before. Why he chose today to apply it to me is nothing I'll pretend to understand.

I'm not sure how I want to respond, as I'm torn between trashing it and sending back something terribly probing.

Any thoughts?

Tyson

Tyson Dunn Wrote:
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> Most of
> the time when people quit the church is because
> they are doing things that are against the
> commandments of God.


They know this how?? I don't remember any mention of an exit poll.

The myth is far too prevalent among TBMs. They have to lie to themselves that the only reason for leaving the church just has to be that the person is evil or wants to be evil because the church is just so true. They can't imagine that a person could not actually believe the church is a fraud, we are all just telling ourselves it's a fraud. In reality we just all want to sin. Yet one more arrogant attitude I can't stand in TBMs.

I would ask "How many people have you spoken to who have told you that the reason they left the church is because they don't want to live the commandments? Because if you are just repeating a rumor you've heard and aren't speaking from experience, having heard straight from hundreds of inactives that this is the reason they left, you are in danger of throwing yourself out of the church. Bearing false witness is a sin God considers as serious as adultery and that is who you are in God's eyes - no better than a common adulterer, if you don't have proof of what you are saying. You should be very, very careful not to bring condemnation down on yourself like that. It was people lying about Jesus that caused his death so he isn't likely to give you a pass on something so serious. I'm worried for your soul."

You can probably see that people who judge and condemn without the basic facts, to validate their positions and stroke their egos really, really piss me off.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/2012 03:59PM by CA girl.

LMFAO!

>>I'm torn between trashing it and sending back something terribly probing.

I think you should probe him like an alien.

LMAO! Damn, I've missed you since I've been gone. You guys are the best medicine in the world!

Was the purpose of your out of nowhere message to insult me or pepper me with questions that are of no value to either of us to answer?

We both now have clear evidence you have no social intelligence, your message could not possibly serve any purpose other than to make sure we both know that for a fact.

My thought.

Question is rhetorical, no reply expected. That's the long version. The short version would be to write "You are now a documented ass....,don't ever contact me again."

You could add, but it might it might encourage a response.

You are quoting a confirmed book of outlandish fiction as truthful, I don't know intelligent people that do that.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/2012 04:07PM by gentlestrength.

"Dear Former Missionary Companion,

You assume far too much. Please reread your own eleventh article of faith and take it to heart.

I hope all is well with you. My own family (blah, blah, blah.)

Your friend, (etc.)"

Folks.
THIS is the way it's done!
Perfectly said, Summer.
(IMHO-of course...)

Say that the reason you left is because if your intellect, and if he used his rather than relying on emotions as proof of truth, he might come to realize what LDS leaders already know - the church is a lie and this must be kept from the members at all costs, even if it means using deceit and guilt to manipulate people into complying.

Tell him the only future correspondance you want is when he figures out that facts and truth don't need warm fuzzies to prove them. Only lies are maintained when truth is ignored.

I'd JOOTS and send something back about how he seems to be passively-aggressively insulting your character.

He talks about how "educated" you are, then mentions that "most of the time" people leave it's about sin. But he says he's not saying that's what you did. Then why the hell even bring it up? He sends you a scripture which, together with it's previous scripture, which is part of it, talks about the educated who are filled with "foolishness." But he's not saying that this applies to you. Then why the hell bring it up.

You might want to ask him if he REALLY wants to get into the real reasons you left or does he just want to stand at a distance and toss barbs at you.

"Dear Dude,

How are things going? How's your family? We're doing fine. Thanks for asking. Oh, wait, you didn't ask me about any of that stuff. Instead, you jumped right to insinuating that my education made me intellectually prideful and that I am probably sinning. That was a pretty lame way to get back in touch with me.

If you remember, I was 10 years old when my family converted. I did have a testimony, but how much did I really know and understand at that age? It boggles my mind now that my family actually listened to me. Since then I've learned a lot more, and based on what I've learned, I have decided that the church isn't for me or my family. There are a lot of good things in the church, but that can be said of most religions out there. I didn't leave the church because I wanted to sin or couldn't live the commandments. I left because I figured out that the church is just another man-made religion. It doesn't have a monopoly on morality, righteousness, truth, or access to eternal life. It pretends to have and exercise divine authority and supernatural powers like many other religions, but it really doesn't have anything of the sort. I didn't understand this when I was 10, but now that I do, I feel no compulsion to stick with it.

If it works for you, if it makes you feel good or helps you live a good life, great. Stick with it. It doesn't work for me or my family now. If that makes me a bad person in your eyes, then I'm sorry you see it that way.

I know it's a long shot, but if you ever want to know the reasons and facts that I learned about Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, and many other things that proved to me that the church is just a man-made religion, I'd be willing share that with you. After all, if the church wasn't true, wouldn't you want to know? Most people prefer to live by faith instead of by knowledge, even if the facts are so easy to get. It's your decision to make.

Take care,
Tyson"
------------------

I'd be interested in hearing what he has to say back to this.

Yeah, this gets my vote.

This would be an awesome response.

I like this response too.

I was going to suggest that he might be thinking about you because he is having doubts, and this is his way of reaffirming his own faith, and/or sending a veiled cry for help (a la internalized homophobia), and suggesting a response cautiously catered to that.

But this is excellent.

IMO, an out of the blue punch like that definitely requires a response. I just wouldn't spend a lot of time or effort writing one. Not worth it.

Try to be gracious and just pick one of the many damning facts about mormon history, educate him a little on appropriate boundaries, include a link to mormonthink or rfm and be done with it.

Maybe as a joke, include a link to this thread, ha!

You say:

"Most of the time when people quit the church is because they are doing things that are against the commandments of God. Whether that is why you have left and justify your leaving because of other reasons, I don't know. But sometimes I wonder if you having studied and know so much that you have rationalized your intelligence over the gospel of jesus christ."

Actually [former missionary companion], most of the time when people leave the church, it's because they learn it is untrue. They lose their faith in a church built by a conman who read magical plates from his hat by looking through a stone. It takes intelligence and a desire to remove one's self from group think in order to see this, hopefully one day you'll see this for yourself, and rationalize your own intelligence over your testimony of a con man who created a madeup religion, and when you do, I will be here without judgment.

I'm not offended by your sanctimony or insinuations, I know you don't know any better, and for that, I'm sorry for you.

Take care.

^^^ I like this one. Nice reply!

The dude is nuts. Certifiable.

Who does this kind of thing? Oh. Wait. I know. Socially backward Mormons.

;o)

"I'm fine, thanks! And how are you?" (thus answering the question he should have asked)

wine country Girl's answer was the one I was going to give, but she beat me to it.

It doesn't do any good to debate with infantile Mormons. I'm sick of ex-Mormons always tip-toeing around the belligerent Mormons, and taking their insults. For your own self-respect, I think you need to add some kind of barb, such as, "I'm fine, thanks, and how are you--aside from being pissed off."

He is not pissed off AT YOU. He is pissed-off and unhappy, in general, at the world and at life, because he is a Mormon. He is not worthy of your attention or concern.

'Tis the season for these one-sided e-mails and Christmas letters from Mormons. They love to talk at others, but never require any kind of response. I just delete the brag letters, yet they still keep coming year after year. Your old companion just wants to brag to his Mormon friends that he e-mailed you. He has probably read it to 6 different people.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/2012 02:22AM by forestpal.

Whatever the guy's new calling is, it allows him to be judge, jury and executioner? That's some calling.

I would definitely respond, and I would say that at age 10 you knew NOTHING. And 8 and 10 yr. olds today are the same. I would say that it is due to your intellect that you were able to analyze what you had been taught against the facts and simply could not live a lie. Tell him that you hope one day he will do the same.

Tell him you recall being brainwashed by the LDS that the only reason people leave the church is due to sinning. And of course you know now that saying that is just absurd. You are a man of good character ( as he is if you think that ) and will not listen to such nonsense. Tell him you realize the church asks it members to reach out to those who are "lost" and try to get them back, but you are out for good and far from lost. BE kind but firm.

All great stuff. Please keep us updated.