I am an atheist who is disgusted with modern decadent culture. I am looking for a church to join that has good moral values. I also want this for my kids so that they can associate with decent people. The Mormon church seems a good candidate. I couldn't care less what their mythology is as long as they are willing to take a stand against liberalism and feminism. I have talked to local Mormons and they seem to accept my atheism. Do you see any reason why I shouldn't join?

You actually really have to believe to go to the temple and to fit in. If you say you don't believe and you are just here for the culture then I don't think that would work for you. Oh be prepared for them to take as much time as they can away from you. It is not good for families because mormons are soooo busy they end up spending more time apart on church callings. Oh don't forget 10% of your income to the church.

One more big thing I think the church helps cause depression. Are you sure you want that for your kids?

Did you lose your mind with your faith sir?

Might want to work on turning-up your racism and homophobia a notch or six, but your anti-feminism and anti-liberalism should get in the front door quite easily.

Timothy

Are you just trying to get attention with a post like this? Have you not read anything on this site or other internet sites about mormonism?

"I couldn't care less what their mythology is as long as they are willing to take a stand..."

Let's see, you don't care if they lie about what is true about their past, just so long as they hate what you hate?

And I question your morals.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2011 05:59PM by MJ.

+1

respect for liberals and feminines is not working.

Go join the church of your dreams.


(ass hat)

P.S.-I am not even atheist.

Your sane.

I don't see how an atheist could be committed at all to Mormonism, but rest assured, commitment is what they want. This is not a casual religion.

But, seriously, joining a religion because they dislike the same ideologies you dislike is silly.

I call BS.

Mormons are deathly afraid of Atheism.

... you might want to consider putting them up for adoption.

Arizona much?

Timothy

Once you actually get introduced to the Bishop and the Stake President the tune will change. You are a wolf in sheeps clothing, except that as an avowed Atheist, you are just a wolf.

Anyway, I am sorry to call BS on an assumed new poster, but I can't even imagine any church member that I have ever known being cool with an Atheist joining the church. The leaders will be very deliberate about discovering your true intentions.

I can see some local leaders saying, "Sure, come on in, even though you don't believe." I imagine they think that, given enough time, the atheist will experience a mighty change of heart. If that doesn't happen, then, yeah, they'd probably show the atheist to the door.

Just be the change you want to see in the world. You don't need a church to be moral. There are good people outside of churches.

Give it a shot, dude. If you don't mind losing 10% of your gross income, and slowly your mind, it might be just the place for you.

Hope your kids don't mind being alone in a room with a man they barely know who will ask them about their private life and sexual habits in detail, getting up at the crack of dawn for early morning indoctrination.

Not to mention being pressured into leaving for two years for a mission, paying for it themselves, and only being allowed to call home twice a year. Yep, it is a great place for kids. Great for Glenn-Beck loving conservatives.

Polish up your happy masks and put on your sacred clown undies, white shirts, ties, and pioneer dresses for the gals. Nail polish the runs in your panty hose and don't forget to arrive fashionably late. And insert stick in heinie. You'll love it if you try it. ;)

All kidding aside, they put on a good facade of good old fashioned moral values. But they are not moral, nor do they have values.

People, you are so being baited.

There is no such thing as an atheist who thinks being willing to join a cult for the hate and explaining that its for the benefit of his children?

That would be a completely unthinking person OR the bored BYU student who would like to throw some chum in the water here at RfM.


Anagrammy

I knew that, Anagrammy. I just couldn't resist teasing him a bit. ;)

Seriously? It sounds like you want someone/something to provide your children with morals. Don't you have your own morals to share with them? Or are you hoping the peer pressure in a church setting will help drive it home?

Mormons you know may accept your atheism and you can lie through the interview process and get baptized and become a member, but I have to ask why would you do that? Join an organization that takes 10% + of your income, demands strict obedience to the rules, pry's into your personal life, dictates what you eat, drink, which movies you watch, who you socialize with and so much more?

If your plan is to not do any of that stuff and just sit back waiting for the good morals to be bestowed upon your kids while you don't believe any of it, good luck. The church will have your newly brainwashed kids thinking you are influenced by satan and they will be ridiculed by others for having a "rebel" for a dad.....not a fun scenario in mormonism.

Honestly, I don't know if you should be taken seriously, but if you are to be, I suggest not joining any church you don't fully accept the teachings of. Your kids will get much more than good morals imposed upon them in the mormon church and those include.....judging others wrongly, lying or cheating when it serves the purposes of the church, taught that all other churches and belief systems are wrong and of the devil, that the bible is literal as is the Book of Mormon, that the earth is 6000 years old, that dinosours never existed on this earth and that their bones were in other planets that god made our earth out of just before he hurled across the universe to set it in its present orbit around the sun, which by the way gets/borrows its light from the star that god lives next to called Kolob, that they will become gods after death and the men will have many wives in heaven to create spirit babies that will be born to the people that they are god over on the planets they create as gods....and possibly worst of all, that lime jello, carrots and celery makes a good desert and that coffee is bad for you!

I guess if you don't mind the ton of bad that goes with the ounce of good in mormonism, go for it, I'm sure it will be a great experience for you and your kids (sarcasm).

These responses were quick, I'm glad I posted here. I am still learning about Mormonism and bumped into this site in my research.

rambo, what are these church callings that take so much time and are they obligatory? And about your second comment, I am just learning now and I still don't know very much about Mormonism. So I thought I would post here to get the other side, if any.

LJ, my view on this is very similar to the Buddhist view. I talked to some Buddhist monks in Tibet about the various "gods" that people prayed to in Buddhist temples. I asked the monks if they believed in these gods, and they said that they don't but that they provide them to the people because it helps the people follow a better path. I feel the same about religion generally. Without some mythology, people become decadent and degenerate into insane moral systems like liberalism.

I am certainly not just posting to get attention. Here are some other posts I made in my search:

http://www.christianforums.com/t7510176/
http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/comparative-religion/108360-atheist-seeking-church.html

There seem to have been more posts since I wrote this. I will post this and continue reading.

Haha. Ok, THAT gets the joke of the day award!

+1

+100

Still not an Atheist.

Join us! Together we can rule this galaxy as father and son!

Consider this: You posted on two other sites asking the same question. The difference is that both of those are Christian/religious friendly. In your research did you come across ex-Catholic, ex-Baptist, ex-Methodist etc...? Yet, here you are on an EX mormon site. What does that tell you about mormonism? Can't be good.

I think of church attendence as live theater. So, if it were me, I'd want to go to a church that has a good show.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2011 06:19PM by wine country girl.

You are either stupid or a troll. Or a stupid troll.

runtu, I am very committed to my values and I would be committed to any community that shared my values and accepted me regardless of their beliefs.

JoD3:360, if they reject me later for my atheism, then I won't have lost much, so I see no problem here.

dapperdan, I agree that I don't need a church to be moral, but it would be good for my kids because kids are influenced by peers. This is particularly true for girls since girls/women are less able to think for themselves than boys/men are.

piper, I wouldn't hesitate to give 10% of my income to a community that shares my values. Why do you say that they aren't moral and don't have values?

Jonny the Smoke, I explained about kids and peers above. I have no intention of lying in an interview process or lying at all. I hate lying. Your other comments I will watch for and see what happens.

Hahahahahhahah! I think I'm going to pee myself.

Roger that raptor.

Still not an Atheist.

They are hypocritical in that they say the church is all about families and family values, when in reality they tear families apart. "Callings" are jobs you are told you must do, which get in the way of family time and will exhaust you. Please read another thread here about a mother of young children who is sick and holding FOUR callings. Teaching different classes, cleaning toilets, Home teaching, whatever the bishop feels like telling you to do can be a calling. Also, you may not be able to attend the wedding of your children, if they marry in the temple unless you are temple worthy. And you will never be temple worthy unless you believe in everything, so you would have to ditch the atheism, or lie.

They do not have morals because there is a long and well documented history of abuses against women and children, sexual and otherwise. The leaders of the church cover this up and protect the perpetrators. You not believing in feminism is one thing, but would you allow your children to be alone in a classroom with a sexual predator? There are many cases of this, please refer to a recent thread about the brother of a general authority who abused his position in this manner. There are many stories just like this and worse. Also read the recent threads about rape. You may not believe that each individual here is telling the truth, but when you see a consistent pattern of how poorly the church handles these cases, you have to wonder what would happen of the victim were your daughter, wife, or son.

There are plenty of conservative churches with old fashioned values out there. The Mormon Cult will rot you and your loved ones from the inside out.

piper, which conservative churches do you recommend? I have noticed that most mainstream churches derived from Martin Luther seem focused on faith at the exclusion of proper behavior, and this is the opposite of what I want. At the Mormon church that I visited, people dressed reasonably and women's dress was tolerably modest. And there was time when men and women were separated. I think the sexes should be allowed to associate separately. Do any other Christian churches address these concerns?

The problem with introducing your children to Mormonism is that if they become believers, one day they may shun you for your atheism.

You're accepted by Mormons now because the Mormons expect they'll convert you to eventually say that you "know" the church is the only true church and that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that he died for you sins and you are saved through his atonement and through the ordinances of the temple. Once it's clear that you're not going to reach that point of testifying you know this is true, their attitude toward you will change drastically.

But worse if your children are converted from being immersed in the church, they will be taught to fear people like you. The irony is that they may end up distancing themselves from you once they've been integrated into the Mormon church.

Don't join or let your children join any group where it would not be okay to change your mind. Any group where your children might end up having more loyalty to that group than to your family presents a danger. Find a group where leaving is acceptable and the children don't turn on family who leave. The scientologists have this same problem.

Good luck.

Cristina, I am quite close to my kids and I can't see this happening. I work at home and I homeschool my kids, so we talk all the time. So the chances that they reject me for a church are very small.

What is the alternative to Mormonism? I am now reading the Quran and I am also considering Islam, but Islam seems to have many of the same issues that Mormonism does. I must find an alternative to modern culture, so what would you suggest?

Ding ding ding ding!

And now all of the pieces fall together.

I really think you should join, fschmidt. Give them everything you've got.

Join Islam and Mormonism. Both are anti-feminist, anti-liberal, teach that women are subservient to men, and promote "values" like not drinking alcohol. You'll fit right in.

Hi fschmidt!

Sorry for the accusation.

There are so many different callings and some involve more time than others. I was the ward clerk for 3 years and that meant I was at church for 8 hours! I would spend another 2 or 3 hours during the week to do some clerk work. There was also hometeaching which every male member has to do. You are suppose to go to the temple it least once a month. Read your scriptures it least half an hour a day. Keep a journal and do genealogy (my dads calling).

Dude the list is endless of what you are suppose to do and if you don't do it then there is a big guilt trip.

Heck my Dad asked me to help him clear the snow at the church for 2 hours and I don't even believe and they still try to rope me in.

Mind you, I met an atheist who sounds like this chap. He was anti-feminist, too and also very racist.

Though why an atheist would want to join any church group is a little, well... it just IS. ;o))

Just for the record, I am not racist or homophobic. In fact I voted for gay marriage which I realize doesn't exactly fit Mormonism, but I can't expect a perfect fit with anything. My ideal culture is Ancient Athenian, but unfortunately that is no longer available.

You would like them.

665 N' 1/2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You would like them.

Have to be part of the Family to join, I think.

They won't let you be baptized unless you believe in god and the bible doctrines. But you can attend if you want without being baptized and they will probably welcome you in as a visitor. Just don't try to convince anyone that there is no god. They won't like that. It is a religion after all.

I dunno. Some missionaries are desperate enough for numbers they would baptize an athiest even in conflict with thier rules.

I don't understand why you need dogma and a narrow minded religion to teach your children morals and values?

You're not racist or homophobic, but you're misogynist and right-wing.

Go ahead, join the Moron cult, you'll fit right in. And don't try to come across as a nice guy here, you'll get called on it. Lots of women here who have been abused by people with your beliefs.

and i don't mean atheism, I'm an agnostic, I mean misogyny.

or the Nazi Party? How about the Westboro Baptist Church?

Please do NOT join with the Mormons! Or at least do a LOT of research before you make your choice--and be sure to utilize plenty of non-Mormon sources!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2011 06:55PM by Fetal Deity.

You sexist pig. Yeah women are inferior to men. Uh huh. Go troll somewhere else.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2011 07:44PM by rosyjenn.

fschmidt, you have been busy asking, haven't you?

http://www.christianforums.com/t7520511/

http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/comparative-religion/108360-atheist-seeking-church.html

http://www.islamicboard.com/introduce-yourself/134302666-atheist-seeking-conservative-community.html

anon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> fschmidt, you have been busy asking, haven't you?
>
> http://www.christianforums.com/t7520511/
>
> http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/comparative-r
> eligion/108360-atheist-seeking-church.html
>
> http://www.islamicboard.com/introduce-yourself/134
> 302666-atheist-seeking-conservative-community.html

Oh... my... god. Maybe he is... legit?

Well. It takes all sorts, I suppose...

Even claiming how tolerant they are to other beliefs!

Laughter.

Ever heard of Sharia Law?

Would you like me to post some pics and vids of those bastards stoning women based on false allegations?

Then he can come in here and speak with what he thinks are his fellow Americans.

Idiot.

You are the one on the fringe and no one here is with "you."

You not a studied man at all are you.

Got a lot of folks riled up. Was it fun? You lit a fire and it took off! :-)

everything you need to know....

http://goo.gl/TY0RY

If you're not concerned about your children rejecting you, your concerns are pretty much answered. Mormonism meets most of your criteria. It would give your children plenty of activities outside of being home schooled and provide them with a conservative peer group. It may be a good thing for them given the alternative of not having a school peer group at the moment.

Unlike Islam, Mormonism isn't as hated in the US right now so your children may enjoy being Mormon more than they would being labeled Muslims in today's environment (especially in Texas).

We who consider ourselves logical thinkers can spot his cognitive dissonance, yet find it hard to believe a cog dis poster who acts like he just dropped in from an other planet, is a troll.

It's from living with cog dis ourselves that we could even for one minute think that someone who is so concerned about the corruption in modern society has NO VALUES rather than HIDDEN VALUES?

I almost feel like a better explanation is that someone has to write a paper, doesn't want to do the research, and figures he can dig up some new ideas that aren't readily identifiable as plagiarized from the web. Copy paste, copy paste and voila! His paper on how American religions reflect modern culture is done.

I homeschooled my kids on and off. We belonged to home school associations and started these groups to find like-minded people. Not in a million years would we look for an over-arching corporation filled with dogma to dictate to us our behavior.

No--his complete lack of filters, the born yesterday persona spells troll to me. No one is over ten is "tabula rasa." ISLAM? Really?--burqas for the girls but no modern culture?


Anagrammy

I think they'd be a real good fit for ya, and they have a lot of nice outdoorsy activities and all.

Mainstream LDS are probably too liberal for you...

I've seen this name on fstdt.net before....I call POE on this one.

They can have you. You have the integrity of a 2 dollar whore.

Good luck with that.

=)