In regards to this wonderful document:

http://mormonthink.com/personalstories/A_Letter_to_a_CES_Director.pdf

I keep going back and forth whether to repost it on facebook or not. I have a some TBM friends and family members. I keep thinking that it will just cause more drama, which I hate and is why i left facebook for awhile... however... when a friend from High School takes a picture of a missionary about to leave for the mission field and is so proud... I just.... sigh... it makes me so angry that people are proud of missionaries that are spreading completely false and misleading information;...

what to do, what to do?

I'll post it if you do.

Your turn BC! :)

I shared yours :)

Perfect!

I changed my profile pic to an equality pick for one week. From that I got thumbs up from about 5 people but my brother in law wagged his tongue as they all talked behind my back for how low I've stooped since leaving. Then confronted by my husband and preached to. All for changing my profile pic. It was worth it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/2013 02:54PM by snuckafoodberry.

Egads!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/2013 03:46PM by crom.

Do what you'd like to do. I understand your anger. I have the same types of photos on mine, and I wonder why they're still in the church. But I try to be tolerant of my friends, however deluded they may be.

My friends and I have more in common than a religion (or lack thereof). Our bonds are tied to childhood, or college, or high school or our own children, or past working relationships. If religion was the only thing we had in common, I wouldn't be their friend.

So as not to burn the bridges I've built with life-long friends (I'm 50), I don't post political or religious view EXCEPT for my support of gay/human rights. Those are the issues where I expect my TBM friends to be tolerant of my beliefs as I am of theirs.

It depends on what you'd like to accomplish by posting the letter. If you feel strongly about it, go for it. Some people need to take a stand on issues (like I do about human rights) and so be it. If you're trying to convince someone to change their views, FB's not the venue. If you want to garner support for your feelings, you'll get it from friends who understand your point of view. Just depends on which side of the fence you'd like to fall. If you go for it, do it full force. And good luck.

Thank you for your perspective.

Since I left most of my friends have blocked me, my family doesn't invite me to events, and my old high school friends, of all of them, only about 3 haven't argued with me to the point where I have to block them... so it isn't much of a loss either way.

Also, I love that you call it HUMAN rights, not just gay rights.

Now I understand better. Good luck!

I just said screw the whole thing and deleted my FB profile. I get sick of all the petty crap on there and it feels like JR high all over (which was hell for me). I am so sorry people are being so hurtful and childish towards you.

Thank you. I did the same thing for about 3 months, it was very cleansing. May do it again... let's see how this plays out. I many not get any responses at this point. :)

“If we have the truth, it cannot be harmed by investigation. If we have not the truth, it ought to be harmed.” – President J. Reuben Clark

For many of you, you've never had any type of explanation as to why I left the Mormon church. Mostly, no one has even asked. Many told me I was "going to hell" and insinuated that I wanted to leave so I could sin and not live "the commandments". These reasons were not only false, but also were/are incredibly thoughtless and condescending. Every person who has passed this judgement on me (some of which have written me letters full of name calling, and other who have said it in phone calls), have never apologized, and have never even asked me why.

It's time I provide the reason.

I won't go into the emotional details about my departure or my decision to do so; (if you want it, I'm free to share my story, just ask), but for now I feel the strong desire to post something that sums up all the inaccuracies and untruths that I discovered on my way out of Morminism.

For a long time, I ignored anything I heard that sounded as if it might be "slander" or contradictory to the church. I was taught to even entertain these notions was be on the scary precipice of "thinking myself out of the church". A horrible phase that taught me to mistrust my intellect and thoughts processes. So, I didn't. I shut off my many, many questions, and just tried to live day by day, avoiding my thoughts.

It took me years away from the church to finally have the courage to really look at its history. I knew in my heart it was false, I knew I didn't believe, but I didn't want to face the facts, and frankly, emotionally, I couldn't.

Finally, 4 years later I have begun to really dig into what I was taught, or rather, what I was not taught about the church.

I want you to know that after years of soul searching, I sent in my formal resignation to the church a few months ago. Documents (such as the one posted below) are a huge part of the reason I could no longer associate with the church and choose to request my name be officially removed.

***DISCLAIMER*** Please, if you don't wish to alter your perception of Mormonism, if you are happy with it, and have no desire to look at this document, don't. You have a choice here, you don't have to click on anything, read anything, or question it. You can go on believing that I simply wanted to sin, or I was hard hearted or lead by the devil. Either way, it is here, I have said what I needed to, and now the choice is yours.****

http://mormonthink.com/personalstories/A_Letter_to_a_CES_Director.pdf

How eloquent! I like this post =-)

Excellent +1000

I posted a link to the letter, as well as to Mormon Think's front page on my blog just now. I quoted what Mormon Think states on its front page in hopes that it will help people to see that they don't need to be afraid to look at the letter. It showcases the main concerns and questions that so many of us have had/continue to have, and hopefully it will open the eyes of more people. Great job Jeremy!

I'll voice what I would do. No, I would not and will not post it on a social network because it's in appropriate.

Discuss it on a forum like this where it's relevant.

If this is inappropriate to post, why is it appropriate for them to post religious stuff? Both can be inappropriate... all a matter of context and your opinion on it.

Personally, I think it necessary. To finally get my opinion, and the TRUTH out there. (Even though most won't read it.)

Also, discussing something on a forum like this helps those who already KNOW most of this.. how does that get it out there?

It's like only showing it to people who have already seen it.

Besides, when has anything on facebook been posted only when relevant?

Truth is always relevant.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/2013 11:51AM by intjsegry.

... But what they post is true, it makes them feel good, and this is not written by someone wo knows that Joseph Smith restored the gospel of Jesus Christ so Boyd Packer says they can't talk honestly about history and doctrine.

This is what they would say.

Susie, I usually agree with your posts but I think you're over-stepping when you assert that posting this on social media is "inappropriate."

Isn't the point of social media to express yourself?

kolobian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Susie, I usually agree with your posts but I think
> you're over-stepping when you assert that posting
> this on social media is "inappropriate."
>
> Isn't the point of social media to express
> yourself?


I am ONLY voicing MY opinion of what I would do. That's how I would handle it.
If anything shows up on my FB that I deem inappropriate, or off limits, or obnoxious, etc. or for many reasons, I click HIDE as I am not interested in that kind of interaction on FB.

That does not in any way preclude others from doing what they want.
I know that FB gets very fussy about some kinds of posts and they go bye bye fast, plus they close down some accounts for what I find to be obscure reasons.

This is just my personal opinion, based on how I use FB and how I prefer to use it and how I continue to use it with family and friends.
I stay away from religion or politics as much as possible.
A personal rule of conduct that I chose for myself.

Others - do as they wish! As always.

Do you see the irony in saying your attitude is "do as your wish" while at the same time using judgmental and condescending phrases like "not appropriate"? You can't have your cake and eat it too - on one hand you are saying do as your please and on the other hand setting yourself up as the Ms Manners of Facebook.

The Oncoming Storm - bc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Do you see the irony in saying your attitude is
> "do as your wish" while at the same time using
> judgmental and condescending phrases like "not
> appropriate"? You can't have your cake and eat it
> too - on one hand you are saying do as your please
> and on the other hand setting yourself up as the
> Ms Manners of Facebook.


Oh come on. We all make judgments about what we want to do, read, where we want to go, how we spend our money, etc. It's a normal natural thing to do.

We all make judgments of what we want on our FB page, as I mentioned above. We can do that. We have functions at our disposal to use it what we want, what works for us.

Yes, Yes, Yes, we all make judgments probably dozens of times a day about what we think is useful,

That's just life.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/2013 09:18PM by SusieQ#1.

Yeah but in your case you impose them on others while pretending to purport exactly the opposite.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/2013 07:07PM by jiminycricket.

That's why I like this document. It's not sensationalistic or mean sounding. It sounds like a normal Mormon who ended up learning a lot about the church through research and wound up with a LOT of questions that he was never able to get answers to. The name of the link/letter is also not offensive. Its not named "Mormonism Debunked!" or anything like that. The title is very low key.

If people want to read it they can, if not, they can ignore it. Its not like you have anti-Mormon rants posted all over your own page. That's where you might piss people off.

Of course, some Mormons are gonna find offense at ANYTHING, so be prepared for that.

Posted!

I posted it, my wife said she tried to read it. I was shocked. You just never know.

I hope you'll return and report if she actually does...

I was listening to "I Believe" from the BofM musical just before I read all 77 pages of your treatise, including the Joseph Smith/Warren Jeffs comparison.

Now I can help wanting to add a line to the song:

"I believe...that God to told Joseph Smith to marry other men's wives, teenagers, sisters, and an already pregnant woman, but when Warren Jeffs did the same thing it was obviously a revelation from Satan."

The truth will set you free. God gave us a brain and this is brain food. Lies never build anything, but they help destroy the purpose of the brain which is to think!

Perhaps it's the mormon brain washing... I can't help but want to "preach" the truth.