not even a good rationale anyway. That argument is weak because, um HE SPENT TIME IN JAIL, plenty of time. So obviously some charges did stick. Otherwise Smith was able to exert political power and extract favors and pardons from statesmen because of his reliable Mormon voting bloc. Mormons are so seriously deceived it's scary. J Smith was a fuggin criminal and sex predator, it's undisputed h
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His points aren't even consistent. He concedes that Mormons use labels like "apostate," and that he believes TBM began as a pejorative. Then he admonishes users of "TBM" to remember that it started as a pejorative, when he only offered the position as a theory, and he makes no effort to get Mormons to think about labels they use. I've personally never thought TBM could be
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I always know the comments get nasty on there, but that's about the quickest I've ever seen it descend into outright mudslinging. I wonder if this was a hot button issue for the MOrms or maybe just new TBMs posting? Either way it's nothing short of shocking the way they think, and the willingness with which they verbally assault people. What sad, insecure people. I post as CrazyBrazen. Have t
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at least to all the sordid details in the exposed history. But at that point I had already been out of TSCC. I originally absconded because I was just numb to it. I felt clearly that I was getting nothing from Moism, and that it was no panacea to the human emotional struggle, or even a durable source of emotional comfort. Plus Mormons just made me sick; so bland, intellectually indifferent, no
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I seem to remember that fast offerings were for local needy people (presumably other ward members), and aid abroad came from tithes, but idk. Obviously I'm ignoring the lack of financial transparency and paucity of real humanitarian aid.
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Zeponie's in Centerville. I used to go there every week even living in Sandy. I find most good pizza always has at least one flaw, the crust, sauce, whatever. But Zeponie's attention to quality is meticulous, including their breadsticks and wings. It is an oasis of culinary achievement in the middle of culture-starved Utahkistan.
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They weren't born and raised in a culture that imposes rap and tattoos on them. The difference is they get to choose it themselves. Individuality =/= originality
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Major Bidamon Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > had a guy in priesthood ask if it was ok to take a > Sunday walk with his kids. I felt like smacking > him. He was probably trying to come across as so super righteous that even his personal desire for which to obtain divine permission was the wholesome act of taking a walk with his kids, as if his wil
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After having conversed with many from the "what REALLY happened" crowd I've noticed how seamlessly the conspiracy theorists involve religious beliefs in the discussion. And more subtly, many of the same patterns of cultic conditioning are exhibited in the way they conceive and preserve the conspiracy thinking. Among them are confirmation bias, emotional potency as a truth indicator, mot
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I think I've changed the most rapidly of those I know in my age group. These changes were accelerated once I left Utah. The week before I left I remember defending polygamy to someone, which is astonishing to me considering where my head's at now. It's difficult to see Utah friends (on facebook for example) who are unable to evade the Utah mentality. I feel it's due to the lack of cultural divers
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I'm approaching 30 and I've noticed that there's been rapid mental changes in those in my age group in the past 5 years or so, including myself. Old friends who were JackMo's as teens and didn't serve missions seem to be flocking to TBM activity, even a few Utah nonMo's who are converting to Mo'ism. Of course I also know a few who were TBM's and have since defected in this same late-20's timefram
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but was happy to debate after they had come after me with all sorts of character attacks, false assumptions. When _they_ would come after me first, I let 'em have it. Even before I really discovered how deep the fraud and avarice are in Mo'ism, I would always defend myself with my own philosophy. Once a few years ago my parents even took me on a trip to Europe so they could really come down o
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I've wondered what the reasons might have been why he didn't. After all there is plenty of record of him preaching in general, with a lot of the same prose and concepts. At first I thought it was that he was kind of ashamed of it and therefore didn't use it in sermons, like he didn't have sufficient confidence in it because he knew it was man made. But a couple items changed my attitude. f
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I meant to say it's easy for Mormons to judge a pagan. Mormons knee-jerk response to any non Mormon is that they resist the "one true church" because they want to indulge in sinful behavior. A pagan is overtly pro-nature which makes it much easier for the Mormon mind to judge him as someone who is so addicted to his natural inclinations that he doesn't even carry any god-shame over it
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at least as disliked as Catholics, but probably much more. Sometimes you'll even hear Mormons say if not Mo'ism then Catholicism due to the strong authority claims. They do hate Christians plenty, partly because they see Xtian theology as too liberal or "easy." The Xtian disdain comes out more because Xtianity is the status quo so there's plenty of opportunity to conflict with it.
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Yes, connecting with friends has been a lifeline. Plus my exmo DW's family was absolutely wonderful with us renouncing Mormonism, even allows us to vent to them about problems with Mo'ism itself. They were always liberal Mormons. I knew leaving Utah would be socially difficult, but knew we had to get out of there and not raise our kids in that culture. I don't have many friends but the ones I
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My younger brother's apology was the only sincere one though. He said he doesn't judge me the way he once did (big time sinner who uses intellectual posturing to justify himself, blagh you know the story). He has behaved himself except for recently when he said he thought I was unhappy but he quickly recanted. It seems he tried hard to be nice but still judges harshly below the surface. My pa
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the fact that Mormon legal defense in sex abuse cases argues that LDS Inc has a first amendment right to protect pedophiles from the law so they can "reform" them under their own religious auspices. What kind of group wants to protect pedophiles from the law but claims a sexually moral high ground in general? Sickening is a kind term. That goddamn cult is a tribute to perversion.
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This is usually where I arrive at, too. I have had experiences I would consider out-of-body and even what they call astral projection, and definitely oceanic bliss, feelings of total one-ness. at times my head felt exactly like a cork bobbing on water. Amazing and seems every bit as real as reality, sometimes more so, and for all I know maybe it is. But I generally just be glad it happens and no
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maybe for the same reason it's hard to recognize psychological wounds as equally severe as physical. I think in most cases it comes down to the circumstance, meaning the tribal mentality. When you are in the perceived realms of their defined "good," much of the character of Mormons is pretty agreeable, if saccharin. But engaging them outside of that context hits a psychological
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At first I thought the comments on this board about having kids being purely narcissistic were basically tongue-in-cheek, perhaps as a reaction to the horribly judgmental TBM attitudes regarding the childless. But I must demur on this recurring point. Of course having kids can be selfish, I firmly believe my mother had kids selfishly, meaning to gratify a personal need at the expense of someon
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He was defrauded out of his money and his marriage collapsed. Where've I heard that before? By historical accounts Harris was highly credulous, a total rube. He thought every thought in his head was from God and spent the rest of his life following one charlatan after another like a donkey chasing a carrot. Kinda reminds me of my dad :/
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Is it part of your history, culture, world view that you can't escape? A part of my history, yes. I never really shared a common worldview with Mo's even as a believer. I maintained a separateness of the Mormon view and a more normal view. Sometimes I enjoy a hymn playing in my head, but the "spiritual" element of it is like a trickling stream compared to the surging waterfall of goo
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I love the taste of black coffee I grind myself before brewing, but I hate the crash from it, irritability, confusion, fatigue. I prefer Yerba Mate tea from S. America. Much less caffeine and a variety of natural stimulants like theobromine. Apparently its caffeine metabolizes easier. No crash, just clean, clear-headed energy. Acquired taste though.
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and was deeply saddened that none of my family would say anything to make any sense of it. If I would use one word for my first temple trip it'd be "lonely." On the mission I relished temple trips because I got to sit for an extended period of time, even with the obnoxious clothing readjustments. I didn't give half a shit what it meant, whether I was supposed to in some sort of elev
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a friend or loved one complaining about me with unusual vitriol anonymously on the net. It's not hurting me, and may be a healthy release for them.
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First was at the very beginning of my mission. Nothing direct or overt, just a vague feeling that the people I was preaching at would not be happier if they were Mormon, and the beginnings of a latent notion that the mission would be my final service to the cult but it didn't dwell in my conscious mind much and I never justified it. Second was the notorious BoA. I was exposed to many "ant
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