Spiritual Blackmail

As a Mormon, it is your duty and obligation to fulfill certain commandments on an endless basis. If you don't, you probably wont make it to the Celestial Kingdom. How do you spell pressure? "L-D-S".

Just imagine years and years of pressure to:

• Convert everyone you know to the church
• Do your home teaching
• Pay your tithing
• Attend all your meetings
• Fulfill whatever calling you have
• Read and study "church approved" materials
• Develop your testimony
• Pray all the time
• Don't sin (be a normal person)
• etc.

There came a point where it was just too much. The thing about it is that you try to relieve some of the pressure by doing what you're 'supposed' to. But once its done, it's not done. You get to start over next week, next month. There is literally no relief from the pressure until you are dead. It is always there, lurking overhead like a giant shadow of doom.

So you go out do all that stuff (begrudgingly) because of the fear of god that has been instilled in you since you were an infant. Pray, pay, and obey. When you're done, do it again. Then again. Then again. I had to get out!

Please keep in mind that during this time of my life, I felt extremely overwhelmed by all the expectations, BUT I still believed it. That makes it even worse because if it is true, then you'll be damned if you don't do it all. So you believe it's true and therefore comply becuase you don't want to anger god.

Is it just me? Am I the only one who can't stand the continual pressure to comply? Everyone goes around with big, giant smiles on their faces declaring how happy they are. But how can this spiritual blackmail make anyone happy?

And that's exactly what it is... blackmail.

Here's god with all the power. He tells you that you have to do everything he says or he'll throw you into hell. Sounds like blackmail to me.

Blackmail: "to force or coerce into a particular action, statement, etc."

That's exactly what religion does! They use your soul as leverage against you to get you to do anything they want.

For 30 years I allowed the LDS church to blackmail me. All my life I followed the guidelines thinking that I was saving my soul. But all I was really doing was giving away my free will to a heartless corporation that pretends to be a church. A "non-profit" church at that! LOL

Those who are smart enough to take back their freedom are ousted by the community as "dangerous intellectuals" who are now working for satan. And the drones eat up every word while they sign their tithing checks.

Religion, and Mormonism especially, is nothing but a mental prison. And even though the doors are wide open, it is very difficult to escape. Even though the lie is right under their noses, it is very difficult to see. Sometimes the thing we want the most and search for the most is right there in plain sight where no one can see it.

If you are going to look for something red through red-colored lenses, you probably won't be able to find it. All religion does, is offer you a pair of rose-colored lenses (or blinders) that keep you from seeing the beautiful world around you.

All you have to do is take them off!