Mormonism really is a depressing religion. You see, in order for a family to be "together forever" they all have to comply to Mormonism. I have seen people in tears because a certain family member won't join the church.
Sadly, if a family member won't join, then that person is cut off from the family in the afterlife. Is that depressing or what? A person's reward in the afterlife really has nothing to do with how good of a person they were, but is based upon their membership in god's favorite club and how strictly they followed all the rules.
This is wrong. Instead of allowing family members to enjoy their lives together, the church has everyone convinced that they have to convert everyone in order to save them. How sad and depressing.
Today for Mother's Day I attended a family dinner where the LDS missionaries attended. They were each asked to tell everyone about their mothers. One shared how his mother won't join the church and he is very sad about it because they can't be together if she doesn't join before she dies. Then in the same breath he testified about how much he loves the church and how true it is.
And I'm just sitting there asking myself, "Why would anyone want to join a religion that alienates family members? Why would anyone want to promote it?"
Mormonism is a depressing religion. If parents have a child who falls away, it causes them severe sadness and depression because their child has knowingly walked away from truth and light. Instead of celebrate that this child has found their own life path, family often alienates said apostate so that his or her "evil influence" cannot be spread to those who are still faithful.
For a religion that trumps such strong family values, they sure do a great job of separating families. Non-worthy and non-LDS family members are not allowed to view temple weddings. Mormonism promotes bigotry, ego centrism, and plain arrogant thinking.
I feel so much happier knowing that I don't have to shove my views down everyone's throat! I find great peace in my view that there is no judgmental god who is so damn petty about what religion someone is. I can live my life without fear of damnation and that is worth all the family shunning in the world!
*I must make note that my family has not shunned or disowned me and have generally treated me like a normal member of the family. And while that is great, there are many ex-Mormons who lose everything because of their intolerant, family-oriented families.
It's sad that a religion which promotes so much sadness and dysfunction is celebrated and preached. Mormons are good people, but their superior mode of thinking is truly dangerous and destructive.
6 comments:
Well, I do believe you've thrown out the baby with the bathwater, but I agree with the criticism--ostracism is not acceptable and is the sign of cultic behavior.
The only reason you'd be afraid of a lone family member "infecting" others is if a) your beliefs aren't true and b) you've done a poor job of teaching them to the rest of your family. So if someone ostracizes someone else on the basis of beliefs, that can be a sign that the ostracizers aren't comfortable/confident in their beliefs.
My mother stopped going to church when I was a young child and my step-father is not member. They supported me when I was involved in the church and went on a mission. And, they supported me when I decided to leave the church. As a matter of fact, I think they were pretty happy for me when I told them of my decision. So, it saddens me when I hear stories where parents threaten their kids of withholding education support unless they attend BYU or ostracize or worse disown them if they decide to no longer be a member of this church.
In many respects, one of the reasons I could no longer be a member of this church is the example of my parents in the way they treated me and they way they treated their friends and neighbors.
I read the first line of this post and nothing else. I can tell you're the same old cheerful person you've always been. Perhaps you should switch from Prozac to Cymbalta?
Perhaps you should consider reading the rest. My post goes on to explain why it's a depressing religion.. Because they separate families.
Last time i checked, the Restored gospel is the only thing that can bring us eternal happiness and unite our families eternally. I think you got some thing a little reversed :)it's ok, it can happen to the best of us.
You checked? How did you do that exactly? Wait, I know! You read it in a book or a quote from the church. Sorry, but that's not checking. You might have been told by the church that the "restored gospel" is the only way to eternal happiness, but that is exactly what someone who was lying to you would tell you. So answer this question, Brian. If the church brings eternal happiness like you claim, then why have I seen people in the church who are so distraught and miserable, such as the story I shared in this post? Why does Utah lead the nation in Prozak consumption and online porn subscriptions? I know you will say, "because the devil focuses his attention here the most" but that is just another irrational excuse for the dysfunction that Mormonism really is. It's time to stop living in a fairytale dreamland and start waking up to reality. It's time to stop excusing away all the things that don't add up and start taking a little bit of personal accountability.
You can use fairytales to justify your irrational beliefs or you can open your eyes and start seeing the dysfunction all around you.
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