Question About Mormonism
Well, there is no such thing as unbiased.
the best you can hope for is that the bias one has is biased toward your well being.
If you leave you will NOT have nothing. That is part of the lie that is used to control you.
If someone really loves you, they will love you if you do not share their beliefs.
Being born into a group is the worst reason to maintain oneself in a religion. It has nothing to do with truth, just an accident of location of your birth.
I am a Christian and I am fully convinced that the LDS is false, for many, many reasons:
Archeology
Failed prophecies
Flora and fauna reported in the BoM
Metallurgy reported in the BoM
DNA evidence
The Biblical evidence proving its authenticity in these areas.
There are several groups of Christians who have come out of the LDS sect and these people are very helpful and they understand the rejection, disillusion and the feeling of betrayal you will go through.
They will be glad to help you out, I wish you well
That must be really hard. I don't really know what you are going through, but what is most important is your relationship with God. I'm assuming you do believe in God, and that your issue is with some of the beliefs of the LDS.
Honestly, I would pray about it. It would be really hard to leave your friends and family.
Jesus made it clear that some forms of worship are not acceptable to God. So the question is, what does God require of us? And how do we find out what God requires?
I'm including a link to an article I think you would like called "Who Should Determine the True Religion"
We are all on quest to find the truth.
Again, my heart goes out to you. Please feel free to email me.
Source(s):
http://tinyurl.com/yho493a
I don't have any advice on what to do on a practical level, but what I can say is that I have been in a not dissimilar situation and I think you should try and look at your life laterally, remove yourself and view yourself from the outside. Wouldn't you feel sorry for this lady who's life is passing her by? Do you want to be someone who you would feel sorry and a little sad for? I didn't and decided to take the bull by the horns. It wasn't easy and when I first had my freedom and felt a bit scared because my security had been taken away (self induced obviously) I made mistakes, it wasn't easy. But what matters is that now I am stronger than I could ever have imagined I was capable of being. I am happy and as a strong woman who is centred and congruent I feel I am the role model for my daughters that I wish to be. I love life and only after I broke free did I bloom into the person I could be, had I stayed where I was I would have remained a bud that never bloomed, no-one would ever have known who and what I might have been.
Don't be rash, whatever moves you make, do them wisely with your goal in mind, I hope you find a happiness you never imagined and you pass on to your children the gift of a greater degree of freedom to blossom than you ever imagined you could. Kindest wishes to you from me.
Source(s):
Atheist, but I was just answering as one woman to another.
you don't have to leave and make a big scene. you can just participate in the parts of it you like and the social and family atmosphere of it, while quietly not believing what they teach, or participating in the things you don't want to. unfortunantly, that approach may eventually lead to a confrontation, and you will be outed as not believing. just calmly explain that you have doubts and certain parts of the religion you don't want to participate in while you have those doubts. i really suggest you try and keep your family together though, and i realize that with the LDS the church is everything, and it will cause some hurt feelings to your loved ones who believe. let them see that you are still the same person though, and try not to harbor bitter feelings towards the church, because then you will be seen as an "anti-mormon" and an enemy. don't become one of those people that goes around "bashing' and "exposing" the mormons all over the internet. just let them know that you are still the same person you always were, and that they don't have to fear you as someone who fell away and will be a bad influence on them. but i can't really say how they will react to your decision, just let them know you love them and want to be with them.
My advice is to continue to do research into Mormonism and its false teachings before you step out. Do google searches on "mormonism apologetics" "mormon inconsistencies" and things like this. If you go to a Christian bookstore you can find books on Mormonism. These would not be biased as if Mormons could be Christians certainly the Christians would want to include them but this is not so. Basic Christianity is seeing our sinfulness and going to Jesus for forgiveness. Whereas Mormonism is more working to eventually become a god! Do more research to know what you are talking about. At the right time you need to step out. Maybe you can persuade some others as you do. Other LDS people are also doubting that faith. Why spend the rest of your life living a lie?
One reason they say Mormonism makes no sense..... Mormonism teaches that God used to be a man on another world and that he became a god (this is called exaltation) and came to this world with his goddess wife. He was able to become a god because he followed the laws and ordinances of the god he served on another world. That god in turn was exalted by his god, who was exalted by his god, ad infinitum. In other words, there is a progression of gods being formed as far back as you look in time.
Truth does not contradict itself. If I gave two statements about a subject and the two statements contradicted each other, then you would know something was wrong. The law of non contradiction states that something cannot be both true and false in the same sense at the same time. In other words, truth does not contradict itself. This is basic logic. That which is true is internally consistent and contains no logical impossibilities. If something does contain a logical impossibility, then it cannot be true.
Mormonism teaches an infinite regression of causes. This means that it teaches that each god was made a god by a previous god. This means that as far back as you look in time, this process has always been occurring. This means that from an infinity of time in the past, the Mormon plan of exaltation (become gods) has been in effect. The only problem is that this is logically impossible. Since it is logically impossible, this means that Mormonism is false. Let's look closer.
There cannot be an infinite regression of causes. It is logically impossible. Why? Because you can not cross an infinity.
In other words, in order for us to get to the present state of this god on this planet, there would have had to be an infinite number of exaltations in the past. But, this cannot be because in order to get to the present, you would have to transverse an infinity of exaltations and that is impossible since you cannot transverse an infinity -- if you could cross (transverse) an infinity of time, then it isn't infinite. Therefore, the Mormon system of infinite regressions of exaltations to godhood is impossible and Mormonism is proven false. Simple.
However, Mormons will not give in to a logical proof since their testimonies are not based on facts, but on what they claim is a testimony of the Holy Spirit. Of course, all cult groups have testimonies that their church is true (proving that testimonies are contradictory and untrustworthy as a means to determining truth). Nevertheless, they are taught to "feel" theological truth, not think it through.
How then do they respond to this logical proof that Mormonism is false? Normally they say that it is a mystery. Mysteries are fine, but they cannot suffice as an explanation if they contradict logic. In other words, if a principle is blatantly illogically, it cannot be true. Did you get that? It cannot be true. Saying it is a mystery means nothing if the proclamation of that mystery violates the laws of logic. Mormonism is proven false.
What is the truth?
Okay, so if the Mormon principle of eternal regression of exaltations is logically impossible, then what is the truth?
The truth is that there is a single uncaused cause. Logic necessitates that there must be a single being who is without beginning and upon which time has no meaning or affect who is the single uncaused cause. The Bible says that God is unchanging (unlike the Mormon god) and that he has been God from eternity. This is exactly what logic necessitates as being true. The God of Christianity is not an exalted man from another planet with a goddess wife. The God of Christianity has always been God and has never been anything else.
Check out the following verses.
"For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed," (Mal. 3:6).
"Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God," (Psalm 90:2).
What is sad is that this simple logical proof, and it is a proof that Mormonism is false, will mean basically nothing to those whose spiritual eyes have been blinded by the god of this world.
"And even
If I were you I would just play along with my family and friends because you would be wasting your time trying to convince them what they believe is false. You are not alone in the world there are many people like you who are in identical situations. If you have a little time you might do a little research and try to communicate with other people in like situations. Just being able to use the internet will be a great help. Because my parents were in an accident and were killed I became an orphan at three and was raised in a catholic orphanage until I was fifteen. It actually was pretty good because I learned to get along with all different kinds of people and I too never believed any of those religious teachings either. So to this day I'm a Atheist and I wouldn't have it any other way. Good luck to you and you know you are not alone thinking the way you do.
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If you truly are questioning things then you have to ask yourself why. When did you start feeling this way? Are you really dissatisfied with the church and it's teachings or are you dissatisfied with your life? I'm an LDS woman and I know how hard it can be to live up to the image of the perfect LDS woman. My best advice to you is to (1) pray about this and (2) get some outside counseling. No one has to know that you are seeing a therapist. Look in your local phone book and there will be tons of psychologists to choose from. Explore your feelings and try to pin point when you started to feel this way. If you are not working maybe you should see if you can get a part time job. Get out of the house and find out what makes you happy. This may have everything to do with the church but my hunch is that the church may have little to do with the way you are feeling and you are more unhappy with the LDS image that you have allowed others to mold you in to. I would take time to explore all of your options. Don't make any rash decisions. Please pray about this and get some counseling.
Consider yourself invited to request a free, personal Bible study, one that is actually based on the Bible itself, instead of any man-made church doctrines . . .
"The Bible . . . ":
- To Trust or Not to Trust
- A Unique Book
- Reasons to Trust the Bible
http://watchtower.org/e/200711/article_0…
"The Truth Will Set You Free"
- Worshiping God With Truth
http://watchtower.org/e/19981001/article…
"What Does the Bible *Really* Teach?"
http://watchtower.org/e/bh/article_00.ht…
"Understanding the Bible---A Pleasure Open to You!"
http://watchtower.org/e/20060401a/articl…
I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk.”—Isa. 48:17.
"...Jehovah is near to all those calling upon him,
To all those who call upon him in trueness." --Psalm 145:18
"And I heard another voice out of heaven say:
“Get out of her [false religion], my people, if You do not want to share with her in her sins, and if You do not want to receive part of her plagues." http://watchtower.org/e/bh/appendix_12.h…
“‘Therefore get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing, and I will take You in.’ And I shall be a father to You, and You will be sons and daughters to me,’ says Jehovah the Almighty.” --2 Corinthians 6:17,18
"For I, Jehovah your God, am grasping your right hand, the One saying to you, ‘Do not be afraid. I myself will help you.’ " --Isaiah 41:13"
You may want to also read this experience of a group of Mennonites whose former-fellow Mennonite community turned 'its' collective back on them when they began studying the Bible---Notice the kind of help they received:
"Mennonites Search for Bible Truth"
- Who Are the Mennonites?
- Mennonites Today
> How a Seed of Truth Was Sown
> Facing Trials for the Truth
> Cut Off from Their Community
> Finding a Loving Brotherhood
http://watchtower.org/e/20050901/article…
Drop in for a visit, if you like:
http://jw-media.org/people/worship.htm
.
Source(s):
Read the Bible Online:
http://unbound.biola.edu/ {compare up to 4 Bibles, side by side; http://watchtower.org/bible/index.htm {read verses in context.
Acceptance of a supernatural claim tends to promote cooperative social relationships. This communication demonstrates a willingness to accept, without skepticism, the influence of the speaker in a way similar to a child's acceptance of the influence of a parent. By encouraging this kind of behavior where the most intense social relationships occur it facilitates the lack of skepticism and deters more open minded thinking.
They are christian, Muslim or the other religions depending where they were born simply because they were indoctrinated by their parents as very young children. They will go on to indoctrinate their own children and those will go on to indoctrinate their grandchildren!!
Atheists have the intellect to see through the conditioning and escape into the real world!!
Agnostics have the intellect to see through the conditioning but lack the courage to throw of the conditioning entirely.
Sadly Christians are still held firmly prisoner by the self perpetuating brainwashing!!
You will find if you take the small step into reality that everything will become much easier except for the problem you will then have with the intolerance of the christians!!
Good luck!
Source(s):
University of Missouri-Columbia.
Arizona State University
9 hours ago
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I was going through the same a couple years ago as you did know. I found help at the internet at pages of former mormons. And also in good books and Non-Mormon friends and colleagues. It depends which kind of help do you need. Some are from Christians, some are from people without a faith and some from queer people.
You think that you have nothing if you leave this "Church", but you would have a lot: Freedom; Confidence; and last but not least: self control about your personal life!
Source(s):
My experiences as a former Mormon and current witch
Your question involves many aspects of your life and deserves an answer that has recieved much contemplation.
To begin and off the top of my head;
You are a normal human being. Doubting the tenents of Mormonism does not diminish you in any way. There are no religions in which there is no one that desires to escape/get beyond the doctrine.
You have reached a point in your life at which your intellect is unable to accept the mental and spiritual demands of the doctrine you have been immersed in from childhood.
In order for some humans to accept a divine entity they must reach beyond the the doctrine of their childhood.
Some are unable to accept anything greater than their own humanity, often choosing to call themselves Atheists. Theirs is a doctrine as justifiable as any other.
There are answers to be had, paths to follow that can be satisfying to ones soul and spirit.
Seek out clerics from the many faiths, Catholic and Protestant.
Be aware that each will, in good conscience, ask you to pray with them and to consider the doctrine of their faith. The good ones will be more concerned with the health of your faith than with your conversion.
Take what wisdom you can find and apply it to what may be your growing awareness of the the inability of humanity to grasp the implications of the concept of "God" and the multitude of sometimes ridiculous behavior modifying practices we develop to to create a quantifiable entity to fill that void.
More immediately, because of the ramifications of Morman doctrine, do not at this point discuss your concerns with your family or friends. Most certainly not with your Bishop. After you have explored the viewpoints of other faiths and other philosophies you will be better able to evaluate the arguments of your Bishop, friends and family. You will be able to see the Mormon tenents more objectively when armed with the insight of the practioners of other faiths.
There are ways to accept our humanity and religion, i.e. belief in "God" without being forced to abandon ones culture and family.
Congratulations on coming of age.
Regardless of the way your journey develops it will make you a wiser, stronger, more humane person.
Do not let any person deter you from making the journey. The truly religious person will always accept both the seeker and the truth with open arms.
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I have been in the LDS church and out of it --- and it is not true that you will 'have nothing'....unless that is the reaction of your individual family. the LDS church does not cut people off just because they are struggling. I have many friends who are LDS that stood by me just the same as those who are non-LDS did.
however, if your life is that wrapped in the church - I would suggest sitting back and evaluating what caused you to 'feel it's false'. based on this question and others I have seen from you - I wonder if you are not just having some problems in your marriage and are trying to cut all ties there rather than have the courage to work on it.....you do NOT have to lose all aspects of your life, just because you lose one.
Well personally I think you are looking at this wrong. All of us face times of personal crisis with our Faith to one degree or another. Even if yours is currently extreme - it would be YOU tossing out the "Baby with the bath water" here. Your family and friends and maybe even some neighbors love you and care about you. THey want you to be happy. Sure some will take issue with you questioning the LDS church and your faith & testimony in it - whereas those that truly love you will recognize that you are going through something very real and personal and YOU ALONE Must take this journey.
Give yourself and THEM some credit. Speak to your family & Bishop and express your feelings and issues regarding your faith & testimony currently. Let them know that you need some time & spiritual SPACE to work at your feelings & understand the depth of this matter. Don't give up on yourself, your loved ones and especially don't give up on the Lord. Now more than ever is a time for prayer and study,fasting and meditation. Whatever you feel is valid and yours alone to go thru here - give them the opportunity to help you regardless of where it leads you.
Leaving the church doesn't automatically mean losing your family! That is your assumption but I think it's unfair and not the Lord's way.
It sounds to me like you have had your life directed for you and that you have been the dutiful person and done what was expected of you without taking time for your own sense of self and the fulfillment of your inner desires and goals. It is important that every child of God take stock of themselves and not just go through life doing what others tell them to do, even if those directions are basically correct. You still need to feel their correctness for yourself.
I agree with others that you should level with your family and ward leaders and take some time to study, ponder and pray about your life status. If you are sincere, you will feel the direction you need to go.
Have you taken time to study the scriptures daily?
My whole life is LDS. My family, parents, hubby, children, neighbors, friends but in my heart I feel its?
Have you been mindful to pray morning and evening as an individual as well as with your husband and family?
Do you attend church weekly and partake of the sacrament?
Do you sit down with your family weekly for family home evening where you can discuss principles of the gospel and how they apply in your respective lives?
You need to get back to basics and unburden your life from other peoples expectations for a while.
We don't find peace by running away from our troubles but rather from facing the challenges and overcoming them.
A lot of LDS that know the church is false are in your shoes. Honestly if they all came out as know the church is false and got together there would be a support group that could fill all the stadiums in Salt Lake City.. Those people usually just sit back and fake it. And you'd be surprised that other people feel the same way you do. Probe other LDS with questions they like to dismiss. The other knowers of the false faith will usually take you aside and let you in on their little secret. Which is the same little secret as yours.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091029022107AAi8ZFR
the best you can hope for is that the bias one has is biased toward your well being.
If you leave you will NOT have nothing. That is part of the lie that is used to control you.
If someone really loves you, they will love you if you do not share their beliefs.
Being born into a group is the worst reason to maintain oneself in a religion. It has nothing to do with truth, just an accident of location of your birth.
I am a Christian and I am fully convinced that the LDS is false, for many, many reasons:
Archeology
Failed prophecies
Flora and fauna reported in the BoM
Metallurgy reported in the BoM
DNA evidence
The Biblical evidence proving its authenticity in these areas.
There are several groups of Christians who have come out of the LDS sect and these people are very helpful and they understand the rejection, disillusion and the feeling of betrayal you will go through.
They will be glad to help you out, I wish you well
That must be really hard. I don't really know what you are going through, but what is most important is your relationship with God. I'm assuming you do believe in God, and that your issue is with some of the beliefs of the LDS.
Honestly, I would pray about it. It would be really hard to leave your friends and family.
Jesus made it clear that some forms of worship are not acceptable to God. So the question is, what does God require of us? And how do we find out what God requires?
I'm including a link to an article I think you would like called "Who Should Determine the True Religion"
We are all on quest to find the truth.
Again, my heart goes out to you. Please feel free to email me.
Source(s):
http://tinyurl.com/yho493a
I don't have any advice on what to do on a practical level, but what I can say is that I have been in a not dissimilar situation and I think you should try and look at your life laterally, remove yourself and view yourself from the outside. Wouldn't you feel sorry for this lady who's life is passing her by? Do you want to be someone who you would feel sorry and a little sad for? I didn't and decided to take the bull by the horns. It wasn't easy and when I first had my freedom and felt a bit scared because my security had been taken away (self induced obviously) I made mistakes, it wasn't easy. But what matters is that now I am stronger than I could ever have imagined I was capable of being. I am happy and as a strong woman who is centred and congruent I feel I am the role model for my daughters that I wish to be. I love life and only after I broke free did I bloom into the person I could be, had I stayed where I was I would have remained a bud that never bloomed, no-one would ever have known who and what I might have been.
Don't be rash, whatever moves you make, do them wisely with your goal in mind, I hope you find a happiness you never imagined and you pass on to your children the gift of a greater degree of freedom to blossom than you ever imagined you could. Kindest wishes to you from me.
Source(s):
Atheist, but I was just answering as one woman to another.
you don't have to leave and make a big scene. you can just participate in the parts of it you like and the social and family atmosphere of it, while quietly not believing what they teach, or participating in the things you don't want to. unfortunantly, that approach may eventually lead to a confrontation, and you will be outed as not believing. just calmly explain that you have doubts and certain parts of the religion you don't want to participate in while you have those doubts. i really suggest you try and keep your family together though, and i realize that with the LDS the church is everything, and it will cause some hurt feelings to your loved ones who believe. let them see that you are still the same person though, and try not to harbor bitter feelings towards the church, because then you will be seen as an "anti-mormon" and an enemy. don't become one of those people that goes around "bashing' and "exposing" the mormons all over the internet. just let them know that you are still the same person you always were, and that they don't have to fear you as someone who fell away and will be a bad influence on them. but i can't really say how they will react to your decision, just let them know you love them and want to be with them.
My advice is to continue to do research into Mormonism and its false teachings before you step out. Do google searches on "mormonism apologetics" "mormon inconsistencies" and things like this. If you go to a Christian bookstore you can find books on Mormonism. These would not be biased as if Mormons could be Christians certainly the Christians would want to include them but this is not so. Basic Christianity is seeing our sinfulness and going to Jesus for forgiveness. Whereas Mormonism is more working to eventually become a god! Do more research to know what you are talking about. At the right time you need to step out. Maybe you can persuade some others as you do. Other LDS people are also doubting that faith. Why spend the rest of your life living a lie?
One reason they say Mormonism makes no sense..... Mormonism teaches that God used to be a man on another world and that he became a god (this is called exaltation) and came to this world with his goddess wife. He was able to become a god because he followed the laws and ordinances of the god he served on another world. That god in turn was exalted by his god, who was exalted by his god, ad infinitum. In other words, there is a progression of gods being formed as far back as you look in time.
Truth does not contradict itself. If I gave two statements about a subject and the two statements contradicted each other, then you would know something was wrong. The law of non contradiction states that something cannot be both true and false in the same sense at the same time. In other words, truth does not contradict itself. This is basic logic. That which is true is internally consistent and contains no logical impossibilities. If something does contain a logical impossibility, then it cannot be true.
Mormonism teaches an infinite regression of causes. This means that it teaches that each god was made a god by a previous god. This means that as far back as you look in time, this process has always been occurring. This means that from an infinity of time in the past, the Mormon plan of exaltation (become gods) has been in effect. The only problem is that this is logically impossible. Since it is logically impossible, this means that Mormonism is false. Let's look closer.
There cannot be an infinite regression of causes. It is logically impossible. Why? Because you can not cross an infinity.
In other words, in order for us to get to the present state of this god on this planet, there would have had to be an infinite number of exaltations in the past. But, this cannot be because in order to get to the present, you would have to transverse an infinity of exaltations and that is impossible since you cannot transverse an infinity -- if you could cross (transverse) an infinity of time, then it isn't infinite. Therefore, the Mormon system of infinite regressions of exaltations to godhood is impossible and Mormonism is proven false. Simple.
However, Mormons will not give in to a logical proof since their testimonies are not based on facts, but on what they claim is a testimony of the Holy Spirit. Of course, all cult groups have testimonies that their church is true (proving that testimonies are contradictory and untrustworthy as a means to determining truth). Nevertheless, they are taught to "feel" theological truth, not think it through.
How then do they respond to this logical proof that Mormonism is false? Normally they say that it is a mystery. Mysteries are fine, but they cannot suffice as an explanation if they contradict logic. In other words, if a principle is blatantly illogically, it cannot be true. Did you get that? It cannot be true. Saying it is a mystery means nothing if the proclamation of that mystery violates the laws of logic. Mormonism is proven false.
What is the truth?
Okay, so if the Mormon principle of eternal regression of exaltations is logically impossible, then what is the truth?
The truth is that there is a single uncaused cause. Logic necessitates that there must be a single being who is without beginning and upon which time has no meaning or affect who is the single uncaused cause. The Bible says that God is unchanging (unlike the Mormon god) and that he has been God from eternity. This is exactly what logic necessitates as being true. The God of Christianity is not an exalted man from another planet with a goddess wife. The God of Christianity has always been God and has never been anything else.
Check out the following verses.
"For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed," (Mal. 3:6).
"Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God," (Psalm 90:2).
What is sad is that this simple logical proof, and it is a proof that Mormonism is false, will mean basically nothing to those whose spiritual eyes have been blinded by the god of this world.
"And even
If I were you I would just play along with my family and friends because you would be wasting your time trying to convince them what they believe is false. You are not alone in the world there are many people like you who are in identical situations. If you have a little time you might do a little research and try to communicate with other people in like situations. Just being able to use the internet will be a great help. Because my parents were in an accident and were killed I became an orphan at three and was raised in a catholic orphanage until I was fifteen. It actually was pretty good because I learned to get along with all different kinds of people and I too never believed any of those religious teachings either. So to this day I'm a Atheist and I wouldn't have it any other way. Good luck to you and you know you are not alone thinking the way you do.
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If you truly are questioning things then you have to ask yourself why. When did you start feeling this way? Are you really dissatisfied with the church and it's teachings or are you dissatisfied with your life? I'm an LDS woman and I know how hard it can be to live up to the image of the perfect LDS woman. My best advice to you is to (1) pray about this and (2) get some outside counseling. No one has to know that you are seeing a therapist. Look in your local phone book and there will be tons of psychologists to choose from. Explore your feelings and try to pin point when you started to feel this way. If you are not working maybe you should see if you can get a part time job. Get out of the house and find out what makes you happy. This may have everything to do with the church but my hunch is that the church may have little to do with the way you are feeling and you are more unhappy with the LDS image that you have allowed others to mold you in to. I would take time to explore all of your options. Don't make any rash decisions. Please pray about this and get some counseling.
Consider yourself invited to request a free, personal Bible study, one that is actually based on the Bible itself, instead of any man-made church doctrines . . .
"The Bible . . . ":
- To Trust or Not to Trust
- A Unique Book
- Reasons to Trust the Bible
http://watchtower.org/e/200711/article_0…
"The Truth Will Set You Free"
- Worshiping God With Truth
http://watchtower.org/e/19981001/article…
"What Does the Bible *Really* Teach?"
http://watchtower.org/e/bh/article_00.ht…
"Understanding the Bible---A Pleasure Open to You!"
http://watchtower.org/e/20060401a/articl…
I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk.”—Isa. 48:17.
"...Jehovah is near to all those calling upon him,
To all those who call upon him in trueness." --Psalm 145:18
"And I heard another voice out of heaven say:
“Get out of her [false religion], my people, if You do not want to share with her in her sins, and if You do not want to receive part of her plagues." http://watchtower.org/e/bh/appendix_12.h…
“‘Therefore get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing, and I will take You in.’ And I shall be a father to You, and You will be sons and daughters to me,’ says Jehovah the Almighty.” --2 Corinthians 6:17,18
"For I, Jehovah your God, am grasping your right hand, the One saying to you, ‘Do not be afraid. I myself will help you.’ " --Isaiah 41:13"
You may want to also read this experience of a group of Mennonites whose former-fellow Mennonite community turned 'its' collective back on them when they began studying the Bible---Notice the kind of help they received:
"Mennonites Search for Bible Truth"
- Who Are the Mennonites?
- Mennonites Today
> How a Seed of Truth Was Sown
> Facing Trials for the Truth
> Cut Off from Their Community
> Finding a Loving Brotherhood
http://watchtower.org/e/20050901/article…
Drop in for a visit, if you like:
http://jw-media.org/people/worship.htm
.
Source(s):
Read the Bible Online:
http://unbound.biola.edu/ {compare up to 4 Bibles, side by side; http://watchtower.org/bible/index.htm {read verses in context.
Acceptance of a supernatural claim tends to promote cooperative social relationships. This communication demonstrates a willingness to accept, without skepticism, the influence of the speaker in a way similar to a child's acceptance of the influence of a parent. By encouraging this kind of behavior where the most intense social relationships occur it facilitates the lack of skepticism and deters more open minded thinking.
They are christian, Muslim or the other religions depending where they were born simply because they were indoctrinated by their parents as very young children. They will go on to indoctrinate their own children and those will go on to indoctrinate their grandchildren!!
Atheists have the intellect to see through the conditioning and escape into the real world!!
Agnostics have the intellect to see through the conditioning but lack the courage to throw of the conditioning entirely.
Sadly Christians are still held firmly prisoner by the self perpetuating brainwashing!!
You will find if you take the small step into reality that everything will become much easier except for the problem you will then have with the intolerance of the christians!!
Good luck!
Source(s):
University of Missouri-Columbia.
Arizona State University
9 hours ago
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I was going through the same a couple years ago as you did know. I found help at the internet at pages of former mormons. And also in good books and Non-Mormon friends and colleagues. It depends which kind of help do you need. Some are from Christians, some are from people without a faith and some from queer people.
You think that you have nothing if you leave this "Church", but you would have a lot: Freedom; Confidence; and last but not least: self control about your personal life!
Source(s):
My experiences as a former Mormon and current witch
Your question involves many aspects of your life and deserves an answer that has recieved much contemplation.
To begin and off the top of my head;
You are a normal human being. Doubting the tenents of Mormonism does not diminish you in any way. There are no religions in which there is no one that desires to escape/get beyond the doctrine.
You have reached a point in your life at which your intellect is unable to accept the mental and spiritual demands of the doctrine you have been immersed in from childhood.
In order for some humans to accept a divine entity they must reach beyond the the doctrine of their childhood.
Some are unable to accept anything greater than their own humanity, often choosing to call themselves Atheists. Theirs is a doctrine as justifiable as any other.
There are answers to be had, paths to follow that can be satisfying to ones soul and spirit.
Seek out clerics from the many faiths, Catholic and Protestant.
Be aware that each will, in good conscience, ask you to pray with them and to consider the doctrine of their faith. The good ones will be more concerned with the health of your faith than with your conversion.
Take what wisdom you can find and apply it to what may be your growing awareness of the the inability of humanity to grasp the implications of the concept of "God" and the multitude of sometimes ridiculous behavior modifying practices we develop to to create a quantifiable entity to fill that void.
More immediately, because of the ramifications of Morman doctrine, do not at this point discuss your concerns with your family or friends. Most certainly not with your Bishop. After you have explored the viewpoints of other faiths and other philosophies you will be better able to evaluate the arguments of your Bishop, friends and family. You will be able to see the Mormon tenents more objectively when armed with the insight of the practioners of other faiths.
There are ways to accept our humanity and religion, i.e. belief in "God" without being forced to abandon ones culture and family.
Congratulations on coming of age.
Regardless of the way your journey develops it will make you a wiser, stronger, more humane person.
Do not let any person deter you from making the journey. The truly religious person will always accept both the seeker and the truth with open arms.
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I have been in the LDS church and out of it --- and it is not true that you will 'have nothing'....unless that is the reaction of your individual family. the LDS church does not cut people off just because they are struggling. I have many friends who are LDS that stood by me just the same as those who are non-LDS did.
however, if your life is that wrapped in the church - I would suggest sitting back and evaluating what caused you to 'feel it's false'. based on this question and others I have seen from you - I wonder if you are not just having some problems in your marriage and are trying to cut all ties there rather than have the courage to work on it.....you do NOT have to lose all aspects of your life, just because you lose one.
Well personally I think you are looking at this wrong. All of us face times of personal crisis with our Faith to one degree or another. Even if yours is currently extreme - it would be YOU tossing out the "Baby with the bath water" here. Your family and friends and maybe even some neighbors love you and care about you. THey want you to be happy. Sure some will take issue with you questioning the LDS church and your faith & testimony in it - whereas those that truly love you will recognize that you are going through something very real and personal and YOU ALONE Must take this journey.
Give yourself and THEM some credit. Speak to your family & Bishop and express your feelings and issues regarding your faith & testimony currently. Let them know that you need some time & spiritual SPACE to work at your feelings & understand the depth of this matter. Don't give up on yourself, your loved ones and especially don't give up on the Lord. Now more than ever is a time for prayer and study,fasting and meditation. Whatever you feel is valid and yours alone to go thru here - give them the opportunity to help you regardless of where it leads you.
Leaving the church doesn't automatically mean losing your family! That is your assumption but I think it's unfair and not the Lord's way.
It sounds to me like you have had your life directed for you and that you have been the dutiful person and done what was expected of you without taking time for your own sense of self and the fulfillment of your inner desires and goals. It is important that every child of God take stock of themselves and not just go through life doing what others tell them to do, even if those directions are basically correct. You still need to feel their correctness for yourself.
I agree with others that you should level with your family and ward leaders and take some time to study, ponder and pray about your life status. If you are sincere, you will feel the direction you need to go.
Have you taken time to study the scriptures daily?
My whole life is LDS. My family, parents, hubby, children, neighbors, friends but in my heart I feel its?
Have you been mindful to pray morning and evening as an individual as well as with your husband and family?
Do you attend church weekly and partake of the sacrament?
Do you sit down with your family weekly for family home evening where you can discuss principles of the gospel and how they apply in your respective lives?
You need to get back to basics and unburden your life from other peoples expectations for a while.
We don't find peace by running away from our troubles but rather from facing the challenges and overcoming them.
A lot of LDS that know the church is false are in your shoes. Honestly if they all came out as know the church is false and got together there would be a support group that could fill all the stadiums in Salt Lake City.. Those people usually just sit back and fake it. And you'd be surprised that other people feel the same way you do. Probe other LDS with questions they like to dismiss. The other knowers of the false faith will usually take you aside and let you in on their little secret. Which is the same little secret as yours.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091029022107AAi8ZFR
Gerald R. McDermott, the Jordan-Trexler Professor of Religion at Roanoke College and author, with Robert Millet, of Claiming Christ: A Mormon-Evangelical Debate, addressed the question of whether Latter-day Saints are Christians in an article "Is Mormonism Christian?" published in First Things magazine (October 2008).
ReplyDeleteBy examining Professor McDermott's critique in light of the Bible, one can see that Mormonism differs from historic Christian orthodoxy to the degree that historic Christian orthodoxy diverges from Biblical truths.
http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B2mH1gj1Vq-BYjczOWYyMDItNDE5NC00YzAxLTgxZDUtZGZhN2IxMzc2MjIz&hl=en
Most points where sectarian Christians have problems with LDS doctrine illustrate the departure of sectarianism from the Bible.