Changing in activity since participating in CUF?

[SoonerCoug]

Has your church activity changed since reading and/or posting on CUF (or on CG)? If so, how?

This poll is not necessarily asking you to attribute any change in church activity to CUF participation. I'm just asking see what's happened in people's lives since participating here (or on CG).

[pellegrino]

My activity level has remained the same. I think I find more enjoyment in church since I began participating here. I'm not quite sure why though.

[Portland Ute]

My activity level has stayed the same. At least as it pertains to fulfilling the obligations of my callings, attending meetings, etc.

In a way, I actually feel more at peace with the doubts and struggles that I have. When I go to church and I hear things that I just can't swallow or are hard for me to accept, I quite honestly think about the people that I have "met" here that also struggle with concepts, doctrines, etc and, yet, remain active.

I think I feel less like I am going crazy. I know I'm not alone.

I feel like I have a safety net. I know that when I walk in and call my dad by his first initial, full middle name and full last name on conference Sunday and he frowns at me that there are a lot of people out there that would smile and laugh.

I don't know if that makes any sense. I guess what I'm saying is that it does help knowing that I am not alone and that there are other people out there that are just as unsure about some things as I am.

[hostile]

I know that when I walk in and call my dad by his first initial, full middle name and full last name on conference Sunday and he frowns at me that there are a lot of people out there that would smile and laugh.

I laughed. I may try that with my dad.

[myboynoah]

I laughed. I may try that with my dad.

I thought everyone's dad required that of them.

[SoonerCoug]

When interpreting these data, everyone needs to keep in mind that we don't know what would have happened to this population without CUF. For example, of the people who have become more active or maintained their activity, it's possible that some of them would have left the Church without CUF to buoy them up.

[woot]

I chose #4. I think I had started posting on CG by the time I decided I didn't believe, and I officially resigned from the church since the inception of CUF.

Neither board was directly related to my deconversion, but they probably helped me to solidify some of my thoughts on the issues I found important.

[CJF]

My activity level has stayed the same. At least as it pertains to fulfilling the obligations of my callings, attending meetings, etc.

In a way, I actually feel more at peace with the doubts and struggles that I have. When I go to church and I hear things that I just can't swallow or are hard for me to accept, I quite honestly think about the people that I have "met" here that also struggle with concepts, doctrines, etc and, yet, remain active.

I think I feel less like I am going crazy. I know I'm not alone.

I feel like I have a safety net. I know that when I walk in and call my dad by his first initial, full middle name and full last name on conference Sunday and he frowns at me that there are a lot of people out there that would smile and laugh.

I don't know if that makes any sense. I guess what I'm saying is that it does help knowing that I am not alone and that there are other people out there that are just as unsure about some things as I am.

This describes me also. There are times I try to explain something in my mind and I just can't. I feel dumb for believing, but I feel wrong for thinking I might not believe. Knowing that there are others much more intelligent than I will ever be struggling but still being faithful helps me not feel crazy about my decision to be a Mormon. If anything CUF has helped me meet some of my doubts head on and move forward in a positive way.

[Babs]

sweet! I get my own option! Thanks, Sooner!

[Surfah]

sweet! I get my own option! Thanks, Sooner!

I thought you were born and raised L.D.S. and that changed when you got married.

[cowboy]

sweet! I get my own option! Thanks, Sooner!

It's BO's option, but you're welcome to borrow it.

While I think this poll is interesting, I would be more interested in the effects, if any, that people think CUF has had on their testimony of Jesus, and on their opinion of the church.

[I.J. Reilly]

Hmmm.... tough question here. I've always gone to church pretty much every Sunday and that hasn't really changed.

On the one hand, I have skipped out on a few more Elder's Quorum meetings. On the other, since participating in CUF I've been put in a position to teach false doctrine to the youth, which arguably makes me more active, whereas before I was only ever fulfilling my post-mission aspiration of being a home teacher. I just don't know which way to go on this poll. Big decision.

I agree with cowboy that the more interesting questions are what effect you think your participation in online fora in general, and this one in particular, has had on your testimony and attitude toward the church. However, I'm betting that Sooner has a plan and is only being methodical as an academic in laying his groundwork before moving forward.

[Surfah]

Hmmm.... tough question here. I've always gone to church pretty much every Sunday and that hasn't really changed.

On the one hand, I have skipped out on a few more Elder's Quorum meetings. On the other, since participating in CUF I've been put in a position to teach false doctrine to the youth, which arguably makes me more active, whereas before I was only ever fulfilling my post-mission aspiration of being a home teacher. I just don't know which way to go on this poll. Big decision.

I agree with cowboy that the more interesting questions are what effect you think your participation in online fora in general, and this one in particular, has had on your testimony and attitude toward the church.

I never knew anybody personally who lost their testimony from participating in online fora until just this past week. My sister who is in town visiting told me of a friend (convert in HS I think, RM, married in the temple, moved to Utah to live the dream, etc.) who was driving on I-15 and saw some billboard for some ex-mo support group. I don't know which it was, maybe postmormon.com or something, you guys in Utah may know. Anyway he checked it out and realized that many of these people weren't wackjobs and were normal people like he and they made sound and convincing arguments that led to him leaving his wife and the Church. Now I guess he lives in his car between jobs and posting on a blog about how the Church deceived him and how it is not the true church.

This is the second person in the last year or so that I know has left the Church and at the same time left their families. I understand that sometimes marriages don't/can't survive one leaving the Church. But to not even try? I don't understand how all of a sudden one can up and leave their spouse and family and religion all at once. This is just two in the lst year but I know three people personally where this occurred. I think that is terribly sad.

However, I'm betting that Sooner has a plan and is only being methodical as an academic in laying his groundwork before moving forward.

Probably. But someone called him honest in another thread. Maybe that's thrown him off his game.

[Rosebud]

While I think this poll is interesting, I would be more interested in the effects, if any, that people think CUF has had on their testimony of Jesus, and on their opinion of the church.

Good idea. Are you going to start one? I'm sure Sooner could do it for you, but it was your idea after all. I've kind of been mentally putting together one of my loooonnnnggggg answers to this question 'cause I think it's a good one. It might fit better in your thread, though. If you take a bit of initiative and put it up I'll be better able to decide where to post.

For now, my short answer is that I have become more active. I still need to explain how I define active, though.

[ERCougar]

It's BO's option, but you're welcome to borrow it.

While I think this poll is interesting, I would be more interested in the effects, if any, that people think CUF has had on their testimony of Jesus, and on their opinion of the church.

Before anyone posts this poll, they really need to define "testimony". If testimony means "confidence in the existence of", then I can see how reading dissenting opinions may adversely affect your testimony. However, I'm not sure I see the virtue in that sort of testimony. Even from a completely orthodox view, Laman and Lemuel probably had a pretty firm "testimony" of Jesus.

My definition of "testimony" would be a connection with the Divine, be it Jesus, Allah, or whatever transcends an individual's daily life. In that sense, I'm not sure how reading other people's opinions could possibly affect one's testimony, but I'll play along with a poll.