I learned in church today

[Blueintheface]

You keep using the expression "left the church". Seems awfully dramatic. Have you asked for your name to be removed or something?

Does it? Not my intention. No, I have never asked to have my name removed nor will I ever. Maybe you're being awfully sensitve?

Not that I have an anniversary date or anything but I guess I should just refer to it as the last time I attended as a faithful member perhaps or just call myself inactive? Or just stay out of religious threads all together as I TRULY do not want to become one of the obsessed.

I self-identify and probably always will as a Mormon but it's hard to define the process of separating oneself from something that has been a part of you for all of 41 years. To go from faithful-->doubting-->shaken faith-->attending but nearly faithless-->inactive-->indifferent is a strange and unique experience and as I said I have no intention of becoming a thorn in any faithful person's side.

IMO our uniqueness will one day grant us 13th-tribe status.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Does it? Not my intention. No, I have never asked to have my name removed nor will I ever. Maybe you're being awfully sensitve?

Not that I have an anniversary date or anything but I guess I should just refer to it as the last time I attended as a faithful member perhaps or just call myself inactive? Or just stay out of religious threads all together as I TRULY do not want to become one of the obsessed.

I self-identify and probably always will as a Mormon but it's hard to define the process of separating oneself from something that has been a part of you for all of 41 years. To go from faithful-->doubting-->shaken faith-->attending but nearly faithless-->inactive-->indifferent is a strange and unique experience and as I said I have no intention of becoming a thorn in any faithful person's side.

IMO our uniqueness will one day grant us 13th-tribe status.

Thanks. I was just curious.

[byu71]

Does it? Not my intention. No, I have never asked to have my name removed nor will I ever. Maybe you're being awfully sensitve?

Not that I have an anniversary date or anything but I guess I should just refer to it as the last time I attended as a faithful member perhaps or just call myself inactive? Or just stay out of religious threads all together as I TRULY do not want to become one of the obsessed.

I self-identify and probably always will as a Mormon but it's hard to define the process of separating oneself from something that has been a part of you for all of 41 years. To go from faithful-->doubting-->shaken faith-->attending but nearly faithless-->inactive-->indifferent is a strange and unique experience and as I said I have no intention of becoming a thorn in any faithful person's side.

IMO our uniqueness will one day grant us 13th-tribe status.

I think you are on an interesting journey and not even you may know for sure how it will end. I am interested in hearing about it. As an inactive member, you are now free to tell those that give you crap for talking about it to go F themselves.

[Blueintheface]

I think you are on an interesting journey and not even you may know for sure how it will end. I am interested in hearing about it. As an inactive member, you are now free to tell those that give you crap for talking about it to go F themselves.

Funny because about 18 months ago I might have been telling myself to go F myself (this is an indictment of my own character and not active LDS people FWIW).

It will be interesting to see where life takes me. I sat in bed discussing faith with my wife well into the night last night. As I told her, I think I've arrived in a place that allows for me to believe in God and be at peace knowing that he loves me despite my recent faith crisis. For now that's good enough for me but it is a journey so who knows.

I hope most of all that I never become what anyone would consider "anti-Mormon". I owe everything to my those who came before me and I don't intend to diminish their sacrifice by becoming a selfish and bitter person.

[Topper]

Not everybody who identifies as "exmormon" resigns formally. Some people just stop going as an intentional but unspoken act. Others communicate it directly to leadership. But they still all identify as having left and/or as being exmormon.

You know this already, of course.

And not everybody who stops attending is an ex mormon, some are just "currently not attending".

[Pheidippides]

This sounds like a PR nightmare in Houston.

Yes. In the same way the Tom Phillips summons is a PR nightmare in Utah. Big fat meh. Which is perfect.

[cougjunkie]

Does it? Not my intention. No, I have never asked to have my name removed nor will I ever. Maybe you're being awfully sensitve?

Not that I have an anniversary date or anything but I guess I should just refer to it as the last time I attended as a faithful member perhaps or just call myself inactive? Or just stay out of religious threads all together as I TRULY do not want to become one of the obsessed.

I self-identify and probably always will as a Mormon but it's hard to define the process of separating oneself from something that has been a part of you for all of 41 years. To go from faithful-->doubting-->shaken faith-->attending but nearly faithless-->inactive-->indifferent is a strange and unique experience and as I said I have no intention of becoming a thorn in any faithful person's side.

IMO our uniqueness will one day grant us 13th-tribe status.

How long ago did you start to doubt?

[Blueintheface]

How long ago did you start to doubt?

Good question. A couple of years I guess. It came to a head in 2013 ironically enough when I was teaching Gospel Doctrine and researching church history. I never ventured outside of "authorized" material but managed to read enough sanctioned material that I had not read before (and I considered myself adequately versed in church history prior to the teaching assignment). Suffice to say I arrived at a point where believing became impossible. It wasn't an epiphany, it was simply realizing I was ok with my inability to believe it any more. I'm not one to practice what I don't believe so I made a clean break.

[Topper]

Good question. A couple of years I guess. It came to a head in 2013 ironically enough when I was teaching Gospel Doctrine and researching church history. I never ventured outside of "authorized" material but managed to read enough sanctioned material that I had not read before (and I considered myself adequately versed in church history prior to the teaching assignment). Suffice to say I arrived at a point where believing became impossible. It wasn't an epiphany, it was simply realizing I was ok with my inability to believe it any more. I'm not one to practice what I don't believe so I made a clean break.

Did it cause you disbelieve religious claims of any nature?

[Blueintheface]

Did it cause you disbelieve religious claims of any nature?

To which claims are you referring? The restoration, obviously.

We can discuss in email if you'd like as I'd rather not proselyte in the open forum.

[cougjunkie]

Good question. A couple of years I guess. It came to a head in 2013 ironically enough when I was teaching Gospel Doctrine and researching church history. I never ventured outside of "authorized" material but managed to read enough sanctioned material that I had not read before (and I considered myself adequately versed in church history prior to the teaching assignment). Suffice to say I arrived at a point where believing became impossible. It wasn't an epiphany, it was simply realizing I was ok with my inability to believe it any more. I'm not one to practice what I don't believe so I made a clean break.

So about 3 years? Interesting.

[Donuthole]

So about 3 years? Interesting.

CUF strikes again!

[cougjunkie]

CUF strikes again!

Sounds like Lebowski needs to pitch in.

http://www.cougarstadium.com/showthread.php?69136-Post-your-diet-and-workout-plans-here&p=1070568&viewfull=1#post1070568

[Blueintheface]

So about 3 years? Interesting.

Huh? Perhaps you can't read?...or more likely you jumped to the conclusion of my involvement on CUF as a turning point? I've already discussed prior on here the hows and whys but that doesn't matter because your conclusion always trumps reality, right? Either way if you'd like to continue to discuss via boardmail I can give you the boring details. I also give you permission to not care.

[Pheidippides]

CUF strikes again!

What's the total count these days? Gotta be up in the double digits by now.