exmo.com comes to WashPo

[UtahDan]

The WashPo editorial covers some issues that are perfectly valid criticisms of the church, but she butchered the message with her axe-grinding. Ironically, this woman who claims to have been so horribly misunderstood and mistreated exhibits zero nuance, empathy, or balance in analyzing how or why people reacted to her the way they did. Somehow everyone in the church is part of a soul-crushing, woman-hating conspiracy. Her essay is the religious equivalent of a Sean Hannity or Michael Moore rant.

What is the nuancey, empathetic, balanced view of being shut out of your parent's home for five years? It seems like you are processing her story by concluding that she is at least a little irrational (she believes everyone is part of a conspiracy) and not completely honest (axe-grinding). Maybe she is those things. But it is also possible that she is describing something that sounds very familiar and well within the range of normal to a lot of people who have left a faith (not just Mormonism).

This group seems to have little sense of how run of the mill her story is.

[YOhio]

saved from what?

There are two kinds of deaths. Physical and spiritual. Everybody is saved from physical death through the resurrection. Spiritual death, which is separation from God, can be overcome through faith and repentance. That is probably what creekster and others are referring to as being "saved."

[creekster]

This group seems to have little sense of how run of the mill her story is.

To the contrary, I think we have a very good sense of it. It seems like we are presented with some version or another of it quite often here. Maybe the question of why so many of us view that differently than you is somethign you should ponder?

[YOhio]

Is it doctrine of the church to ostracize those of our family who have left the fold? If a member of a family leaves the church, do Bishops tell the remaining faithful family members to hate the one that has left?

I have never been taught that. It is sad when it happens.

I'm looking forward to this chapter of the GAS lesson manual.

[LA Ute]

It's the funeral potatoes. She really misses the funeral potatoes.

You may laugh, but it's those special spuds that keep me in the church.

[Flystripper]

There are two kinds of deaths. Physical and spiritual. Everybody is saved from physical death through the resurrection. Spiritual death, which is separation from God, can be overcome through faith and repentance. That is probably what creekster and others are referring to as being "saved."

never heard of this before. Please tell me more. Do you have some sort of card you could pass along to me?

[LiveCoug]

I'm looking forward to this chapter of the GAS lesson manual.

Should be exciting.

Shouldn't the beef be with one's family/parents more than the church? Sounds reasonable to me. What do I know.

[Surfah]

never heard of this before. Please tell me more. Do you have some sort of card you could pass along to me?

Even better I have two guys who can hand deliver it to you at your convenience. When should they come by?

[UtahDan]

Oh, the old only dumb people believe argument. Not bad, but I am really curious as to which commandment she couldn't keep.

I worded what I said very carefully. Read it again. The question is, when someone seems to see reality in a way that seems crazy, it is a clue that you haven't fully understood where they are coming from. That doesn't mean you are compelled to agree with them in the end, of course. But you ought to be able to say "I guess if I were them I can see how I might feel that way too."

[UtahDan]

Good call, UD. We all know that educated, successful people are always objective.

Speaking of political analysis, you should check out Ann Coulter's academic background. Very impressive. BA at Cornell, JD at Michigan.

See what I said to Tone Loc. I think you missed my point.

[LA Ute]

I'm looking forward to this chapter of the GAS lesson manual.

I keep trying to shun you but it is not working.

[LA Ute]

There are two kinds of deaths. Physical and spiritual. Everybody is saved from spiritual physical death through the resurrection. Spiritual death, which is separation from God, can be overcome through faith and repentance. That is probably what creekster and others are referring to as being "saved."

No charge. You're welcome.

[CardiacCoug]

This group seems to have little sense of how run of the mill her story is.

I agree that there are a lot of religious fanatics out there.

It would be interesting to know if people who leave Mormonism to become Evangelical Christians are more or less persecuted by their LDS families than Evangelical Christians who convert to Mormonism are persecuted by their Evangelical Christian families.

I would bet it's pretty similar. Hopefully most families would still love the child gone astray. But I don't think Mormons on average are quicker to disown their kids over religion than people of other faiths (but equal religiosity).

[UtahDan]

In my experience the author is flat out wrong. I know my experience isn't what everyone experiences, but I place much greater weight on what I've personally experienced than what I read or hear through the public airways.

My point is that her experience is valid. So is yours. So is mine, which is much more like what you are talking about than what she is. But once you become aware of the thousands upon thousands of stories similar to hers you begin to see what she is talking about within the range of "normal" and that not all of those people can be to blame or the exception.

[Flystripper]

No charge. You're welcome.

I saw that too...but a correction from an apostate would not be appropriate, especially from an apostate who so frequently misspells/types as this one.