Masochistic Progmos?

[SeattleUte]

Now that book of Mormon historicity is resolved with a resounding "hell no!" -- among people with at least half a brain (the very notion that scripture was ever supposed to be a history book is actually so wrong) -- what's left? LDS literature is, well, chloroform in print; it's bad; awkward, tacky faux KJV. The banality of LDS meetings is crushing. In the past 30+ years, the few times I've entered a house of worship of various denominations have reinforced the superiority of professional clergy. The obsession with sexuality is bizarre, almost swallows the institution. Maybe most important, is the repeated opposition to social progress that wipes out any moral authority. The food sucks. There is no doctrine.

What I've learned here is that many progmos revel in the misery. The chronic, dull psychic ache associated with LDS activity is delicious to them. I don't pretend to understand it, but I see it.

[kccougar]

Now that book of Mormon historicity is resolved with a resounding "hell no!" -- among people with at least half a brain (the very notion that scripture was ever supposed to be a history book is actually so wrong) -- what's left? LDS literature is, well, chloroform in print; it's bad; awkward, tacky faux KJV. The banality of LDS meetings is crushing. In the past 30+ years, the few times I've entered a house of worship of various denominations have reinforced the superiority of professional clergy. The obsession with sexuality is bizarre, almost swallows the institution. Maybe most important, is the repeated opposition to social progress that wipes out any moral authority. The food sucks. There is no doctrine.

What I've learned here is that many progmos revel in the misery. The chronic, dull psychic ache associated with LDS activity is delicious to them. I don't pretend to understand it, but I see it.

If it wasn't delicious to you too, you would have stopped kicking against the pricks years ago.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Declasse.

[New Mexican Disaster]

LDS literature is, well, chloroform in print; it's bad; awkward, tacky faux KJV.

.

The same could be said of Logos and you don't hear us complaining.

[Northwestcoug]

The same could be said of Logos and you don't hear us complaining.

SU NMD

[SeattleUte]

The same could be said of Logos and you don't hear us complaining.

ad hominem. Speaks volumes.

[SeattleUte]

Declasse.

As support for what I said, I site thousands upon thousands of posts on this site. There is endless lamentation about LDS opposition to same sex marriage, humiliation over historical racism, ridiculing LDS sexual obsession, complaints about goofy and dull meetings, acknowledging benighted BOM historicity defense, and so on. Nary a magical moment described.

[Levin]

As support for what I said, I site thousands upon thousands of posts on this site. There is endless lamentation about LDS opposition to same sex marriage, humiliation over historical racism, ridiculing LDS sexual obsession, complaints about goofy and dull meetings, acknowledging benighted BOM historicity defense, and so on. Nary a magical moment described.

As for the magical moments, maybe you don't see them because of pearls before swine, and all that . . .

[The_Douger]

The same could be said of Logos and you don't hear us complaining.

What is Logos?

[Pheidippides]

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[Omaha 680]

What is Logos?

Exactly.

[Harry Tic]

Now that book of Mormon historicity is resolved with a resounding "hell no!" -- among people with at least half a brain (the very notion that scripture was ever supposed to be a history book is actually so wrong) -- what's left? LDS literature is, well, chloroform in print; it's bad; awkward, tacky faux KJV. The banality of LDS meetings is crushing. In the past 30+ years, the few times I've entered a house of worship of various denominations have reinforced the superiority of professional clergy. The obsession with sexuality is bizarre, almost swallows the institution. Maybe most important, is the repeated opposition to social progress that wipes out any moral authority. The food sucks. There is no doctrine.

What I've learned here is that many progmos revel in the misery. The chronic, dull psychic ache associated with LDS activity is delicious to them. I don't pretend to understand it, but I see it.

The meetings. It's not that they're banal, it's that they make three hours fly by like six.

As to why we do it, when it's so often unpleasant... You need to read your Dostoevsky.

[Moliere]

SU is more right than he's wrong, but he misses the point of Mormonism, which point he would have figured out if he had stayed in the faith.

[Moliere]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]5842[/ATTACH]

[CardiacCoug]

It's the community, stupid.

My natural tendency also is to be an arrogant loner who believes he is way too smart for the nonsense of religion.

The LDS Church does a decent job at filling the human need to feel accepted, to feel that you are part of a community, that you belong. In theory you can get that through other institutions but not so much in practice.

Even as ambivalent as I am about church, honestly when I attend church or a church-related activity it feels like people are genuinely happy to see me, they tell me about their health problems, share personal things with me and ask me about my life and family. I was explaining this -- why I still like going to Church sometimes -- to an ex-Mo doctor and his response was "so it's a good source of patient referrals?"

That made me realize that I don't ever want to be a cynical bastard where life becomes all about making money and spending it on myself. The LDS Church for all its faults and even though it's obviously not what it claims to be, still provides a framework (both the attitude and the community to serve) for being a good person.

But sure a selfish, arrogant outsider (like my doctor friend) sees it and naturally asks "What's in it for them? How does going to Church help a skeptical "Prog-Mo? Is it masochism?"