Hippos are dangerous yo.
Somehow I still keep busy. Nothing too special lately in the bloggersphere-type-way though. I haven't been reading much, I don't get too many interesting things from my classes, and my friends are pretty cool and not crazy enough to have some real Mormony things to say about them. However, this picture is funny:
Hmm, and so is this one:
I will say that Mormon Expression is moving up on my list of good podcasts though. John does seem to be finding more reasons to dislike Mormonism though. His earlier episodes seemed real neutral, fair, and wouldn't talk about the temple ceremony. His later ones are covering the 14 Fundamentals and the protest at Conference. One person who has been on a few times in the newer ones is a TBM and can definitely get under John's skin with some of the things he will say. I have definitely left the betrayed phase with religion but when I listen to podcasts like Mormon Expression and Irreligiosophy (the 2 that mainly deal with Mormonism) I have a hard time believing it is such a good organization. Sure it does do good, and I'm now at the point of realizing that some people really are happy in it and I should leave them alone, but so many people are miserable, and they do 'good' things for others with some of the worst attitudes or reasons. And ones that truly believe have some majorly messed up worldviews, and I am really shocked at hearing some of the things I believed. It seems like forever ago. Though, I did start leaving on my mission and went downhill for about 20 months before stepping out ... so that is a long time.
Ugh, anyways, with break coming up I don't know how much I'll be posting, but I have my exit story in the planning, which could interest some, and I do have some work put into a post about Patriarchal blessings, but that one will have to wait till the new year once I gather enough blessings to compare things with. Personally, I enjoyed mine, but I want to see if I can find a couple that share similar templates. That would be cool.
Still looking forward to that exit story...
ReplyDeleteIMHO the Mormon church does some good, but the price is far too high.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm not talking about tithing.
I enjoy Mormon Expression too; listening from the first episode was helpful to me trying to get over my anger and think about the good and the bad without a prejudice that all Mormons are secretly miserable. It's just not true. But many are, and that's the problem.
ReplyDeleteSure, many are unhappy. The challenge is how much of that is due to something uniquely "LDS" and how much of that is due to people just being people.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, no one bothers to look at unhappy Republicans and suggest that they are unhappy because of the GOP - at least, not without reason.
And there probably is reason in the LDS context. I'm just saying some people do a pretty sloppy job of making the connection particularly convincing.
Seth - I mean due to LDS influences, but I don't think they all are. I'm not gonna throw out a random number though, and I'm sure a decent amount are happy, but I think the majority at least get some real shame, discomfort, depressed feelings directly because of things they believe. The whole area of sexuality is pretty rife. I'm a little older so I know a lot of married couples here at BYU and a surprisingly large number say that sex either was hard or is still difficult cause they feel guilty. Mostly second-hand though (I ask one friend and they tell me what others have said to them is usually how it goes).
ReplyDeleteBut in no way am I implying that Mormonism = depression or angst. And some truly are very happy in the religion, and good for them.
I didn't think that was the angle you were taking.
ReplyDeleteAnd I do think there are probably quite a few things directly attributable to "Mormonism." It's just hard to pin them down sometimes.