I came on here to delete some spam comments, and I was trying to go through old drafts to see if there was anything worth posting on here - and somehow I deleted some posts by accident :( So thanks to some people who want you to Increase Your Penis Size, and Google for their "improvements" to Blogger which make post recovery difficult if not impossible, some of the older content went *poof*
For some reason I cannot search for "Mormon" on Youtube (as of 18:30EST today)
Searches for anything else, including closely related terms like "LDS" and "Mormons", do not have a service error.
EDIT: As of 18:40 the error is gone :)
At the Occupy in my city, I woke up on the floor of the yurt that was shared by the Medic and Media team, to hear some people talking about Mormonism. Talking with them, I found out that several of the people in the room were former members!
It got me wondering about the odds of finding several people with the same background under one roof, and whether a community based movement like Occupy might resonate with people who came from a church that seems similar (offering food, books, childcare, hosting classes and meetings etc.)
I just found out about Helmuth Hübener and was touched about his life story. It reminded me of the unquestioning attitudes which led to very negative ends, as well as the strength some had in spite of it.
I recall hearing (and later, having it confirmed when reading the secret/sacred manual released by Wikilinks) that The Church says you should "follow the law of the land" When I asked whether that included laws that were unjust, I was informed that it's not 'our' position to get involved in the affairs of other nation states. I was also told that "God is forgiving". Apparently even Hitler can go to to the Telestial Kingdom (so if the Mormon church is true I will probably be in the same place as him!)
After running into someone who knows my family from church who told me something that made me feel the need to contact them assoonaspossible, I found myself going to the church on Sunday afternoon. The whole thing seemed to go by fairly quickly, which I found surprising; but after back-to-back-to-back 3 hour classes in school one three hour meeting is nothing.
I ended up attending Relief Society, which wasn't really preachy at all. I was pleasantly surprised at how the material, being the "hands of god", was made relevant to day-to-day life. There were quotes passed around which were read aloud, and I got one that seemed fitting (at least the first part) It read "Let our hearts and hands be stretched out in compassion towards others, for everyone is walking his or her own difficult path. As disciples of Jesus Christ, our Master, we are called to support and heal rather than condemn" Overlooking the 'jeebus iz mai master(bator)' part, it immediately reminded me of the Plato quote I happen to have posted by my door: BE KIND FOR EVERYONE YOU MEET IS FIGHTING A HARD BATTLE. The battle for me was trying not to leer at the hot chick around my age sitting across the room.
I noticed I had some semi-complete posts from way back when, which I will review and possibly put up.
It's been a loooong since I've posted anything, and I'd be shocked if anyone even read this...
I've been realllly buzy over the past, um, couple years. I live near the Art Gallery in my so-called metropolitan city, and am living a semi-starving existence.
Not much to say or do about 'religion' hence my hiatus, but I've really gotten into the idea of synchronicity. I don't mean to undermine anything that I have said previously; but I have felt stuff that in my past I may have otherwise discounted due to my experience with religion, that now seems like it may be within the realm of normalcy... or maybe I've gone to toooo many drum circles ;p
When I was in highschool, I had a teacher (who shockingly had PhD in Philosophy, and continued to teach at our level!) who told me to be*a*ware when I started quoting Crowley in class... but the only thing I feel is appropriate to say is
LOVE IS THE LAW. LOVE UNDER WILL.
A couple weeks ago a friend and I ran into the missionaries while we were waiting for the bus. We all got on, and they stroke up a conversation.
Oh yes; I know about the Mormons... I used to go to church... I stopped going. Yeah!
My pal? She's Catholic. No sale there.
I do wish them the best though, since they weren't bad people (as far as I could tell) I think I've seen them around (the Swiss Army knapsack looks familiar) and considering they generally come from White Town USA, coming to my area must be a culture shock.
Trapped in a Mormon Gulag
A 15 year old was forcibly removed from his grandmothers home in the early hours of the morning for *gasp* being unenthusiastic about attending church and not going to seminary, and was taken to a 'ranch' where the senator(!!) told him "three years might not be enough for you. I can have a judge order you to be here until you are 21"
The story gets more shocking from there.... Only in Utah!
Do you remember the day you officially became an agnostic?
Since I could recall comprehending the concept of God, I've always questioned their/its validity.
How about the last time you spoke or prayed to God with actual thought that someone was listening?
Never. When I was younger I thought someone might be listening, but I always had doubts.... How can one prove there is someone or something listening? If there is someone or something there, how can they hear my prayers along with the millions of others who are also praying? If there is a God, does s/he delegate the job to workers? If that's the case, how can God be all knowing and all powerful?
Did anger towards God or religion help cause you to be an atheist or agnostic?
Not initially. When I was very young it was more centered around an inability to believe and an inability to forge a "personal relationship with my Creator" (as some believers like to put it) Believing in God seemed as stupid as believing in the Tooth Fairy, and when I - at my Priesthood Parent's advisement - prayed to know the truth, I received nothing... By the time I was in middle school I had a lot of resentment about religion, since I had to go to church with my family and all of my peers seemed to blindly believe in something so utterly stupid.
Here is a good one: Were you agnostic towards ghosts, even after you became an atheist?
I'm actually more open to the idea of energy existing in some form after we die then I was when I was younger... Previously my only exposure to the idea of ghosts was through people like Silva Browne and the kinds of Wiccans who like to dance around trees and wear patchoui (no offense to those who like dancing in the forest)
Do you want to be wrong?
No, cause if I am, I'm so going to burn.
I came across a YouTube boycott plea against the Religulous movie (stupid, but not the topic of this blog entry) From there I found the makers website, which had Proof that Jesus Was and Is White as the newest entry.
Their argument is based on the premise that "Heaven is mostly made of feathery white clouds with rays of light shooting through them" and is "much closer to the sun than living on the Earth" so Jesus *must* be white! And apparently "white skin prevents you from getting cancer in Heaven"
Of course, I had to reply:
"People who live closer to the equator and are exposed to more sun are darker skinned to protect themselves from the potentially deadly rays. Their DARK “skin prevents [them] from getting cancer”
/ Grade school science (well, at least in my non-American country) lesson
And did you ever think that the reason why Jesus is depicted as white is because the paintings are made by white people who live in predominately white nations, or nations taken over by whites? …And before you assume anything about my race, I’m white myself."
Though maybe I'm wrong... Black skin is a curse from God after all, and Heaven is so drastically different from Earth, so maybe black people are more likely to get cancer then white people. You can't believe those scientists anyways, since they don't believe the earth is 6000 years old.
And this video is proof that they are True Christians. Yuppers!
Please; someone tell me this is all a joke
This person sent me a message on YouTube inviting me to "Please go to my blog to learn how to deal with your hate"
Billing itself as the Mormon Hater Show, this blog really shows an atheist like myself - Shows me how great (but not blessed!) it is.
"for some reason you have chosen Mormons. You, and only you, know why you have chosen the Mormon religion to vent your frustrations on."
- sept 10th
Oh yes, because it's a "choice" to be raised in a particular religion... This is one interesting blog.
Don't know how to label this, but a blog is a form of literature. Yeah. Especially when talking about fantasy like Joseph Smith.
On Friday I was walking down the street with a friend. I saw a guy in a white shirt with a black tag off to the side walking up the street, and my first thought was "Mormon missionary!" but since I didn't see his companion I then thought he was a nerdy yuppie coming home from work.
Then I saw his tag and his partner. And then they stopped us.
The one who talked for most of the conversation asked if I knew anything about the church. I told them I used to go, and was baptized. He asked if I'd be interested in going back, and I was truthful and said "No; I don't want to waste your time" Half way through our talk we made introductions and shook their hands, like 'should of done this earlier, heh'
After we parted ways, my friend said they had to go wash and/or burn their hand. I thought that was over the top; I mean, it's not like the missionaries are abusing their palm.
I was talking to a friend I've known for years, since we were young teenagers, about religion. Now neither of us were overtly religious, nor made to go to services, from the time we met; but this person has always had a side she defines as 'spiritual' and recently has explored it more.
According to her, I'm not knowledgeable about religion because I am "a crazy Mormon", even though I never had a personal testimony and was involved with the Catholic church for years, even going to a Catholic school. I've also researched many different faiths, both in school and for leisure.
I think what it often comes down to is that if you are not a True Believer you have no idea about the essence of faith. I see it as (at least to an extent) a social construct, with many political, racial, classist, gendered and heteronomative aspects. It's so easy to say "It's true and right because I believe it" without thinking about how the institution you back affects yourself and others.
There was more that I wanted to say, but wanting to forget the incident, I didn't write anything down or even contemplate about it until a couple days after the fact.
A day after my last entry, I come across some information regarding the Catholic church and their views on female roles.
"A Vatican spokesman said the decree [against the ordination of female priests on Thursday] made the church’s existing ban on female priests more explicit by clarifying that excommunication would follow all such ordinations"
- source
This is a good discussion on how transsexuals are treated by the LDS church. It starts off explaining general facets of the church, and relates their beliefs to gendered/sex discrimination (starting about 3:30)
One of the many things that made me hate being a female in church (other then the dresses) was that we would never hold the same power as men... Not saying the Catholic church doesn't have problems embracing feminism, but at least they started to allow girls to help with the sacrament and women hold positions which help with the running of the church (beyond the bake and clothing sale)
Mormons don't really do the sale stuff. I guess they view it as irreverent, but it has the result of creating a lack of community. Sure, there are sometimes firesides after dinner at a members house (= not accessible to everyone) and events throughout the week, but unless you have the ability to go there - hard if you don't live near the church, don't have a car, or have an inflexible or late work schedule - it's difficult to participate.
If you're even slightly deviant - not being a good enough male provider by having a job that gives you the luxury of leaving early for sports night in the cultural hall, with no worries about being laid off, and the money to ensure you reside in a "good" neighbourhood (= by the chapel); not being a proper female homemaker who, should have no job outside the home, has the time to take her children to activities; not being a nice grandparent who can look after the younger ones while their adult children tend to the church duty of preparing food platters in the meetinghouse kitchen - If you don't fall into the highly gendered and classist life script, it will be harder to engage in church life.
Perhaps that's the (implicit) point; the LDS church is made for those that do.
I've been buzy with - well, Life - so this blog, among other things, have gone to the back burner; But something on my mind does have connections to religion, so I can make a (somewhat) poignant post here.
People often think I'm male, especially in certain circles. Often it's because of cultural norms that I don't quite fit into.
In the online world, many people think I'm male. This may stem from the way I write, possibly resulting from what I read - certainly not the Bible! - or what I write about (further contributing to the stereotype that women should focus on "pleasant" and "uplifting" pursuits)
If you go to a ward event you will hear ethnic music from members of the congregation, or where they went on a mission; sometimes country music for an event like a square dance, or maybe an everyday event if you don't live in a city; but it's mostly upbeat, not too fast and not at all offensive pop and rock. Listening to "heavy" music is something generally looked down upon in church. It's especially unexpected for someone who isn't a male to prefer Ozzy to O-Town.
(Ok; this one is a slight stretch, but I wanted to have 3 points) Sexuality is hidden enough with men in church culture, but there's an assumption that women would not "inpurify" themselves with that sort of "sin". The fact that I am open about sex, and engage in non-Mormon-God-sanctioned sex, makes me even less of a "proper" woman.
Despite the 3-hour meetings with uninspired talks I sometimes miss the group aspect of a community like a church (though I don't miss the Christ-crazies) Here are some of the lesser-known, more interesting churches:
Church of the Subgenius
If you want to harass Scientologists without getting into legal trouble, this is the church for you. These guys were doing it years before Anon.
Church of Stuff
A church about... stuff. Started by someone who was told "You can't wear a hat here", they used the governments statures regarding religion to prove otherwise. Their holiest of Holy Days involves milk - lots of it - so those (like myself) with lactose intolerance be(aw)ware
The Beer Church
Help others while helping yourself... to a few pints.
I was looking for a good Pina Colada recipe when I came across some non-alcoholic recipes
If Mormon get-togethers included punch options like these, maybe I wouldn't have gone to those evil raves and dark clubs over the Ward Teen Dance:
Mountain Dang - Remember to use the caffeine free version!
Safe Sex on the Beach - might need a name change, because the only safe sex is no sex, unless you've been married in the temple; but even then it should be indoors, on a bed and in missionary position, preferably with a Returned Missionary.
PacMan - Like with most LDS recipes, you need to upsize the amount of ingredients used. And for you Jack and Jill Mormons (or Ex-Mo's) adding some vodka or/and white rum gives it an extra yummy kick.
