I am French and used to think that I was somewhat special because I had become a member of the Mormon Church

by angelina5 Jan 2012

"true church" and most French individuals are atheist. What does it make me now??? A rare French idiot??? My folks know better, they called out the cultish tendencies of the Church. Ah ah!


Greyfort
Re: I am French and used to think that I was somewhat special spiritually because I had become a member of the
LOL I give kudos to my never-Mormon, non-religious family for supporting me throughout my time with the Mormons.

My parents gave me permission to get baptized just after my 17th birthday. They were unsure of the Church, not knowing much about it, but all they knew was that their shy little daughter was getting involved with a group of nice kids, and that made them happy.

But apparently, as the years went by, whenever I'd mention something about the doctrines of the Church, they thought it was crazy, although they never said anything to me about it.

They were supportive as I joined and even more supportive now that I've left. Now my Dad feels free to say, "Some of the things you told me, like Jesus coming to America for instance, made me think, "What are you talking about!?"

LOL Now they tell me.

I guess we'll just have to live with the fact that there will always be people out there who will think, "What were they thinking?!" But at least they're happy for us that we got out.


Casey
Re: I am French and used to think that I was somewhat special spiritually because I had become a member of the
Cette l'eglise est tres bette, c'est dommage que tu jamais devenit membre.
Makurosu
Re: I am French and used to think that I was somewhat special spiritually because I had become a member of the

That's funny! It must be a real trip for more mainstream folks to hear about this stuff for the first time. Whenever I've talked about Mormonism with coworkers, they always laugh it up about Smith and the angels and gold tablets. Now it's one of those "Let's change the subject" topics.


forbiddencokedrinker
Re: I am French and used to think that I was somewhat special spiritually because I had become a member of the
Your French? From now on I am imagining all of your post in a sexy French accent.


Soft Machine
Eh bien, bonjour Angelina5 - je suis ton parcours avec beaucoup d'intérêt
i'm a Brit but I've been living in France (Montreuil-sous-Bois) for 28 years now (since I was 23).

French LDS are quite rare ;-)

In 28 years I've never met one.

Meilleurs voeux pour ta nouvelle vie et félicitations pour ton évasion

Tom


Dave
France
J'ai vécu longtemps en France, et c'est en France que j'ai quitté l'église mormone définitivement.

Les Français ont une réaction épidermique contre les religions en général, surtout les plus récentes (celles qui ont moins de 500 ans.:)

"C'est une secte!" "Ce sont des dérives sectaires", "C'est sectaire!" : J'ai entendu cela constamment pendant mes 6 années en France - à propos des mormons et de n'importe quel mouvement religieux autre que les catholiques et les protestants historiques, l'islam et le judaïsme (les "trois monotheismes" souvent cités). D'abord on dit que c'est une secte, après on voit.:)

Etre mormon à Paris c'est comme être un OVNI. Et c'est l'atmosphère athée/anticlerical en France qui m'a poussé à quitter les mormons pour de bon. (Peut-être le process aurait été plus lent ailleurs.)


Dave
My observation
Soft Machine,

Yes, French mormons are rare (specially the ACTIVE ones), but there are a few hundred of them... (Among the 60 millon inhabitants of France.)

By my experience and observation in my French branch (back then it was the Paris 2nd Branch, which has been shut down ever since and merged into the Paris Ward), the few French members were part of the small minority of French people who are fascinated by American culture.

(Most French look down on it, but a few of them are secretly fascinated. And an even smaller percentage are OPENLY fascinated.)

So these rare French converts feel "special" about being part of an American organization, being surrounded by Americans, and visiting "friends" in Utah.

Another group were people with light mental conditions, borderline people. (Missionaries love to pry on them - easy baptisms.) Often testimony meetings in my French branch were freak shows...

Another group were illegal immigrants, mostly African. But they didn't stay long. However, some did stay, and they were a good percentage of active members. As a result, interracial marriages were quite frequent in my French stake.

(Causing Brigham Young to turn in his grave.)


Dave
Oops - "PREY on them"
Oops... ;) Missionaries love to PREY on African illegal immigrants.

After all, vulnerable people in general are the main targets of LDS missionaires.

When I was a missionary, I vividly remember reading weekly the "White Bible", who expressly suggested that we contacted people in mourning (right after the loss of loved ones), lonely people who had just moved in and needed friends etc.


angelina5
Re: I am French and used to think that I was somewhat special spiritually because I had become a member of the
Oui!!! Born and raised!!!!


angelina5
Re: My observation
OVNI??? Lol You're pretty much right on target. I would say that half of the individuals in my branch were either mentally or socially challenged. We had 20 members attending on a good Sunday, they ended up closing the branch. And for ten years I thought that calling the Church une secte etait 100% faux et ridicule. Little did I know. Now I feel lucky that nobody in ny family is religious!

Rose Park Ranger
Formidable, mes amis
There are French people who gave up Gauloise, wine and coffee?


rowan
Re: I am French and used to think that I was somewhat special spiritually because I had become a member of the
angelina5:

You are special. In all of existence there is only one you.


angelina5
Re: Formidable, mes amis
They do exist!! But for most of my peeps, it is an abomination to gve up such things!
Soft Machine
Thanks Dave - et ton français est franchement excellent!
Ton anglais aussi, bien sûr
;-)
angelina5
Re: Eh bien, bonjour Angelina5 - je suis ton parcours avec beaucoup d'intérêt
Bonjour Tom!!! Merci. La France me manque enormement vous savez. J'espere finir ma vie la-bas....un jour....maintenat je suis un peu coincee ici. J'y retourne chaque annee heuresement.
Enchantee!
Cheryl
Mormonism appeals to those with a deep need to feel chosen/special/worthy. 

Stray Mutt
I'm laughing, angelina5, because...
...it's like a double stereotype. So many Americans think the French are arrogant. (Yeah, like we Americans aren't.) Then you used to think you were better than other French people. Oooooo, arrogance multiplied by arrogance. LOL! You must have been insufferable. Glad you're getting back to normal.


angelina5
Re: I'm laughing, angelina5, because...
Stray lol!!!! Absolutely true and funny!! I still think French women have je ne sais quoi and are pretty sexy in general. They accept themselves for who they are without trying to chase their youth and other Hollywood standards. I love my country but they're not perfect. I am glad to have found my freedom back!

Stray Mutt
I've enjoyed my visits to France.
I was never treated badly. I think what some people see as French arrogance is more a reaction to American tourists acting stupidly.


informer
Re: I've enjoyed my visits to France.
+1. Agreed.


blackholesun
Re: I am French and used to think that I was somewhat special spiritually because I had become a member of the
Angelina5,

You don’t need to import religious stuff from America. You have your own rich native spiritual heritage to explore. Mystics, philosophers, novelists, historians: Blaise Pascal, Jacques Maritain, Etienne Gilson, Simone Weil, Rene Girard, Regine Pernoud, St. Therese of Lisieux, Georges Bernanos.


summer
Same here.
I was treated well, and the locals were very patient with my fledgling French. OTOH seeing the way that some American tourists behave over there made me cringe.


quebec
Re: I am French and used to think that I was somewhat special spiritually because I had become a member of the
Angelina,
C'est drôle, je me demandais justement ce matin s'il y avait des gens sur RfM qui parlaient français.
Très heureuse de voir que oui, des fois, mon anglais n'est pas toujours le meilleur et j'ai des difficultés à bien exprimer ma pensée ou mes sentiments.
You're not a "rare French idiot" as you said, you're a French with an interesting experience ;)
Je te souhaite une très belle journée.

"Recovery from Mormonism - www.exmormon.org"