Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
Ex-CultMember July 2012
After leaving Mormonism did you remain religious or did you become an atheist/agnostic. If you did remain religious, what religion or faith did you maintain and did you join any church or religious organization.
In addition, were you raised LDS or were you a convert? If you were a convert, what was your religious affiliation or religious upbringing before joining Mormonism?
nefight
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
Friends of mine went baptist, others went catholic. I don't quite get that to be honest. As for me, I want to believe something else is out there but I don't know if I can anymore. I simply can't believe in any organized religion anymore that pretends to teach the nature of god as it's all rooted in man made philosophy or some form of superstition. At this point I'm agnostic but trending towards atheism, not by choice but because that is what my rational minds says is the best fit. I sincerely want to believe and if there is a god and this god loves me I'll find a way. For now I'll keep an open mind. Prayers have been fruitless unfortunately.
JL
I've turned spiritual without being religious...meaning..without the need for doctrines, rituals, organizations....
hellrazor
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
I'm a bit of a spiritualist. I'm not exactly a fan of organized religion.
justcallmestupid
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
I am a skeptic now and very happy about it. It's fascinating to read about new developments in science and new insights into the human mind. So much more interesting than the mind-numbing lessons we used to have in Sunday School and RS.
i'mtheQ
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
The first year after leaving mormonism I refer to as my "catholic phase". However I eventually came to the conclusion that I had merely swapped one authoritarian religion for another and stopped attending mass. Over the next few years, I researched everything from buddhism to shinto to wicca - and none of them seemed right for me so I quit looking.
On my facebook page I identify as Militant Agnostic "I don't know and you don't either".
I have very recently started looking into the UU church, which I suspect may be a good fit for me. However my current work schedule requires me to work Sundays, so for now that will have to wait.
FYI since you asked - I'm BIC, 4th generation on both sides of the family.
quatermass
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
Not after reading "The Demon Haunted World"
Makurosu
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
I never wanted to be religious in the first place. I don't find religion in the least bit appealing -- and that includes the ones who don't think they're a religion.
forestpal
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
I've always been spiritual, and maybe that's why I never enjoyed Mormonism. I was BIC.
I returned to the Methodist church for a while, which was the religion of my ancestors, before they became polygamist followers of Joseph Smith. I like to think of my Mormon ancestors as the apostates--leaving the Methodist church to join a cult. My children and I are the ones who are actually bringing our family line back to Christianity. We have also broken the cycle of abuse.
But--things aren't working out, because I have PTSD, and being in a church still makes me anxious and almost sick. Though I'm comfortable in groups, and can speak in public, and am confident in my career--I still feel queasy when approached one-on-one, or when someone asks me a personal question. This gives me flashbacks.
I believe in so much MORE, now. I believe in my version of God. I believe in love, in my family, in good people who do the right thing, in Karma, and in my self. I believe in science! I believe in the universe, and nature, and the wonder of it all.
myselfagain
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
Not religious at all. However, I feel more solidly anchored to God and a spiritually inclined way of life than when I was in tscc.
Greyfort
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
As of this month, it has been 3 years since I received the confirmation in the mail that my name had been removed from the membership rolls, as per my request.
I've just recently become comfortable with calling myself an atheist. It was always, "Well, I'm a hopeful skeptic. I'm agnostic. I'm practically an atheist." But now I'm finally just an atheist.
It has been a journey. It's all about learning critical thinking skills and after discovering Mormonism to be a fraud, turning my attention towards other faiths.
Studying everything I could and using those newly gained skills taught me that (for myself) it makes no sense for me to have an imaginary, invisible friend. It just doesn't make any sense to me at all now.
I need at least some credible evidence before I can call something a belief. If such evidence ever does come up, then I will re-think my position at that time.
Edit: Oh, I forgot the part about what I was before. I started out Catholic, then was Anglican, then was Baptist and then Mormon (for 30 years).
amos2
Atheist/agnostic
One of my top reasons for thinking the Book of Mormon is fake is that it "confirms" absurdities in the Bible.
Tying the Book of Mormon to the Bible is like tying the Minnow to the Titanic...
blueorchid
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
BIC, pioneer stock.
As a mormon it was easy to see that other religions were absurd. Then I saw the absurdity of the mormon church as well. Even thought was more dangerous, the mormons still had enough commonalities with all other religions that they then all looked like the same old thing, just different brands of the same product.
I had a lot of friends at one point who were seriously practicing buddhists and I went to some of their meetings more out of curiosity than anything and studied a lot. I also read a lot about eastern religions. The dressing was different but the salad underneath was the same old thing as any christian religion--all ranging from out dated wishful thinking to full on control tactics.
I never labeled myself as anything since I primarily traveled in circles that weren't interested in religion, but this board has made me think about so much and I am definitely atheist. I didn't decide to be, I just recognize it in myself.
jpt
Remain?
I doubt I was religious during the mormon years. I was just following the program my ancestors had already followed.
anagrammy
On a scale of 1 to 5 or 1 to 10
Will you be publishing the result of your research here?
Anagrammy
escapee
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
No.
I was a cradle Catholic who started "investigating" the morg when I was 22. I tried to learn as much as I could on and off for 3 years. When I was 25, I joined and was active for most of 17 years.
I looked around at other religions, and ultimately decided to take a break. Lately, I have felt a pull toward Catholicism. I don't know why, but I only know Catholicism from when I was a kid. I've been away from it for 30+ years. So I'm reading up on it to see if that's what I want. My parents would be happy if I came back, so we'll see.
Susan
ItsGettingBetter
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
After I left Mormonism, I had no desire to be part of a religion. I spent two years as an agnostic.
Later though, I started to explore Christianity. After nine months of going to church, studying, asking questions, I became a Christian. I also had a bit of PTSD so I didn't fully commit, and I disliked things that reminded me of Mormonism. I waited three years before I felt ready to be baptized. But once I took that step, I was all in, fully committed.
That was three years ago. I feel very confidant in my walk with God. Mormonism is so different that Christianity its shocking. I have never felt like I couldn't question. No questions were taboo. The more I read and study the bible the more sense it made. I have not encountered the same holes and cover ups that Mormonism is full of. I can believe in God authentically. It is about God and not about the church organization that I belong to. It's not about rituals or requirements, its about loving God and relying on God. I love the life I have now.
My husband is also a strong Christian, a pastor actually. We have been married over a year now. We both come from the philosophy that we want to know the truth; we aren't interested in following a lie. So that means no question is bad, we are willing to investigate any challenge and determine for ourselves if it is valid or not. Everything I have learned has brought me closure to God. When I was a Mormon the more I learned the harder it was to keep the faith.
rationalguy
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
I have become a skeptical rationalist. I admit that the likelihood that god exists is small. And if I'm wrong.. I can't see "God" condemning me.. After all, he did give me a reflective brain that decided against his existence!
It looks like religion is mankind's first attempt at science. We have real science now, and that includes theories that point to ethical and moral ideals being a natural part of our evolution.
It's time to admit that religion is obsolete and can be replaced with better things. If we'd spend our time discovering and developing those things instead of trying to keep the old jalopy-religion, running, we'd be far ahead.
ontheDownLow
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
Ditto that one.
flyboy21
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
Nah. I'm done with hocus pocus. If I need to identify myself as anything, I was baptized Eastern Orthodox as a child and have communed. If I felt like crap and had to go to church, that's where I would do it. I would consider myself 0% Mormon. If a stranger asked me, I'd never say a word about TSCC, even though it's pretty much made up all of my adult life.
I'm with the others. I find good science explains all, and is far more breathtaking in its majesty. Rather than provide morals, as it always claims, religion tends to provide comfort for those who have shaky moral values. Absolution for the wicked. I begrudge none who choose it, but none for me, thanks.
Stray Mutt
About a year after walking away from the church...
...to get my head together, I realized, "Oh, wait, I'm actually an atheist. I don't believe in any supernatural realm at all." It wasn't something I studied myself into. It wasn't a conscious process. It was just that once away from the Mormon noise machine and the constant reinforcement to believe, I gained perspective -- about the world and about myself.
blueorchid
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
"religion is mankind's first attempt at science. We have real science now.."
What an insightful and 'rational' way to put it. And also your premise that a rational god is not going to condemn you for using your own rationality.
For me it always goes back to the mormon god being the biggest mess every drummed up by humans. If there really were a god, he sure wouldn't be all that.
honestone
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
This has always been an interest of mine. IF and I say IF a Mormon does have a strong connection with JC, then why would they NOT find another church to go to. But when investigating other churches you must attend like 5 or 6 at the least to see the difference. There are many.
Because Mormons are taught that they have the one true church I can see the dilemma. They now don't believe "IT" so all must be a bunch of crap. Remember that is your brainwashing talking. Just not so if you do have a strong belief in JC. So i would advise all to attend another worship service outside of Mormonism to determine if indeed you just need a change of how to worship JC. I think many do just need that. But if you find you are not comfortable within any church then give it all up and sleep in - then just enjoy nature, the oceans, mtns and each person in your circle and be done with religion.
suckafoo
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
I am what you would call born again. I read the Bible and the sayings of Christ give me comfort and hope. I also believe being gay is not immoral unless a person is a slut about it. And that they should be allowed to be married. I don't believe in the universal flood but I do believe there was a big event or flood. I believe in evolution and dinosaurs. I think the Bible reads you, you don't read it. It reads my soul. The Bible is man's experience as he recalled. King Jesus is all. So... I don't go to church because my theology fits nowhere.
xyz
No, I did not.
And it had absolutely nothing to do with that "one true church or nothing" crap.
It had everything to do with not being willing to be duped again after the newest shyster on the block fooled me once.
jbug
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
Yes, but I had been religious before joining. I had been Catholic. I do not follow any organized religion anymore, had it with those! I am a Christian and my religion is Matthew 5-7 in the NT. I also do not push religion on others, had enough of that also. F*** the Mormon cult.
Greyfort
Re: Did You Remain Religious After Mormonism?
honestone, I guess it just has to do with continued studies. You think to yourself, "Hmmm, okay, so Mormonism isn't true. So how do we know that Jesus is true?" You just start to wonder things, so you start to study their history and how their stories came about.
I loved Jesus. I would cry thinking about him and what I thought he did for me. It's simply a matter of not stopping your investigations. You keep looking. You study things like the history of the devil and how we got him into our culture. You keep studying and then you eventually get to the point, where you're like, "Well I'll be darned. It's all man-made. All of it!"
My mother says that when she left Catholicism, she never felt so alone in her life. She left home when she was only 16, but she never felt alone. She always had companions going with her, no matter where she went. Jesus, Mary and all the Saints were watching over her. Once she didn't believe in them anymore, it was like losing her best friends. It took a long time to adjust.
For me personally, there was the problem that I never believed in the Trinity. Once you leave Mormonism, there is no other Christian church to go to if you don't believe in the mainstream view of the Trinity. I tried to study it, but nope, I just couldn't do it.
Eventually, I just realized that I didn't believe any of it.
"Recovery from Mormonism - www.exmormon.org"