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In the words of Weird Al, from Amish Paradise. “Well, I know I’m a million times as humble as thou art!”
It is interesting that people are so conditioned to think that it is only possible/acceptable to “worship” God by sitting in a certain geographically assigned building during certain hours, with certain geographically assigned people, listening to institutionally mandated talks and lessons. Sure, we can find meaning in it. By default our brains seek patterns and try to assign meaning to every event in our lives. But to be honest, church on Sunday is pretty much the same experience it was 10 years ago, and 20 years ago. It will be the same in 5 years, and 20 years from now. The topics are the same, the gender and age divisions are the same. The songs remain the same. Members will still subconsciously feel that the atonement expires every Saturday at midnight and have to fill up again by taking the sacrament the following morning, and that their communal church attendance and associated ritual is building their salvation through sheer endurance. They may even feel the need to be professional church members like unto professional athletes, entering every single church marathon and high-fiving all the other professional church members at each finish line before packing up for the next church race. Many of them feel likely happy and meaningful.
But they will sit in church and not notice that in large measure, the spiritually uplifting stories, faith promoting anecdotes, and scriptural accounts in the lessons and talks are often events that did not occur on a Sunday between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm.
So I am all for the freedom to take a Sunday off and not have half the ward murmuring about laziness and unfaithfulness.
Well all over the world there are less-than-willing LDS scout leaders waiting with baited breath to hear if they have to actually start planning something, or the church is going to get on with it before September. That reminds me, I need to pick up some cigarettes and chew to wash my cows with, and some whisky to was my feet. Well it’s silly really. It’s been a long time since I’ve sat in a chapel that wasn’t wholly illuminated with electronic light sources. I have yet to see anyone bring a bag of sunlight into a meeting. The organ is electronic. Sound reinforcement system is electronic. Ward bulletins are spat out of a photocopier. Whilst portable electronics can provide a distraction when an individual finds the content or presentation of a talk or lesson a bit dull, it also allows for quick fact checking of nebulous or incorrect statements during talks or lessons. What has been erased by ellipses in lesson manuals can be found. The audience is no longer captive. They are much more sophisticated, and will continue to increase in sophistication as time goes on.
But if you give devices to 12 year olds of course they are going to play games instead of listening to another story about stripling warriors.
In my personal experience it was Quote:general misery, even to a point of wishing for oblivion
I felt whilst doing everything right, serving faithfully in the bishopric and on the HC, attending all meetings, paperwork, temple, tithing, etc, that led me to doubt, question, examine, and experiment on belief. Transitioning my belief in something external to something intrinsic was the most freeing experience of my life.
So, your mileage may vary, but in my view, doubt is a symptom of change, not a disease.
Mike wrote:Did your Bishop give you any empathy for being honest with him?
Yes. To his credit, he is a wonderful person and appreciated me being straightforward and trying to be open and authentic. However after explaining myself he admitted he had no idea how to approach my issues. He quietly acknowledged that he knew about Joseph not using the plates and so forth, but that he chooses to believe. It’s been nearly two years and I don’t think he even mentioned it to ward council until very recently.
I eventually had to take the band-aid approach with my Bishop. I felt too dishonest with myself for too long, especially teaching. How I stated it however, was careful. I stated I am not a literal believer. I can appreciate things metaphorically and symbolically, but I have no literal belief in the LDS Church, or much of the scriptures.
They don’t know what to do with me because I still attend, but don’t actively participate because I do not want to detract or disturb people who are there to further their personal beliefs.
I think open and constructive criticism is part of a healthy community. It offers checks and balances to what would otherwise become a very top heavy one-way relationship. The question to me is if a person’s ego can withstand criticism enough to be open to alternate points of view or considerations beyond their own notions, biases and certainty. It should not be who is right and who is wrong, but what benefits the whole.
Well I imagine that the scenario for average Americans is that the tattoos will look a bit saggy and stretched, just like the rest of your body. There is some kind of disconnect where folks seem to think only the tattooed bits will be old and worn out, and the rest of you will be prime fleshy real estate. Personally, I can appreciate some tattoos on artistic merit, from a comfortable distance. Still, I don’t understand why anyone would consider getting a tattoo of David Hasselhoff’s face on their body.
In regards to the argument of wondering what your tattoo will look like when you are older, here is a nice gallery of senior citizens baring their tattoos. Warning, lots of bare shoulders and one case of body modification. http://www.hefty.co/tattooed-senior-citizens/http://www.hefty.co/tattooed-senior-citizens/” class=”bbcode_url”>
