Why Ex-Mormons Cannot Leave the Church Alone
I recently had a reader write me, asking me, among other questions, the dreaded, “You left the Church, now why can’t you leave it alone?”
My answer?
It’s like you are saying, “We have the truth. You walked away, now leave it alone, but WE reserve the right to contact YOU at anytime we want. Do not talk about it, do not write about it, but WE reserve the right to send missionaries out, to tell the world it’s true, ANYTIME WE WANT. You, however, must keep quiet. We will not respect your wishes to remove your name, we will send you letters, and put fliers on your door, and have people come by. We will also come after your children, but YOU are not to contact us.”
You would not accept that in any aspect of your life. Why should I?
April 7th, 2006 at 7:49 am
Nothing as appealing as double standards, is there, Natalie? /sarcasm
From where I sit, the problem we non-overtly religious folk have with the overtly religious and full of proselytist fire folk is that they have superior knowledge of *our* reality and of what’s good for us, for they stand in moral superiority and self-righteousness. So you see, it’s not a double standard at all! It’s *fact* that they ARE better qualified to make decisions for us.
After all, they each have the ONE TRUE GOD(tm) and the ONE TRUE CHURCH ™ fully behind them, encouraging to convert all of us heathens who choose to believe something else -anything else.
April 7th, 2006 at 8:02 am
A friend of mine that I grew up with in Utah recently called me.
After some discussion between us, after I told him I left the Church, he quoted some Mormon sage/General Authority as saying “People can leave the Church but, they can’t leave it alone”.
I have heard these Mormon words of wisdom more times than I can count! Almost as many times as I’ve heard “As Man is God once ……”.
I don’t mind healthy discussions between Mormons and the rest of us Non-Mormons but, I want them to stop bugging me and my children.
In the last two months I received a call from the “ward” Scoutmaster asking to talk to my 12 year old Son to see if he wants to come to Scouting activities, the “Bishop’s” executive secretary called my 15 year old son to try to set-up a “Bishop’s interview” with him, and my 12 and 15 year old received 2 different letters asking them to participate in Mormon Church activities/come back to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All this after I told the ward Bishop and the Stake President, in writing and verbally, I wanted the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to cease all contact with myself and my children.
Del
April 7th, 2006 at 8:52 am
Funny… I guess they contact you when they want something…
In my case, I have no children ergo I am not bothered. I am ill so of course my disease is caused by my sinner’s life. LOL
I guess if they ask me back, they are afraid that I’ll ask for money.
Cyn…
April 7th, 2006 at 10:38 am
One True Church™ the best laugh I’ve had all day. Excellent Az and in reality the perfect comment about organizined religion.
April 7th, 2006 at 11:35 am
I think that the reason that non-mormons/ex-mormons can’t leave THE CHURCH alone is because no matter how hard one tries the members are ALWAYS in your face. ALWAYS. I have traveled lots and never in the U.S. have I seen or been subjected to one particular religion that has so much control of a state. Just the fact that one says THE CHURCH explains it all. THE CHURCH controls everything in Utah….big business, the legislature, the air waves, the liquor laws, now the entire downtown, even to the point of car lots being closed on Sunday blah blah……good for you Natalie for being another VOICE OF REASON…..KRCL and The Unitarians just can’t do it alone.
WHENEVER YOU FIND YOURSELF ON THE SIDE OF THE MAJORITY, IT’S TIME TO REFORM
What is all this fighting for…..religion (and oil)
April 7th, 2006 at 4:33 pm
If anything the Momo’s are tenacious and I give them their just dues. Good job on hanging in there Bros and Does. I’ve sat back and read what most have said about how oppressive the Momos are and I happen to agree. They call, write, show up and just plain irk those of us that have left their fold. At least you know someone is thinking of you. Now, I haven’t been a card carrying member of another religion since I left the Momos (you can’t count New Age, c’mon) so I don’t know how much they care about their members. Still, I suspect if you were in trouble the Momos would be right there to help you get back on your feet. With the hopes that you’d come back to them and that’s only right for them to want you back. There are a few clients I’ve lost over the years that I’d welcome back with open arms and a direct deposit slip. From what I’ve noticed, when I lived there and on the few trips when I’ve returned, Utah is slowly changing. They (Momos) appear to be easing their stranglehold. Instead of trying to oppose them why not go to their services on occasion. Just don’t dress up. People in Southern Cal wear shorts and flip-flops to church - try that. Stand up, sway and clap to the beat during one of the hymns. Shout out, “THANK YOU, JESUS!” Go there, be yourself or what you want your religion to be. Buddy up to them. Invite them over for a poker party! Say “fuck” once in a while during a discussion. Include them in your life. Be yourself and trust me they’ll soon leave you alone or join you. Most of my satellite family members are returned missionaries and they’ve all given up on me. No more suggestions. No more queries. No more ward teachers. Next time there’s a knock on your door and it’s those guys in the white shirts and cheap slacks don’t be pissed . . . be yourself. Just never, never, Never, NEVER give them my number.
Inthenameoftheosmondsamen,
Howy
April 7th, 2006 at 5:54 pm
Saying, THANK YOU JESUS in a public setting is VERY liberating, isn’t it Howy? LOLOL.
April 9th, 2006 at 2:10 pm
Natalie,
In northern Alabama there are little signs all over the roaddways that say “Jesus Saves”. One afternoon, after seeing about 50 of these signs, I went into a convenience store and asked the clerk, “Who’s this ‘Haysoos’ fella I keep seeing signs about on the road?” Not even a snicker. Matter of fact, I think he was sizing me up to see if my clothes would fit him.
Howy
April 9th, 2006 at 9:37 pm
Howy,
It just Pisses me off that my minor children get letters from some of the local Mormon Church leaders without my permission. A letter is in the works to get their names “taken off the roles”.
I think it would be funny to to walk into my old Mormon ward shorts and T-shirt but, I’m afraid I’d get arrested or something. Especially if I shoulted “Thank you Jesus!” You know mormons, none of that Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy, Stuff in Church!
Del
April 9th, 2006 at 11:51 pm
Del,
At age eleven I bolted from the Momos. In adulthood I ran screaming from Utah. Like the kidney stone I passed yesterday the pain is but a memory (True story on the stone. Not fun!). To listen to the anger toward the Momos seems counter productive. They don’t give a rat’s ass if you don’t approve of their tactics and they won’t stop. Granted, if you aren’t in it you ain’t gonna feel it. Moons ago, several families in our neighborhood wouldn’t let their kids play with my son because I would not - could not - allow him to be baptized. That pissed me off then. Now, I don’t know why I didn’t MOVE sooner. Think of how whacked that religion is and then think of the people that buy into it. I feel for ya . . . from afar.
As far as I know being comfortable is not an arrestable offense. Wear those shorts and a T-shirt! Top it off by going commando.
Inthenameoftheosmaondsamen,
Howy
April 14th, 2006 at 10:12 pm
Some of the best literature in history is from people who left something then told us why. Saint Augustine left a life of hedonism, and told the world why. There’s several intriguing works of people who left communist movments and tell us why.
This genre of leave and tell literature is especially important in the case of social movements that are growing in influence.
PS: I promise not to compare you to Paris Hilton … well, at least I won’t do it until after you leak the sex video tape on the Internet.
April 15th, 2006 at 10:37 am
EXCUSE ME……BUT WHAT DOES THIS QUACKOPRATOR HAVE TO DO WITH EX-MORMONS BEING MEAN TO THE CHURCH? GOT HIS HEAD OUT OF ADJUSTMENT OR WHAT? SORRY NATALIE….YOU’RE THE ONE TO ASK THE QUESTIONS.
October 27th, 2006 at 6:14 am
I’m sorry there was so much mud-slinging, name calling, generalizations and blind accusations. What was the topic of this “discussion”?
Oh yeah —Mormonism.
October 28th, 2006 at 1:21 pm
Lita of the Lost Comments, (FYI, Lita apparently thinks I censor my blog, when in fact she has commented on TWO different posts, and both of her comments are still there)
Where’s the mud slinging to which you refer? All I did was be honest… Too bad you aren’t open-minded enough to see that.
May 8th, 2007 at 1:45 am
Sorry, but topic starter, you are sure?
prof.Preobrajensky.
Bye
April 16th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Natalie,
There is not a religion that exists that does not have someone or groups of individuals who
have an issue with it and a story to prove their arguments.
I do find it interesting that when a break-off group of Mormons does something, it is a Mormon problem. I find no more fault with the Mormon church over the situation at Eldorado than I do with Waco or Jonestown being a Baptist problem. Both of those atrocities were caused by wack-o Baptists that left the church and used their own interpretations.
I can understand leaving a church or organized religion, but I do not understand the abuse that you and others are heaping on their church.
It seems to me that you are much more negative than they, and in my Bible, the only ones who did what you are doing were the Sadducees and the Pharisees and I can’t remember anything notable that they accomplished.
If you hate Mormonism, go find something positive to do for others so that others may want to be like you or might be inspired by you.
I have known many remarkable Mormons that live their lives in such a way that I cannot
accept what is said by you and others on this website as truth.
I hope that you still believe in God and that you can find some happiness that does not
include damaging others.
I am thinking of you and hope that you have a wonderful day,
Kelsey