Thanks LR and KC.
Jeezh, that church-versus-homosexuality stuff is something else, isn't it? Have the General Authorities really supported this notion that homosexuality is "the biggest immorality there is?"
All's I know is that official church doctrine states that sexual "sins" (e.g. adultery, masturbation, homosexuality, bisexuality, swing, poly -- you get the idea) are the *third*-worst of all (types of) sins. Murder (what counts as murder?) is the second-worst; denying the Holy Ghost (what the tickety-boo is that supposed to mean? leaving the church I guess) is the first-worst. You can't even get forgiveness for the "top two." Murder someone and that's it; Jesus will never forgive you no matter how hard you try to repent. Deny the Holy Ghost and you just earned yourself a one-way ticket into Outer Darkness -- unspeakable torment for all eternity.
It's too bad cause you guys are right: The church has its good qualities. (Which it uses to plant a few more hooks in there.) Furthermore, some people stay in the church because they want to help reform it from within. And I admire/appreciate that. I just couldn't stay myself because it was such an unhealthy environment for me.
Re (from rabbit):
Yeah, that's a huge reason why I say the church was (is?) an unhealthy environment for me. Gods do they ever lay on the guilt trips. And as if that wasn't bad enough, my own mother was the queen of laying on guilt trips. So I was getting pelted at home and in the chapel. Wow. When you're thin-skinned and eager to please, that much guilt-tripping is rather permanent. To this day I find myself beating myself up over the least little technical mistakes. Just one example of the sweet "blessings" the church bestowed on me.
Hmmm, looks like I'm kind of venting. But hey if y'can't vent in your blog, where can y'vent?
Jeezh, that church-versus-homosexuality stuff is something else, isn't it? Have the General Authorities really supported this notion that homosexuality is "the biggest immorality there is?"
All's I know is that official church doctrine states that sexual "sins" (e.g. adultery, masturbation, homosexuality, bisexuality, swing, poly -- you get the idea) are the *third*-worst of all (types of) sins. Murder (what counts as murder?) is the second-worst; denying the Holy Ghost (what the tickety-boo is that supposed to mean? leaving the church I guess) is the first-worst. You can't even get forgiveness for the "top two." Murder someone and that's it; Jesus will never forgive you no matter how hard you try to repent. Deny the Holy Ghost and you just earned yourself a one-way ticket into Outer Darkness -- unspeakable torment for all eternity.
It's too bad cause you guys are right: The church has its good qualities. (Which it uses to plant a few more hooks in there.) Furthermore, some people stay in the church because they want to help reform it from within. And I admire/appreciate that. I just couldn't stay myself because it was such an unhealthy environment for me.
Re (from rabbit):
"I think the guilt you are feeling right now is something trained into you by the church."
Yeah, that's a huge reason why I say the church was (is?) an unhealthy environment for me. Gods do they ever lay on the guilt trips. And as if that wasn't bad enough, my own mother was the queen of laying on guilt trips. So I was getting pelted at home and in the chapel. Wow. When you're thin-skinned and eager to please, that much guilt-tripping is rather permanent. To this day I find myself beating myself up over the least little technical mistakes. Just one example of the sweet "blessings" the church bestowed on me.
Hmmm, looks like I'm kind of venting. But hey if y'can't vent in your blog, where can y'vent?