Your brain on Mormonism

[Zeezrom]

Anyone else ever feel sometimes like they wasted a lot of time and energy learning the details and history of a fake religion? All those hours over the years spent rereading and studying and trying to get in the minds of fake characters and remember the details of a fictional history. Might as well have spent all that time learning Klingon or the details of the back story to the Lord of the Rings. At least if I’d studied those fictions I wouldn’t have felt guilt every time I put the book down or skipped reading for a few days.

As for the so called spiritual lessons learned in Mormonism? I could have done just as well following the advice of Bill and Ted in the original 80s movie—-“Be excellent to each other!”

[blazerb]

Anyone else ever feel sometimes like they wasted a lot of time and energy learning the details and history of a fake religion? All those hours over the years spent rereading and studying and trying to get in the minds of fake characters and remember the details of a fictional history. Might as well have spent all that time learning Klingon or the details of the back story to the Lord of the Rings. At least if I’d studied those fictions I wouldn’t have felt guilt every time I put the book down or skipped reading for a few days.

As for the so called spiritual lessons learned in Mormonism? I could have done just as well following the advice of Bill and Ted in the original 80s movie—-“Be excellent to each other!”

Party On, Dude!

I totally understand why you regret wasting time on useless information. I don't feel too bad about it, though. It allows me to converse effectively with the TBMs in my life. I would like to learn Klingon, though. Maybe that's something I can work on during second Saturday.

[wtfluff]

Anyone else ever feel sometimes like they wasted a lot of time and energy learning the details and history of a fake religion?

I STILL waste a lot of time and energy on MORmONism.

I justify the waste a couple of ways:

• As blazerb mentioned: The vast majority of my family are still entrenched. I still have somewhat of a need to be able to interact with them
• I feel the need to attempt to figure out how I believed the BS for so long. MORmONism tied my brain into knots. Hopefully trying to understand what happened can help untangle my brain (as another esteemed NOM puts it.)

I could probably waste my time in better ways, but I'm pretty sure there are worse ways to waste time also...

[deacon blues]

As an amateur historian with a special interest in LDS history, I realize that I got the whitewashed history for 40 years.(Although I got snippets of unbiased history from time to time.) Now that I'm retired, reading and writing about history is one of my big pursuits. I think studying authentic, unbiased LDS history is fascinating and rewarding. NOM's with the inclination should study the real LDS history and be able to explain it if and when the occasion comes up. Please be aware that not all critics are unbiased. Critics can be just as biased as apologists.

[1smartdodog]

Twelve years from belief I still find real mormon history and behavior entertaining. But given my druthers I would go back in time to my 17 year old self and convince me to run like hell.


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[Angel]

There are parallels between Mormonism and other cult groups. It is valuable to understand manipulation techniques, "elevation emotion", pros and cons of tribalism. There is value coming to understand any group in depth, it all circles back around to understanding humans and understanding ourselves.

[Not Buying It]

Whenever I start to think my children are spending too much time on video games, I remind myself how much time I wasted learning a ton of crap about a made up religion, and suddenly I don't feel like being so hard on them about it.

[Red Ryder]

Wasting time while a member is one thing. It was expected.

Wasting time on Mormonism as a former believer, well now we’re just stupid. Mormonism continues to steal and occupy our existence. And we know it but can’t help it.

I blame Fluffy. If he wasn’t so wise and entertaining to read, I’d probably have new hobbies and interests by now.

[wtfluff]

I blame Fluffy. If he wasn’t so wise and entertaining to read, I’d probably have new hobbies and interests by now.

Wow.

Sorry RR.

But... Thanks to all NOMies for being there in the NOM-O-Sphere to "listen" to my sarcastic whining.

[Hagoth]

...trying to get in the minds of fake characters and remember the details of a fictional history.

I love it when the Sunday school discussion starts really digging into the exact choice of words spoken by Adam, or the Brother of Jared, or Jesus, or whoever, as if someone actually said those exact words. In English. And someone was there taking dictation. And that dictation, copied and re-copied for millennia and finally translated into English (or read off a rock) would contain the exact syntax and meaning of both the original a (almost certainly fictional) speaker, with all of the nuances of 21st century western thinking that are assigned to it.

... Bill and Ted in the original 80s movie—-“Be excellent to each other!”

I have always said that is the only scripture we need.

[Rob4Hope]

....hunh?

This a new topic?

I dont stay up to date much anymore.

Waste of time...

[emoji3]

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