NOM

I was talking about going to a Weird Al concert with my BIL the other day and he seemed pretty stoked about it. I sent him the details and he said he won't be going because it is on Sunday. I wasn't surprised, but it got me thinking about what I consider skewed morality which lead him to decline. Weird Al is very tame and spending time with family is generally good so this would be a slam dunk on being a good activity, but because it's on the sabbath it becomes bad.

I like lists, so here's one of mormon moral skewers, the mormon teachings which cause mormons to call good evil and evil good.

Mormon Moral Skewers:
* Sabbath - Anything but Disney movies in your Sunday clothes is bad

* Sexual Purity - Novels can be written about this. It overwhelms the idea of consent which causes loads of harm. Chewed cupcake. People are evil just for having normal, unstoppable sexual feelings. No gay. Sexually incompatible marriages.

* Conflict is of the devil - Prevents resolution of everyday disagreements

* Word of Wisdom - Green tea is bad. Sugar is good.

* Tithing - Giving money to a wealthy group who does little good is better than paying rent, feeding your family, or charities that do actual good

Hold on whilst I grab some popcorn.

This gonna be a:

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List...

What’s the meaningful reason behind the skewed thinking?

The system of belief requires inherent defaults.

Weird Al isn’t inherently bad. Go to a concert as long as it’s not on a Sunday. The system default prevents it.

Drinking alcohol in moderation isn’t necessarily bad. The system default prevents it.

Donating time, talents, and money to any organization is good. Unless the system default determines who and how much. System default…

Mormonism is nothing more than a set of systematic defaults that limit the participants behavior, their world view, their friendship circles, their lifestyle, and most certainly their ability to critically think about anything.

Watch the Black Menace videos of the people asking BYU students to share their opinions. They don’t have their own opinions. Why? System defaults

What’s the purpose of the system defaults? To support the system, establish and embed the rules until they become the lifestyle default which in turn bind the member to the Organization.

Add in God, Priesthood powers, rewards of eternal salvation, threats of eternal damnation, and uncomfortable funny underwear and you have a recipe for lifelong default decisions.

I use to get so annoyed when people would say Mormonism is a cult. Yet, the systematic behavioral defaults take away the ability to be an individual and collectively unite the group towards skewed morality.

Link, let’s try an experiment. Ask your BIL to honestly ask what he thinks would happen if he did attend Weird Al on a Sunday? Is his life going to fall apart? Will he be worse off?

Mormonism’s set of rules are silly. They want you to believe they help you become closer to God, but in reality they alienate relationships, stunt emotional and social growth, and let’s not forget the effects on developing any form of basic sexuality.

Yes it can look fun and happy to outsiders who think the Mormon image is reality. However, the reality is that Mormonism is toxic, poisonous, and damaging to mental health.

No wonder anxiety and depression are side effects for those of us that leave.

For godsakes… just go to the fetching concert and have fun!

Red Ryder wrote: ↑Thu Apr 28, 2022 11:47 am ...
Mormonism’s set of rules are silly.
...

I'm reminded of something recently on another website; A discussion between a never-mormon wife and former-mormon husband:

• Wife: … These rules don’t make any sense…

My reply was: That's likely a perfect definition of religion.

When you're able to convince people not to think, it doesn't matter if anything makes sense.

Not sure if this statement is attributed to the historical Jesus and/or the devotional Jesus but I definitely would agree with his statement either way of the absurdity of those who "strain at gnats and swallow camels".

I think these lists of "gnat straining" and "camel swallowing" really show how off track LDS culture and church teachings are.

Well you know, all the weird rules were never about teaching you morality anyway. Think about temple recommend interviews - nothing about compassion, or kindness, or Christ-like behavior, just a bunch of more or less uniquely Mormon rules like WoW and wearing your garments day and night and stuff like that. It isn't really about being a guide to moral behavior - its about forging a group identity and group cohesion through adherence to a common set of unique rules that distinguish you from non-group members.

The Church doesn't really want to teach you morality - it wants to teach you to stick with the Church by having you adopt a set of group behaviors that identify you with the group.

Not Buying It wrote: ↑Tue May 03, 2022 10:01 am Well you know, all the weird rules were never about teaching you morality anyway. Think about temple recommend interviews - nothing about compassion, or kindness, or Christ-like behavior, just a bunch of more or less uniquely Mormon rules like WoW and wearing your garments day and night and stuff like that. It isn't really about being a guide to moral behavior - its about forging a group identity and group cohesion through adherence to a common set of unique rules that distinguish you from non-group members.

The Church doesn't really want to teach you morality - it wants to teach you to stick with the Church by having you adopt a set of group behaviors that identify you with the group.

You are totally correct. But they act like it is morality. Not just morality, but the only true morality. It's messed up.

Not Buying It wrote: ↑Tue May 03, 2022 10:01 am Well you know, all the weird rules were never about teaching you morality anyway. Think about temple recommend interviews - nothing about compassion, or kindness, or Christ-like behavior, just a bunch of more or less uniquely Mormon rules like WoW and wearing your garments day and night and stuff like that. It isn't really about being a guide to moral behavior - its about forging a group identity and group cohesion through adherence to a common set of unique rules that distinguish you from non-group members.

The Church doesn't really want to teach you morality - it wants to teach you to stick with the Church by having you adopt a set of group behaviors that identify you with the group.

Perhaps we need to start a post to rewrite the temple recommend questions based on a Gospel version centered on Jesus Christ? But then again why? Jesus doesn’t really require a piece of paper to enter. He simply knocks and asks us to let him in.

Linked wrote: ↑Wed Apr 27, 2022 4:28 pm I was talking about going to a Weird Al concert with my BIL the other day ...

Forget all of the morality stuff. you're still going to see Weird Al anyway, right?

I saw him about 30 years ago and I'm kind of amazed to hear he's still at it. The show was very goofy, but fun. And there were fireworks. And the Monkees played a set too. Kind of like a bizarre fever dream, now that I think about it.

Then a few years later I met Weird Al when he was an MC at an awards show where he presented me with an award. But that's another story. The point is: one eternal round. But the Monkees weren't there.

Sorry about the derailment. Now back to your regularly scheduled program...

Xenophon wrote: ↑Tue May 03, 2022 9:17 am How are we feeling about this Supreme Court draft being leaked?

Dirty deeds done in silence was what Chief Justice Snidely Whiplash dedicated his life to and now leakers are unveiling the dastardly plot ahead of time! It ruins the suspense when we would otherwise have learned that young Nell was squished under the train wheels!!!

It's like learning who JR shot before the beginning of the next season. Is no evil sacred?

Hagoth wrote: ↑Tue May 03, 2022 9:09 pm Then a few years later I met Weird Al when he was an MC at an awards show where he presented me with an award. But that's another story. The point is: one eternal round. But the Monkees weren't there.

Pics or it didn’t happen.

Hagoth wrote: ↑Tue May 03, 2022 9:09 pm

Linked wrote: ↑Wed Apr 27, 2022 4:28 pm I was talking about going to a Weird Al concert with my BIL the other day ...

Forget all of the morality stuff. you're still going to see Weird Al anyway, right?

I saw him about 30 years ago and I'm kind of amazed to hear he's still at it. The show was very goofy, but fun. And there were fireworks. And the Monkees played a set too. Kind of like a bizarre fever dream, now that I think about it.

Then a few years later I met Weird Al when he was an MC at an awards show where he presented me with an award. But that's another story. The point is: one eternal round. But the Monkees weren't there.

Sorry about the derailment. Now back to your regularly scheduled program...

Please say your award is accordion related!

I've heard he puts a lot into his tours, it's good to hear it confirmed! Yeah, I'm planning to still go.

Red Ryder wrote: ↑Wed May 04, 2022 2:14 am Pics or it didn’t happen.

Best to assume it didn't happen. After all, it was in the Year of Our Lord Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Something. I'm not sure photography had been invented. It was virtual reality, not accordion, related. My company didn't even let me keep the award; they stuck it in a display case.

You know that feeling when you think you're changing the world and then you wake up 40 years later and it has all receded into background noise?