tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4319139334819650146.post6728054336957693974..comments2023-04-03T04:00:20.248-07:00Comments on figuring it out...: belief and dissonanceUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4319139334819650146.post-28258834431209844252009-12-15T19:26:09.779-08:002009-12-15T19:26:09.779-08:00I think I had cognitive dissonance since about the...I think I had cognitive dissonance since about the age of 10. I remember being deeply disturbed about what I read in a Mormon fiction book that involved polygamy, and ever since then I would find myself deeply distressed on that topic. Once I went through the temple it became even deeper, as I found serious discrepancies about the way I viewed myself v. the way the church was subtly telling me flygirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09591847466447350054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4319139334819650146.post-78995696493808177932009-12-15T11:48:18.314-08:002009-12-15T11:48:18.314-08:00I can relate to your friend who believes and wishe...I can relate to your friend who believes and wishes she didn't. To be perfectly honest, I don't think the position I've found myself in is logical. These are my core beliefs: (a) God exists and involves himself in the Church, and (therefore?) (b) God is a misogynistic prick. Pretty much everything else about the Church I have doubts about. <br /><br />I've had religious Kiskililihttp://www.zelophehadsdaughters.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4319139334819650146.post-14538576254366541672009-12-14T13:49:36.351-08:002009-12-14T13:49:36.351-08:00Nice post. For me, some beliefs are no longer ther...Nice post. For me, some beliefs are no longer there, some are weaker, and some are much more personal... so I suppose that is partly what keeps me in, i.e. personalizing my faith. Yes, I still believe in many of the core tenets, at the most very basic a belief in "God" but what really keeps me in always comes down to my personal experience, and my personal faith. I suppose I still find,adamfhttp://shenpawarrior.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4319139334819650146.post-30709236970582322992009-12-14T10:21:45.555-08:002009-12-14T10:21:45.555-08:00I think the Church creates many opportunities for ...I think the Church creates many opportunities for cognitive dissonance by making such all-encompassing truth claims, and by explicitly linking together its various truth claims. Some Mormons seem to be fine if they let go of just the notion that one claim is true, then they all are.<br /><br />My personal journey out of the Church had two stages: overcoming cognitive dissonance, and overcoming &JohnRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01822899155130408891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4319139334819650146.post-49526191630395377572009-12-14T10:00:42.432-08:002009-12-14T10:00:42.432-08:00For me it wasn't the shock of learning about a...For me it wasn't the shock of learning about all the whitewashing, "milk before meat" cherry-picking, and outright lies; it was the failure to find any authentic engagement with these issues on the part of any LDS authorities or TBM members.<br /><br />I was told to just pray harder and my sinful rebellion would cease. It was really hard for me to give credibility anymore when I wasAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4319139334819650146.post-90010785002717243992009-12-14T09:36:05.291-08:002009-12-14T09:36:05.291-08:00I stopped attending quite a while before I stopped...I stopped attending quite a while before I stopped believing. I stopped going because attending church just exacerbated my depression. Of course I had lived with intense and significant cognitive dissonance for years (which is inherent in the gay + Mormon life) and had deep doubts for many years before I left. <br /><br />My last year at BYU I probably went to church only 5 times, and that was Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09374110841642375968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4319139334819650146.post-50301399172985847062009-12-14T08:41:32.944-08:002009-12-14T08:41:32.944-08:00For years I attended faithfully, never questioning...For years I attended faithfully, never questioning. When my carefully planned future fell apart at age 30 I had to start all over and that included examining all aspects of my life, including the church. Soon those questions led me to leave the church and eventually to not even believe in a god. <br /><br />My exit from religion has had a domino effect with relationships. My family is finallyThe Numismatisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15087097629745984272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4319139334819650146.post-19432499348864896102009-12-14T05:17:16.594-08:002009-12-14T05:17:16.594-08:00Very thoughtful and thought-provoking post, G. I ...Very thoughtful and thought-provoking post, G. I deal with it like the "Sam" in your opening quote (will have to find out more). I'm so glad to see that other people out there feel that way!! I have that approach to many things: I believe Joseph had a prophetic calling and communed with Deity--I believe he was a passionate, charismatic and creative man--I believe he was a Bored in Vernalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14016611721544251941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4319139334819650146.post-45934427734461636612009-12-13T22:12:07.382-08:002009-12-13T22:12:07.382-08:00hey sean... mine was very similar in that losing ...hey sean... mine was very similar in that losing belief was closely tied to being in teaching positions and finding what I could comfortably teach (ie: I believed it and wouldn't be lying to bear testimony of it) to be quickly shrinking... until one day I opened a manual to prepare a lesson and realized I didn't believe a single word.<br /><br />not fun times.galen dara https://www.blogger.com/profile/02987352194018060353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4319139334819650146.post-75769566079600679762009-12-13T22:08:01.170-08:002009-12-13T22:08:01.170-08:00Thanks Merinmel. I acutally just went and added a...Thanks Merinmel. I acutally just went and added another one, if you are interested; John Dehlin's essay "<a href="http://staylds.com/docs/HowToStay.html" rel="nofollow">how to stay</a> in the LDS church after a major challenge to your faith".<br /><br />Good luck with your own journey. especially at BYU. Especially with friends (family too).galen dara https://www.blogger.com/profile/02987352194018060353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4319139334819650146.post-30178573787367046312009-12-13T22:07:44.046-08:002009-12-13T22:07:44.046-08:00I've told and retold the story of my "rup...I've told and retold the story of my "rupture" with the Mormon church to the point that I'm honestly not sure how it actually went down, what preceded or followed what, and where all the details fit in. But I remember a couple moments very vividly:<br /><br />In my second-to-last ward, I was called to be a Sunday-School teacher. One week, the lesson was on the restoration of theSeanhttp://aloneandunobserved.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4319139334819650146.post-49665522511535450132009-12-13T21:47:09.599-08:002009-12-13T21:47:09.599-08:00thanks for directing us to those links, particular...thanks for directing us to those links, particularly the Bushman and MSP articles. I would place myself in the first of Madame Curie's two camps. I really like the way that she put it, "Church teachings on social issues directly conflicted with their inner moral compass and affected them personally and negatively." This is very similar to the explanation I have recently been Merinmel Caesghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07025064961118599642noreply@blogger.com