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Former religious lemmings, what made you quit religion or stop being a believer? (endlesstalk.org)

submitted 9 months ago by ani@endlesstalk.org to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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Mostly trying to relate.

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[-] HelixDab2@lemm.ee 1 points 9 months ago

Ultimately, even as religions go, its theology is very silly and its most ardent adherents are real jerks.

All religions' theology are very silly when you look at them critically.

[-] wjrii@kbin.social 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

True, but there is an almost childlike literalism to the small amount that is unique about Mormon theology, plus it all arose in the era of the printing press and governmental archives, so there are fewer excuses. It's also culturally very top down and high pressure, as you are keenly aware. I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call the mainline LDS church a cult, but it's definitely closer than, say, the Episcopalians.

[-] HelixDab2@lemm.ee 0 points 9 months ago

When I look at Dr. Steven Hassan's BITE model for high-demand religions, the Mormon church ticks most of the boxes to some degree. Take behavior control: "4.Control types of clothing and hairstyles". Okay, you don't have to wear only white, and a specific model of white sneakers. But you are expected to wear opaque clothing that covers temple garments completely, and wear clothing that is free of an 'offensive' imagery or text. Beards and long hair are strongly socially discouraged, and will get you kicked out of BYU, as will visible tattoos and piercings. When you skip to "4. Regulate diet – food and drink, hunger and/or fasting", well there's the word of wisdom, and fast Sundays. And it just kinds goes on and on. They don't do some of the things (murder, rape, etc.), but they do a lot of them to some degree.

At a minimum, it's an unhealthy degree of authoritarian control.

[-] wjrii@kbin.social 1 points 9 months ago

At a minimum, it’s an unhealthy degree of authoritarian control.

You're not wrong.

this post was submitted on 06 Dec 2023

162 points (98.2% liked)

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