tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4172451149432147710.post2453462181230715635..comments2023-05-10T10:41:32.689-04:00Comments on Against the Greater Light: Keeping Up AppearancesAlexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14724409661360473452noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4172451149432147710.post-11673353772443679862013-05-19T13:19:03.301-04:002013-05-19T13:19:03.301-04:00One of the biggest factors that turned me off towa...One of the biggest factors that turned me off toward the church is how judgmental members are. My mother is really bad that way. I can give you example after example. Her comments always start with "I don't judge, but..."<br /><br />I could't sit down to relax and watch a football game (on Sunday after church) without her saying up something like, "if you knew as much about the scriptures as you do about football, you could be the bishop," or something like that. That was when I was reading the scriptures regularly and actually got a free triple combination from my seminary teacher for reading a chapter every day for a year. I actually memorized a couple of chapters so I could recite them if I forgot to bring my scriptures with me to camp or something. How cult-like is that?<br /><br />She chastises my wife if family home evening is 5 minutes late (apparently it's supposed to be right at 7 pm.).<br /><br />She says that if you stay up late or sleep in, it's against the Word of Wisdom.<br /><br />She gets mad at my brother's wife for drinking Diet Coke, which I heard from a reliable source is President Monson's favorite soft drink. In fact, when he goes to BYU to speak or go to a ball game, he has to have someone bring it in for him since you can't get it there. I wonder if he passes it off as root beer, which has beer is the name, so it's probably bad too.<br /><br />She was always worried about "avoiding the appearance of evil." She used guilt as a weapon to get me to comply, even though I was a really good kid. it's no wonder that it wasn't until the last couple of years, when realized that I no longer believe most of the church's teachings, that I have overcome a lifelong struggle with depression for never being good enough, totally causes by the church. I'm much happier, get more done, and my relationship with my wife and children has never been better. Life is good.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com