Pandora's Box

And in other breaking news, Eve eats a pomegranate and Adam blames it on her, and all the sin that exists in the world since then is a woman's fault.

Over and out.

Cult? What Cult?

I'm sitting here watching an episode of Criminal Minds. The 3rd in season 4, it's about a fundy group in a Waco-type situation, with two BAU agents undercover when the raid takes place.


And it makes me think. How many TBM's would insist that the polygamy practicing offshoots of Mormonism are cults, without even recognising that they themselves are trapped in a cult? I can guarantee you that, previous to my departure, if you'd told me I was in a cult I would have thought you didn't know what you were talking about.


But of course, you'd have been right.


I found this at Rick Ross's website.

Ten warning signs of a potentially unsafe group/leader.

1. Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.
2. No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
3. No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement.
4. Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.
5. There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.
6. Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.
7. There are records, books, news articles, or television programs that document the abuses of the group/leader.
8. Followers feel they can never be "good enough".
9. The group/leader is always right.
10. The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.

I found an address given by Ezra Taft Benson in 1981 at lds.org (excerpted--if you want to read the entire address, please go to the LDS website):

1. The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.
2. The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.
3. The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.
4. The prophet will never lead the church astray.
5. The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.
6. The prophet does not have to say "Thus Saith the Lord" to give us scripture.
7. The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.
8. The prophet is not limited by men's reasoning.
9. The prophet can receive revelation on any matter, temporal or spiritual.
10. The prophet may advise on civic matters.
11. The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.
12. The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.
13. The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency--the highest quorum in the Church.
14. The prophet and the presidency--the living prophet and the First Presidency--follow them and be blessed--reject them and suffer.

"Follow them and be blessed--reject them and suffer."


That says it all, doesn't it? 

The Anger!

It still surprises me when I'm talking with someone, and the anger hits. Anger about the lies. Anger about the ways they try to control people. Anger that I bought into it for so long.

That happened just now. Talking with my husband. I don't want to be an angry person. My sister says it'll pass. I hope she's right.

A picture is worth a thousand words

I found this at lolgod.

How leaving religion feels like

Yep.

What a Lovely Sunday!

Slept in a wee bit, played wii (bowling), watched a little tv with my husband, drank 3 cups of coffee and had baked beans for brunch. Now I'm watching documentaries on netflix.

Since I was glorying in the beautiful cosmos this past week, let's take a look at some of the beyond beautiful things in the depths of the ocean today.

I still say, what a wonderful world.

It's okay to say, "I don't know" when you're asked or are asking how the universe and this planet came about.  It's good to study and learn, but it's also okay to just observe and be awed by the grandeur and majesty and glory and beauty and mystery.

More Stardust Thoughts

Are you a Doctor Who fan? If so, have you ever watched the Doctor (or anyone else on the show) regenerate? Vast bursts of light stream from his head, arms, legs, and he is burning with energy.

As I was watching a show about supernovae last night, thinking of how we're created from stardust, thinking of the neutrinos running through our bodies, I couldn't help but remember my patriarchal blessing and its claims that I was created from intelligence.

Intelligence, stardust, tomato, tomahto. At least that's what I think I'd hear if I were to ask a TBM about it, unless said TBM were a scientist, and an intelligent one at that, who actually believes the scientific evidence over the ramblings of an old man with no scientific background.

So let yourself feel the stardust. Wave a friendly hello to the neutrinos that are running up your legs. Be part of something vast. It's really cool. Trust me. I'm the Doctor. (I wish.)

We Are Stardust

"We are stardust. We are golden. We are billion year old carbon."

I no longer believe in The Garden. But man--it's a beautiful world!