NOM

Philosophically, I think a secular-based government is essential to maintaining long-term classically liberal principles, but unfortunately the effectiveness of a secular government is still highly dependent on the populace being governed. The U.S. is secular, but we have more than our share of ...

We are all are biased, but it's hard to get people to see it. I read a Catholic testimony online today. It was almost exactly like a Mormon testimony except the guy said "The Catholic Church is the only true Church." :) i thought if I ask a TBM how many LDS testimonies they've listened too they're ...

Well hello there, old friends. I was more active on NOM 1.0--it was an invaluable resource when I was deconstructing my worldview and didn't have anyone to really talk to in real life. That was back in around 2007-2008ish. I found it helpful when I was attending as an active nonbeliever, then not ...

Some of us have a compelling reason to remain on record but disengaged. I've not identified as Mormon for more than 15 years at this point, but I never resigned. I don't have a particularly compelling reason to remain on the records, but I always thought it odd that, in order to show that I was no ...

I enjoy a nice glass of wine occasionally now--probably a couple times a month. After having the stereotypical Mormon sweet tooth and spending way too much of my life drinking soda, it did take a bit for me to actually enjoy wine and appreciate the different flavor profiles where everything isn't ...

Does your friend have a white ceramic bowl and pitcher on display in their home? I haven't been inside his house since I learned about the sacred artifacts. What is the significance of these objects? Do they trump the sacred goat leggings? I'm guessing it would be a way to subtly (or not so subtly ...

Here is a map from an ex-member, Paul Osborne, who has studied Book of Mormon geography and understands it better than LDS leaders or academics: https://custom-images.strikinglycdn.com/res/hrscywv4p/image/upload/c_limit,Florida_lossy,h_9000,w_1200,f_auto,q_auto/2056867/998321_640942.png Truly, I ...

What do you folks think about NOMA (nonoverlapping magesteria)? It got the name from Stephen J. Gould but has been around a lot longer. It's the idea that there is room for science and religion, but they shouldn't insert themselves into each others' domain. Science is for finding answers. Religion ...

I don’t really want to be an atheist, problem is I don’t see anything I can specifically attribute to an intervening god. No amount of prayer or pleading ever made a difference. Sure I can find some coincidences that maybe I could attribute to god, but really whats the point. A lost toy found here o ...

Oh, and should go without saying, but the above analysis is specifically why the legal landscape for the church would not change one whit due to passage of the ERA. Handwringing about being forced to ordain women is as misplaced as handwringing about being forced to marry gay people, and both ...

I've done a bit of googling this morning but I think I'm finding mostly one-sided arguments on both sides, with a fair amount of fear and disgust for the other side. I barely remember this fight from childhood - can anyone share a good source on the actual legal ramifications, pro and con, for this ...

After around 13 years, I'm grateful to say that I've largely moved on from Mormonism. I'm just not passionate about the subject matter anymore. NOM 1.0 was really helpful when I first disaffected in 2006ish. I had the same host of issues with deconstructing my entire worldview and the collateral ...

The more important question is how are potatoes best baked? Oven in tin foil Oven not in foil Instant Pot Wash them, dry them, rub some butter on the outside, salt, and then bank in oven not in foil. After baking, halve, scoop out the potato, and then put butter and sour cream in the baked skin. I ...

I guess God loves suffering. Maybe it's the only thing that brings variety to his interminably boring and endless existence. Seems to be the case. It used to be that the Abrahamic God got his rocks off by just watching animals put to the knife and butchered in bizarre rituals, but over time it ...

Damn--nothing that interesting happened (or rather, it probably still happened, but just didn't gain sufficient exposure that I knew about it) during the years I worked at American Investment Bank.

I’d imagine the number of Elders not ever advancing to High Priests as a statistic isn’t exactly faith promoting, and I’d gather it’s moving in a less faith-promoting direction all the time. The change at least allows that to be buried—plus with the push to get men on missions before they’ve even had ...

Coffee and tea are some of the healthiest foods you could find, which makes it pretty funny that they're excluded by a "health" code. Not many members understand that some early church leaders included soup and hot chocolate as banned substances as well because "hot drinks" meant exactly that. The ...

Coffee and tea are some of the healthiest foods you could find, which makes it pretty funny that they're excluded by a "health" code. Not many members understand that some early church leaders included soup and hot chocolate as banned substances as well because "hot drinks" meant exactly that. The ...

It is very odd wording, and certainly not common to contracts I deal with. Whether it is Mormon-specific wording or wording that is common to both Mormons and other quasi-religious real estate management corporations masquerading as religions I cannot say, having not had sufficient experience with ...

I will not suffer anyone to make any such recording on my behalf This sounds like very odd, Mormon-specific wording. The phrasing evokes special meaning or connection to those who did the endowment prior to 1990, given the way the term "suffer" used to be used there. Lawyers may correct me, but I ...