NOM

Like others said, it's fun to see some of your faces.

Yes, this is really me, a few months shy of my fifth birthday. I'm not ready to fully dox myself because of my still-believing wife, so a photo that's 100 years old will have to do.

So, you asked (in this thread) if we should sacrifice for God. I'm simply playing off of that. Should we sacrifice for God? Does he deserve it? But hey, looks like you just want to preach past us instead of really telling us what you think. :roll: I just want to know how you know God is worth worsh...

Religious and spiritual experiences activate the brain reward circuits in much the same way as love, sex, gambling, drugs and music, report researchers at the University of Utah School of Medicine.
(This is Your Brain on God)

Just sayin'

I get what some are saying in defense of Elder Gong. I have a queer child and my wife was in denial for years about it. My queer child just wouldn't go easy on my wife - would bring up LGBTQ+ issues with wife, and I probably thought more than once "Can't you just back off? Don't you see this isn't g...

Reuben wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 02, 2021 5:43 pm

How to avoid the pitfalls of prooftexting.

Ooooh, I like this one! I mean, it’s a legit study problem, and you can point that out with examples of other religions that do this or how Mormons can even fall into the trap of justifying a pet belief that may not be supported by la Iglesia.

It seems to me evil spirits or spirits of any kind as defined by the Church can be recorded and measured in fine, objective detail, just like Carl Sagan's " The Dragon in My Garage ." I'm willing to consider the evidence, but as far as I can tell, even if such beings exist, there is no real evidence...

It's normal? AND NOBODY TOLD ME? It was one of the happiest moments in my life, after all those years of torture, realizing that I might actually be normal. And here I was in a car full of other people experiencing the same joy and relief. I still have a deep love for those guys. I think this is su...

What they fail to see is that there are no good arguments [against homosexuality/same-sex marriage], so church leaders receive "friendly fire" from BYU professors who have some intellectual honesty. With all due respect Advocate, Elder Oaks himself came up with this genius-level argument that annih...

This was pretty good (at least the first half which I watched). It's almost shocking to think that Mormonism posits to have the answer to much of theism's problem with infinite regress. I wonder what I would have thought as a believer if someone really got me to think about it. Would I have been hon...

Sam Harris seems to speak of these psychedelic experiences in a similar way - that they help the person experiencing them to better see what's real about themself. I struggle to accept the claim. It seems to be a completely subjective experience that does not justify the claim that it helps better ...

Hagoth, I've never done psychedelics, but I have experienced elevation as a Mormon via prayer or during some experience life had to offer. I have also experienced elevation since then, even associated with ideas antithetical to Mormonism (like contemplating that my journey away from Mormonism is a w...

I really like Malcolm Gladwell's take on it, that "Through embracing the diversity of human beings, we will find a surer way to true happiness. The movement from the search for universals, to the understanding of variability." https://www.ted.com/talks/malcolm_gladwell_choice_happiness_and_spaghett...

Not to threadjack, but the Chris Cornell ... that's my music! :) Glad to hear there’s another here who appreciates his music. There’s something about so much of his work that speaks to me personally. To turn it away from a possible threadjack and back to something from the OP, Cornell’s suicide und...

Zeezrom, It seems we’re a little uncertain about whether you’re totally brand new to NOM. I thought I recognized your username, others are welcoming you as a newbie, and Red Ryder recognizes you from the old NOM. Regardless, welcome; glad to have you here. Great observations by the way. I’m so glad ...

Hahaaaaa! Would click a like button for this if there were one, because the observation is sad, funny, and true!

I don’t worship the sun, but I find it a lot more reliable and helpful than its oft’ worshipped homonym.

May your harvests be prosperous and your joy be great!

A-BoM

Thank God for secularism. I just want to acknowledge and appreciate the sense of irony and humor of my favorite penguin. Thanks Moksha for sharing you with us! Any belief system can turn brutal, athiests have blood on their hands as do religious groups ... Herd mentality is a strange thing. I also ...

Notice to parents who let Mormon leaders interview their kids: https://a-bom.github.io/notice.gif I think all the Mormon sex interviews are foolish, but especially the interviews of youth. Some five years ago I decided to put an end to at least one foolish practice - the interviewing of my minor chi...

Brother Graey, As I normally have done as a believer and a former believer when someone receives such a calling, I offer my congratulations and my condolences. The congrats and condolences mean even more in my mind because of the interesting spot you find yourself in as a PIMO. I have no suggestions...

Hey Atlanticmike, welcome to NOM. It's a great place because of the folks here. I hope you enjoy your time here. Like you and others have pointed out, the name change is a huge problem in consistency. If the Church were really being led by an all-knowing, all-powerful God, why all the flip-flopping?...