Are You Spiritual

[Palerider]

I have been debating whether or not to respond to this. I am probably a minority that still believes in something. So, I am going to have to plead guilty to this, just not in the Mormon version of “spiritual” which to me is just emotion, pretty shallow emotion at that. Third rate awe. I feel more awe gazing at the Milky Way than I ever did in any kind of church setting, but that is still emotion. The Mormon version of “spiritual” always felt very dead to me. Manufactured and third rate. Trite. Cheesy. Like watching the Hallmark Christmas movies. One plot with minor variations, very predictable, cheesy, shallow, but not realistic at all. The holes in the plot are gaping and if you stop to apply logic, the whole thing falls apart. Sit back, shut off the brain and just believe.

But I do believe there is something beyond us that has an ability to communicate with us. But those communications never told me a thing about “yes the Mormon church is true.” In fact, once I was told flat out that it doesn’t matter. It was confusing because it was at a time when I was trying to believe. None of the stuff from any organized religion is of any importance. If it helps you fine, if it doesn’t then that is fine too. This earth matters. I am not sure that we as individual human beings matter very much. I have no idea who or what that something is, but it knows stuff that even my own subconscious didn’t know, so I am a believer in some version of something, some intelligence beyond us that can communicate with us.

[Raylan Givens]

I don’t think you are alone. I feel the “spirit” more by watching Steve Hart’s segment on CBS Sunday Morning than I ever did in Sacrament meeting.

[iwanttotalk]

I once watched a roundtable with a christian a mormon and a jewish rabbi.
The fisrt question was about morality. The christian and mormon quickly found common ground talking abiut christ like attitudes and “judeo-christian values”.
The Rabbi looked at them like they were nuts. The jewish faith does not have a remotely similar values system to christians. They view christians as naive but harmless imbeciles.

Thats because values and morality are cultural. And a different culture or system often views competing moral systems as odd ot offensive. Its called values dissonance

Ohhh yes invite the homeless crazy person into your house to hang out with your cute blonde niave teenage daughter elizabeth smart to guve them work! What a christlike attitude!

So saith the scriptures: Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me

Sometimes being christlike and being stupid are indistinguishable.

I dont think “feeling spiritual” has anything to do with being emotional of trite emotional manipulation. I think thats just part of growing up.

[Angel]

When I think about having left, I feel down and gloomy - like after someone dies, and you miss that person, or if you have experienced adultery and there is just a sickening feeling when you think of the person.

That said, I have felt the spirit after my faith crisis. Funny thing, when I should not feel it, I feel it. I felt it during an ex-mo gathering, with a glass of goodness in my hand... I prayed to help find keys, and found keys etc.

I am trying to separate belief in God from belief in church, and am trying to remain spiritual.

[Palerider]

When I think about having left, I feel down and gloomy - like after someone dies, and you miss that person, or if you have experienced adultery and there is just a sickening feeling when you think of the person.

That said, I have felt the spirit after my faith crisis. Funny thing, when I should not feel it, I feel it. I felt it during an ex-mo gathering, with a glass of goodness in my hand... I prayed to help find keys, and found keys etc.

I am trying to separate belief in God from belief in church, and am trying to remain spiritual.

[Ghost]

For what it's worth, I hope that NOM will always remain a place where those who believe in God, Christianity, Mormonism, or some other brand of spirituality will not feel hesitant to participate, along with those who have lost some or all of the above.

One thing I believe in is the purpose of this site.