A year ago, my wife and I stepped back from our faith tradition. For us, the reasons are valid. Others may disagree. We all see the same things through different lenses. Although we shouldn’t expect everyone else to share our opinions or worldviews, we can hope for mutual respect. Where respect is lacking, we often feel misjudged.
One of the most disturbing things I’ve seen during the past year is that both extremes try to label the other: “Brainwashed vs. Apostate,” “Wheat vs. Tares,” and “Sheeple vs. Servants of Satan.” Both sides attempt to paint the other as lost, unfeeling, misguided, or unintelligent. Reality shows that your experience is not my experience, but that doesn’t mean we don’t share a broader sense of principles, ethics, moral values, and above all, humanity.
In the early phase of my faith transition, I cared more about knowing the cold, hard Truth (with a capital T) than maintaining loyalty to a particular tradition. Now, I see that traditions and community do matter. If the point of life is to serve others, cultivate relationships, and be happy, then faith traditions can help make that happen.
Growing up, our family drove a Ford Country Squire station wagon. From my perspective, it wasn’t unlike the Griswold’s Wagon Queen Family Truckster, but from my mom’s viewpoint it might as well have been a BMW. Within that vehicle, there were many Speak & Spell marathons, dead-arms, and silent treatments. There were also great conversations and fond… [Read more…] about A Year Without Mormonism