Sinning and Happy

Okay, I don’t know if your trollin’ or not, but I’ll make a simple statement:

If you are content in deceiving the members of your ward and you only seek to appear as a TBM, plus you have no issues with your actions, then why are you even on this board? :eh:

Excellent point. I think I’m wondering that myself. Is it possible for me to be a troll but for me to not believe it myself?

Maybe I’m looking for someone more intelligent or more well spoken than myself to expose my thinking to me.

BTW, if we can keep it very generalized like this, I think this conversation might work.

I like the idea of keeping it general so I will attempt to keep my ideas as broad as possible and ignore that I know what the behaviour in question is.

I agree that many, if not all of us who strive to find a middle ground in the church, interpret sin and transgression in our own way. That is to say, we practice a form of buffet Mormonism, picking and choosing what we feel is best for us. I am most certainly included in this description. I believe we are justified in this as we are all give the right to choose and understand for ourselves. I believe this is one of the strongest and most important tenets of the Plan of Salvation.

I firmly and truly feel that if you choose to engage in something and you sincerely feel that it is not a sin or transgression, that is quiet literally your God given right. Personally, I don’t judge you for it no matter how small or large of transgression it is (unless it is directly impacting me).

That being said, we belong to an organization that has dictated what it believes are sins and has also dictated what their punishments or consequences are for these sins. So if we want to be part of this organization and continue to act as such then we must be willing to accept the consequence they have outlined. Their club, their rules.

But what if they simply don’t know what you are choosing to do? Well I certainly don’t feel that we should broadcast our personal choices to the ward. I hate it when during F&T meetings people announce their righteousness or their transgressions. But if asked directly about something, I believe we should tell the truth and accept whatever formal or social consequences that follow … always.

For me, I don’t believe in keeping up appearances.

I will speak from my perspective.

I am attracted to StayLDS because the Church is my tribe and culture, yet I no longer accept some of the claims made by the church. Therefore, I have had to reappraise my views, and this site provides a sounding board for me to do so.

Most who come here and share don’t have a problem with the major commandments as God would describe them: stealing, dishonesty, murder, avarice, and adultery. I don’t think anyone questions the basics. Many will and do question LDS policies, such as certain interpretations of the Word of Wisdom and how to pay tithing. Most here have some trouble with the True Believing position, and question some or most of the truth claims of the church. Importantly, most who come into the middle way communities have less problems with the commandments than they do the true believing position.

MikeM, you are coming here not with challenges to the true believing position or truth claims, but rather, a desire to continue in both a position as a true believer in full fellowship with the LDS church, while wilfully in violation of certainly one of the most major commandments in the church. Adultery is not only a church commandment, but is and always has been a violation of every dispensation of the gospel. If there ever were an ‘eternal principle’ or ‘doctrine’ of the gospel — not committing adultery would be close to the top of the list.

As we come into disaffection, then things like discipline, authenticity, and integrity become, for me, very important. It is one thing, in my humble opinion, to interpret the Word of Wisdom liberally, especially given the lack of historical legitimacy to the specific proscriptions. It is entirely another to be in violation of the major doctrinal commandments, and proud of it. I just think it doesn’t compute: it’s not disciplined, not authentic, and to try to maintain membership while violating such a requirements is a stretch of integrity I cannot fathom.

I had suggested to the Mods in private email that your initial post appears like a troll, and my reason is that anyone in the church would fully know that adultery, whether approved by all involved or not, is completely out of keeping with the Church and Gospel commandments. It is not out of the realm of possibility that well meaning defenders of the LDS faith come onto sites like ours here and test to see if we, in the middle, are so absent a moral compass that we would accept any violation of Gospel or Church commandment. And from my point of view, the answer to such a test is a resounding NO. We who try to stayLDS while being in the middle recognize limits to how far the law of the church can or should be bent.

Just my take on the matter.

It looks like I’m the only one who doesn’t understand how far off the mark I am. It also looks like I didn’t understand well enough the discussion limits of the forum. I am sorry. If I’m still heading off track, feel free to delete me; I won’t try to return.

I guess that “StayLDS” means something unique to those who have been here for a while. For me it means loving the meaning behind the doctrines and enjoying the fellowship of the Saints, while questioning one or two of the inherited old-testament behavioral limitations.

Don’t take a self-righteous, dismissive angle here. Everyone said you can stay involved socially, but none of believe you can be a regular member while living life as a sexual swinger.

This probably isn’t the site for you, but don’t make it what it hasn’t been.

I’m locking this thread, as well.