Seattle Ute

[El Paso Coug]

Originally Posted by All-American

My first missionary companion left the church a few years after he returned home. He didn't leave because of transgressions, or because he hated one of the members. He left because deep in his heart, he didn't believe that the church was true or that Joseph was a prophet. He felt betrayed, manipulated, and deceived. He has told me how he has felt, but he nevertheless respects my beliefs. We are friends to this day, and we still talk from time to time.

I don't think it is asking too much to request respect towards the beliefs of others, irrespective of how you feel about them.

Well said

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by Tex

I agree. If I left the church, I think I would leave it. Easy to say, I suppose.

Even if I "wasted" years of my life with missionary service, church callings, etc. I would still be philosophical enough to realize that those years of service made me a better person and hence weren't really "wasted".

I'm not sure where the bitterness would come from.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

Even if I "wasted" years of my life with missionary service, church callings, etc. I would still be philosophical enough to realize that those years of service made me a better person and hence weren't really "wasted".

I'm not sure where the bitterness would come from.

You might be bitter at yourself. SU thinks he was a stupid moron to have gone on a mission.

[scottie]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

Even if I "wasted" years of my life with missionary service, church callings, etc. I would still be philosophical enough to realize that those years of service made me a better person and hence weren't really "wasted".

I'm not sure where the bitterness would come from.

Would you categorize SU as being bitter?

[ChinoCoug]

Originally Posted by Archaea

I don't find Seattle as annoying as many others, because his level of disrespect pales in comparison to the disrespect of others. In fact, I'm surprised so many don't call him on it more artfully than they do.

I hate to see how people treat you in real life.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by scottie

Would you categorize SU as being bitter?

simply put: YES.

[creekster]

Originally Posted by scottie

Would you categorize SU as being bitter?

DId SU die or something? Let's just wait a few minutes and I am sure he will enlighten us. He will certainly enjoy this htread.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by scottie

Would you categorize SU as being bitter?

SU has categorized himself as bitter. I think many of his comments are consistent with his self-description.

[scottie]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

SU has categorized himself as bitter. I think many of his comments are consistent with his self-description.

Right you are:

http://cougarguard.com/forum/showpos...1&postcount=25

[El Paso Coug]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

Even if I "wasted" years of my life with missionary service, church callings, etc. I would still be philosophical enough to realize that those years of service made me a better person and hence weren't really "wasted".

I'm not sure where the bitterness would come from.

You have a very practical approach, which I try to have as well. Your approach is to extract the good from any situation and leave the bad. I think that it would be very hard for someone to say that there isn't an enormous amount of good things relating to the LDS Church, regardless of whether you are a believer or not. It's hard to argue that the LDS Church won't make an individual a better human being and doesn't teach excellent life principles.

I think that the bitterness comes from "the only true church" claim. If you are taught to believe that the LDS Church is the only true church, that it's the only place where God's true authority is found and that God can only give revelation to the LDS prophet and then the Church makes you swear your life to it when you are 19 (at least for active males), I can see where someone would be bitter if you determined that those extremely serious claims regarding salvation were false. It would be hard to simply walk away from that and just say, "well, it's not true and I'll go find another religion now", when you have lived your life thinking you were following the only true path to the celestial kingdom. The fact that you lived a productive and wholesome life and were taught some really good principles along the way is great, but it doesn't change the gravity of the discovery regarding true salvation (at least where it's not found).