Regrets over resigning?

[_Runtu]

By my count, about two dozen long-time friends of mine have resigned from the church in the last week or so. Most of them had been inactive for some time, but there were a few who surprised me. An American couple who lived in Bolivia when I was a missionary and took care of us when we were sick or needed something; they have a gay son, and they had until now believed that the church could be a loving, welcoming place for their son. A friend who had gone back to church a couple of years ago, believing he could find a spiritual home in the church and help to make the church more inclusive. A friend from my college days who had not seemed like he was on the fence at all. And a few others I could note.

Then I got an email from one of my friends from childhood. His father had been our bishop for years and, as stake president, had set me apart as a missionary. He had stopped believing in the church years ago, but he had stayed on the records because his mother told him she couldn't bear it if he resigned. She passed away a year or so ago, but he had kept his promise until now.

Since then, I've seen people online speculating that those who resigned because of the anti-gay, anti-children policy might feel regret for having acted hastily; after all, the church is only hurting some children and dividing some families, not as many as it had originally appeared.

I asked my friend about this, and he laughed, saying he was just happy to be done with it. No regrets, no sadness. If anything, he said he felt a little relieved, as he had long felt his church membership was hypocritical.

I used to think I would feel sad if I resigned from the church--not because I would feel sad at the loss of salvation or whatever, but because it would close the door on the more innocent me of my youth, the kid who believed the church was not only God's true church but was the key to happiness.

But I realized, talking to my friend, that I've already grieved for my loss of belief. It was a loss, and I grieved over it for a long time. I've gotten past the anger, the hurt, the feelings of betrayal. Since the "policy" came out, I have felt genuine disgust for the church, as is appropriate to feel about any organization that deliberately uses children as tools (weapons, really) to divide families and hurt people.

But I don't feel regret. I do feel sorry for people who feel obligated to defend cruel policies, but mostly I feel sad for the families already divided and hurt by the church. And I feel a little stupid for not realizing until now that the church was capable of deliberately hurting people, even targeting children, to further its aims.

ETA: I haven't resigned. I promised my wife I wouldn't resign unless she was ready to resign with me. That's not going to happen anytime soon.

[_Tobin]

I feel regret because those who resign do as they wish, but never thought to seek and do what the Lord wishes. Such is the state of apostasy within the hearts of those that once claimed to be Mormons.

[_just me]

I think that believers have to tell themselves stuff like this in order to not be so disturbed by people leaving the church.

Anyway, no regrets.

[_Runtu]

I feel regret because those who resign do as they wish, but never thought to seek and do what the Lord wishes. Such is the state of apostasy within the hearts of those that once claimed to be Mormons.

How do you know people haven't sought to do what the Lord wishes? I can't speak for anyone else, but my choice to leave was a result of a direct answer to prayer.

Maybe you should stop pretending you know what other people have experienced. Makes you look like a judgmental prick.

[_Tobin]

How do you know people haven't sought to seek and do what the Lord wishes? I can't speak for anyone else, but my choice to leave was a result of a direct answer to prayer.

Maybe you should stop pretending you know what other people have experienced. Makes you look like a judgmental prick.

Really? I've yet to hear of one of these apostates who has yet seen and actually spoken with the Lord and found out what he has to say about the matter. But you are welcome to your delusions about yourself and about me.

[_Runtu]

Really? I've yet to hear of one of these apostates who has yet seen and actually spoken with the Lord and found out what he has to say about the matter. But you are welcome to your delusions about yourself and about me.

I can't imagine why anyone would hesitate to share their most sacred experiences with someone like you.

[_sock puppet]

Given the issue over which these resignations were prompted, I expect very few will have regrets. Even having scaled back through the supposed clarification the number of children to be hurt by this move, the FP/12 are hurting innocent children because a parent or parents with whom the reside live in gay cohabitation. That's repugnant for any religion to do. Not to mention castigating as "apostates" those in gay marriage, no matter their alignment or divergence with LDS dogma or that they keep any divergences to themselves rather than advocating them.

A for-profit corporation is typically more mindful of its stakeholders than this supposed religion (or as Darth J calls it, a REIT with a church subsidiary).

The resigners over this did so out of principle and being repulsed by those who parade around in the name of god. Not much to regret for having done so.

[_Tobin]

I can't imagine why anyone would hesitate to share their most sacred experiences with someone like you.

I don't know why not? They seem so willing to be so public about their disapproval of the LDS Church by publicly resigning. If they really know better than those of us that remain, I would think they would feel a duty to share.

[_sock puppet]

Really? I've yet to hear of one of these apostates who has yet seen and actually spoken with the Lord and found out what he has to say about the matter. But you are welcome to your delusions about yourself and about me.

I can't imagine why anyone would hesitate to share their most sacred experiences with someone like you.

It's too sacred, ala BKP.

[_Runtu]

It's too sacred, ala BKP.

Indeed. But let's not do another Tobin derail.