Replies to '08/24 The Family Cult'

 Who is Warren Jeffs in reality? A freak? A bad person? And how did this cult of his come into existence? The answers to these questions shocked me a couple of months ago when I learned about  him on the internet ! His socalled cult was a part of the Mormon Church where in Utah they worshipped and practiced with the other non cultic Mormons in harmony while not being cultic themselves at the time.....before Utah became a state of the USA! The condition that Utah had to accept to be allowed to be a part of the USA was to put an end to polygamy within its' borders...a common practice within Mormonism. For the vast number of Mormons this created no major inconvenience in regards to the practice of their religion and maintaining their residency in Utah after it became a state of the USA. For other Mormons this was a condition they were not ready to accept. They consequently moved out of Utah to the designated area as mentionned in this program, and if not right away, later on adhered to the teachings of Warren Jeffs, THEIR Mormon Prophet. All Mormons have a prophet that they are obliged to obey. Unlike the average Mormon the mormons who were followers of Warren Jeffs became Fundamentalist Mormons who continued in the practice of polygamy.

    At the time of my learning of Warren Jeffs he was on the FBI's most wanted list as a result of acts of pedophilia and the officiating of  marraiges of underaged children. I learned this soon after being told by a Mormon that no mormon prophet can lead his followers to do wrong! Like DUHH! I brought this information to the attention of the Mormon in question on a "flaming board" on a game site on the web only to have the post removed by administration who were convinced somehow that I wanted to speak on the topic of pedophelia instead of on the topic of this prophet who can't lead his followers to do wrong. (I have since left that site).

   I was born into the Catholic religion as a child. I was told that I had to be a good catholic to get into heaven....whatever that was suppossed to have been. Ironically, as a result of being a Catholic and having the need to please God I became what is referred to as a Born Again Christian. Though originally a joyful transition it didn't take long for that belief system to make not much sense.....because I was lonely and as a result wound up committing the sin of idolatry....putting other Christians before God. On the whole it was not the overall joyful experience it was painted out to be. For the last several years I wanted to quit Christianity but was afraid to because I might "lose my salvation" and end up in Hell forever. After a brief stay in the psychiatric ward that I had to fight to obtain, I decided that no G(g)od of any religion organised or not was worthy of a return to such a ward.

  Consequently, I'm no longer brainwashed and am surprised by the similarities between atheism and Fundamentalist Christianity. Yes, similarities! Athiests call themselves non believers in any god but often preach "political correctness" in the same way that pastors preach the Bible! And both have the equal capacity to brainwash those who are lonely or in some other way vulnerable!

  I'm 51 yrs old and though I have had no real connection with church since 2002 I do get lonely at times and do fear about where I will end up after my physical death. If for no other reason being agnostic doesn't offer an answer to the question, where did humankind begin? Believers in the BIg BANG theory can't present a convincing argument for such being the origin of life.  So I do get nervous about the future sometimes! But I do experience more freedom today than when I was a Christian!