Prophets

Posted by: Andee / Category: , , ,


I was just replying to a comment left on WindySydney about being able to trust the men that Latter-day Saints claim are prophets... it got me thinking (dangerous, I know...).

If God were to pick someone to restore his gospel and church, why would he choose some of the past LDS Prophets?

Joseph Smith was caught in more lies than you could possible imagine. His bank failed, causing the life savings of many Saints to *poof* in the night. He lied to his wife about taking on multiple wives, and told many of these wives to keep their relationship secret (in other words deny and lie about things if they were asked). He lied to officials regarding the practice of polygamy in the church... If I remember correctly, there are quotes of Joseph shaming the people who dared to accuse him of polygamy given at the same time when he is now known to have many wives...

Why would God, an all-loving and all-knowing deity, choose a man who was convicted of crimes to lead the church? Why wouldn't God choose someone that actually stood a chance of convincing people he was an honest person?

Some of the prophets never once openly claimed they had received revelation from God about a new doctrine or way of life. Why would we consider these men prophets of God if they have not proven themselves first? Why are so many people willing to just accept that they speak with God?

Do you know how many people in the world go out to convince themselves and others that they are somehow chosen to be the mouthpiece of the creator? Why dismiss them and assume the righteousness of the person who happens to be leading the church at the time?

If we assume these men were prophets, and not worry about the actual proof that they received revelation, we should then take the word of every other person out there who claims to be a prophet.

They get a free pass.

If a prophet of God says something (Brigham Young stating that polygamy or plural marriage were necessary to reach the Celestial Kingdom and it would "always be so") that later turns out to be hogwash, we should look at that closely, right?

I don't believe in prophets anymore.

I don't believe in my soul that God would choose one person to communicate with in this way and judge people if they didn't follow or believe that person. Especially if that person was proven to lie and commit crimes like Joseph Smith! Of course we should question him!

Done rambling now!

Andee


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Something Random...

Posted by: Andee / Category: , , ,

Buddha Belly says, "Yeah... whats up with that?"

You know...

People can believe whatever they want. That is the beauty of faith...

You can have faith that the world will end and all the "good" people will join Jesus and God in Heaven while others die a horrible and painful death for being immoral pigs.

You can believe that we will all fly up in a flying saucer and meet the martians who created us in their image as long as we don't harm the planet earth too much.

You can believe you are a prophet of God and that He meets with you nightly to discuss your mutual hatred of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Hell, you can even believe that God will punish me for showing photos of temple garments and ceremonies. That is absolutely fine.

Care factor? Zero. Believe what you want.

It's when you push that on me and everyone else in the world that it crosses the line. Baptizing me after I am dead, getting a giant workforce to support a ban of gay marriage, and doing these things in shady ways (holocaust victims being baptized after an agreement was made with living survivors and their families, submitting names that are not related to an LDS member in any way, lying in Proposition 8 ads about how gay marriage would affect children in schools) is not cool.

You can say that people accept or deny this baptism in the afterlife all you want. Trust me, I hear it every freaking time I mention how much this bugs me, but it doesn't make it right.

There is a disconnect when baptism for the dead is brought up in conversations between Mormons and non-Mormons. Mormons immediately become defensive and claim that they are not hurting anyone... but I disagree completely... obviously.

A person's religious beliefs are important to the person that they are, and the way they chose to live their lives. By taking this away from them, and performing a baptism into the Mormon church, you are pushing your religion on someone who didn't even get the chance to talk to you about it first.

I have a hard time picturing a God who sits up in heaven and thinks, "If they didn't pick the right religion, they are not allowed up here with the rest of us!" Why would an all-loving and all-knowing deity care about ceremonies and paperwork being completed on earth if the person standing in front of Him was an absolute saint on earth who didn't believe that polygamy was a good thing in heaven, or that the racism evident in the church's past was something they could never agree with?

There are people of the world who existed of which there are no written record. Will these people sit in spiritual limbo forever because these ordinances were not performed for them? Anyone with the belief of a loving God would immediately say, "Of course not!" Why then, do you have to do this for everyone else?

What is the point?

What sense does that make?

Oh, and *I* am the crazy one for thinking that? Please.

Do whatever you want in your religion, and this goes for ALL religions... just don't over-step your bounds and perform ceremonies for people who lived how they wanted to live and made their own life decisions.

I had a conversation with my Mom a couple weeks ago about this, and she mentioned something one of her believing Mormon friends did.

TBM's Mother and Father asked their convert daughter never to perform these ordinances on them. They were proud of the religion and culture they came from.

So, what did believing Mormon do as soon as both parents were dead? Perform baptisms for the dead on them... complete temple work.

How is this not disrespectful? Why is that sooooo hard for Mormons to understand? Take down the thought-blocking message that pops into your mind: "This person is arguing about our religion and that means they are 100% wrong and we are right!"

I love how some members of the church are completely honest about past leaders being wrong and saying things about doctrine that are now thought of as "mistakes." Yet they are so eager to not even consider that baptism for the dead is morally wrong... that this might be one of the "mistakes" they are so willing to forget?

Guess what?

You are really wrong here! Ugh.

Andee


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Bored Again!

Posted by: Andee / Category:

As you can see, I was bored with the layout again. It happens every couple of months. This is still a work in progress. I should have everything back to normal in a little while.

I am off for a walk with the camera, and then I will get back to work.


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I Will Pray For You.

Posted by: Andee / Category: , ,


"Andee, I will pray for you."

A friend of mine heard of my disbelief and told me this yesterday in an email. This phrase used to comfort me, but it no longer does. As a matter of fact, sometimes it outright pisses me off.

Let me explain...

I can no longer believe in prayer. When I say this, I don't imply that people who *do* believe in prayer are silly or wasting their time. I am simply saying that I have found prayer to be of no help to me whatsoever during my lifetime. It's not because my prayers went unanswered or because I was unworthy for my prayers to be answered. It's because regardless of what I want and what I pray for, God will do what he wants anyway. I think positively, and I wish good thoughts for all people... certainly God hears this as well, right? Why do I need to get down on my knees for it to count?

Let me share an extremely personal example:

Ten years ago my father was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. I was a believer in the church at the time, and I would pray for him to get better. I bargained with God that if my Dad went into remission that I would be the best person I could, and that I would become more active in the church. If there was anyone in the world that deserved that miracle, it was my father. He was an amazing man.

Did God answer my prayer? No. My father passed away months later. I don't blame God for this, nor am I angry at God for this... I understand because that is how the disease he had works. If anything, I was grateful for the time I had with him.

Regardless of what you pray for, God's will will be done, right? So, why bother the guy? Let's let him focus on things that are more important than the constant blessing of our food or your high school football team winning the big game.

The reason this pisses me off is because it is said with the implication that I am on the wrong path, or that people believe that God needs to point me in another direction. My direction is just fine. I am happy, healthy, and enjoy my daily existence.

I guess people find comfort in prayer, hoping that their thoughts and emotions will be heard and God will feel that they matter. What I find fault with is when people *only* pray.

Do you know how many people in the world pray for world peace, for example? Do these people do anything for the cause besides pray? How about people who pray for those who are hungry and homeless, do they also volunteer and donate time and money to help these people? Many don't. They think that prayer is enough.

It's not.

If our actions echoed the prayers, our world would be a much better place. Instead of pleading with God to make drastic changes, we can be the ones making the dramatic changes.

There are so many things out there that God should be worrying about that are more important than Mormonism and my lack of belief in it.

So, the only reason people want to pray for me is because I am not doing what they want me to do. I am not agreeing with what they believe. They find fault with this. Instead of agreeing to disagree on beliefs they want to change my mind. It doesn't matter to them that I am the happiest that I have ever been. They refuse to see that.

So, if you want to pray for me, let me ask you to instead spend that time actually doing something for someone else. Pay it forward instead wasting time begging God for changes you could make yourself.

It's so frustrating.

Andee


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The Best Photos of 2008

Posted by: Andee / Category: , , , , ,

I was bored and dealing with a headache all day... so, I decided to make a slideshow of my favorite photos of 2008.

The slideshow is really long, and there are tons of photos of the cats... just so you are warned! :)

Andee

Click to play 2008 Photo SlideShow!
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Bakerella

Posted by: Andee / Category: ,

I guess today is full of random stuff... hmm...

As many of you know, I love to bake. I get inspired to make these amazing creations I read about in magazines, and one of my favorite websites for inspiration is Bakerella. If you haven't seen her work, you are missing out.

She is well known for these cupcakes on a stick called cake pops. The dogs' collars are red life savers. Amazing.

She even appeared on the Martha Stewart show, they made these:


So cute.

Enjoy Cake.

Too cute for words. I won't even attempt it.


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People Who Deserve It!

Posted by: Andee / Category: ,

I came across a website called People Who Deserve It: Socially Responsible Reasons To Punch Someone In The Face.

Why didn't I think of this?

Here are a few of my favorites!

Movie-Seat Kicker

There is no contesting that the incessant back-pounding, obnoxiously distracting behavior of “The Movie-Seat Kicker” needs to be reprimanded. However, situational factors complicate delivery. First, there’s the movie theater factor. Yes, you are being interrupted by the jerk store behind you, but to breakout into a fiery rage in the middle of the theater is to lower yourself to the culprit’s level and risk having all other movie goers looking to then punch you in the face. Second is the fact that very often, movie-seat kickers are children, which beckons the question, what kind of parent brings a four-year old to a two hour documentary about Cuba? And who deserves the punishment?


Camera Phone Pervert

This one goes out to all the ladies (and some gentleman), who have found themselves on the wrong end of this 21st century degenerate.

A product of modern technology, “Camera Phone Pervert” stalks the streets of major metropolises waiting to turn his 3-mega-pixel camera phone into his own personal spank bank. And guess what? You’re the star.


Order For The Table Guy

The holidays are a time for giving and sharing. We accept this and sometimes even support it. But when it comes to family style dinner, there are rules. Enter “Order For the Table Guy,” a man so confident in his palette, he feels the need to project his narcissism on the rest of the diners.

Passive Aggressive Emoticon User

Sorry team, you’ll be working late again tonight :)
Looks like we’re gonna have to let you go :)
Oops, I ran over your cat :)

Office Food Thief

You know what sucks about bringing your lunch to work (other than making it the night before, suffering the ridicule of coworkers and washing out the Tupperware in the co-ed bathroom when you’re done)? Having it stolen by the Office Food Thief.


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Joseph Smith = FAIL

Posted by: Andee / Category: , ,

An online buddy made this (thank you Draconis for letting me share this).

Reading some of the threads here last night made me dream about Joseph Smith doing a quiz on pre-Columbian history. When I woke up this morning I had to whip this up because I kept chuckling to myself about it. I'm sure someone could make a better quiz than this, but remember that I was still a bit groggy when I made this:



Love it!

Hahaha!

Edited to add: The image is pretty small, for a better size, click here....


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Merry Freaking Christmas! (or Whatever...)

Posted by: Andee / Category: ,

This is my Mom's front door! Her first Christmas in her new home!

I thought I would post my holiday pictures to celebrate the day I used to celebrate as Christmas. I didn't do much today except go on a snowy walk with my Mom and hang out at home eating lasagna. It was a wonderful day off, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I am still at a loss as to what I should decide for my Holiday celebrations in the future... hmm... I will have to revisit that! Anyway, hope you like the shots!

Andee






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Magic Underpants

Posted by: Andee / Category: , , ,


Um...

How weird is it that endowed Mormons wear special underwear? It's truly bizarre...

One of my online pals lives in a state that has very few Mormons. He was telling some of his never-Mormon co-workers that he had stopped wearing the "magic underpants" and it actually took him about three full minutes to convince his co-workers that he wasn't joking. They thought he was using "magic underwear" as a metaphor for "not drinking the kool-aid."

Really.

Church undergarments are really bizarre.

I am not saying this to insult the people who read this blog while wearing undergarments... I am just stating my opinion...

Here is the thing...

If God really wanted people to be reminded of the covenants they made with him, and respect those covenants, why in the WORLD would He pick UNDERWEAR? There are so many better choices! How about jewelry of some kind? But underwear? Come on!

The faith-promoting stories about temple garments are numerous and extremely hard to believe. My favorite is the guy who gets in a car accident and is burned everywhere except for the places on his body where the garments were covering him. I remember asking my YW teacher why the man wasn't saved from the burns on the rest of his body as well? I mean, the guy is covered in third degree burns, and you think it's a big deal he wasn't burned everywhere?

To think that any kind of clothing (especially underwear) gives you special blessings and saves you from harm is really crazy to me. I would love to see a scientific study done on this... maybe some believing members of the church would be willing to volunteer for a study on the effects of these garments?

Yeah, I don't think it will happen either.

The whole cult aspect of this jumps out at me now after reading Steve Hassan's book, Combatting Cult Mind Control. Many groups ask their members to wear certain clothing or even require body modifications to constantly remind the person that they are a member of the group and not an independent person.

Why in the world would God want people to wear funny undies?

Oh, and a quick message to the lovely TBM folks... it's not just because we as humans can't understand His ways. It's not something that we need to wait for, or understand when we reach the afterlife. This is something we should have answers for... now.

Andee


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Boot Camp

Posted by: Andee / Category: , , ,


Okay, so today I walked into the break room to enjoy an hour of vegetable thins crackers and a really good novel for my lunch break...

Unfortunately for me, I overheard something that made me have to bite my tongue for the rest of the day. I don't want to start crap at work, so I just keep my mouth shut. It's hard to do, believe me. I am not one to keep my opinions to myself... I just want to stay as professional as possible.

The TBM gentleman (I use that term loosely, he is known for being a know-it-all who thinks he has the right to tell everyone in the world what they should be doing in their lives. He is also the same jackass who told me that he wouldn't "let" his daughters marry a man he didn't approve of.) was seated at the table with a couple of his buddies (who I assume are LDS) and they were laughing and carrying on. I assumed it was Christmas jokes, or stories related to the holiday.

I was wrong.

TBM says, "Yeah, my wife had never done the dishes, done the laundry, or cleaned a bathroom until she married me!"

At this point in their conversation I knew I wasn't going to have a good reaction. I grabbed my crackers (ever had those? They are damn good!) and tried to drown out their conversation as much as possible. Unfortunately for me I could still hear every word.

Buddy #1: Yeah, I bet she had no idea what she was getting into!
Buddy#2: Hahahahah!
TBM: Yeah, her first week of marriage was like cooking/cleaning boot camp!
Everyone: HAHAHAHAHA!

How many things are wrong with this situation? Many.

First of all, where does it state that the woman has to do all the cooking and cleaning? Oh, thats right, it's her job because she is a Mormon wife and mother. Forgive me.

The thing that pissed me off the most was the fact that she had a hard time in the beginning of the marriage (at least I assume this from her husband's narrative) and he thought it was funny. Not only funny, but funny enough to talk about it with his buddies and laugh behind her back.

What an asshole.

Seriously.

Andee


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Ignore Me, I'm Stupid.

Posted by: Andee / Category: , , ,


Ahh... these stupid email comments are getting to me lately. Maybe it's just because my resignation is soon, and I am super-sensitive to all things church related, but I can't seem to understand how *I* am always judged as the bad person. It's not the church, it's always me.

Let's just forget that the founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, who claimed to have visitation from God, Jesus, and various angels was an adulterer, a liar, a con man, a pedophile, and otherwise untrustworthy person. Everything he did wrong is justified because he is just a man. He has a free pass to do whatever he wants and get away with it...

I, on the other hand, have never once cheated on someone I was in a relationship with. Not once. I have never conned a person out of something they owned. I have never desired to have sexual relations with an underage person, and I am an honest person who is always there for my friends.

How is it, exactly, that Joe Smith is someone that people love and praise without question and I am seen as a giant manipulator trying to get people out of the church?

Why is it that people who leave are automatically tossed aside and ignored? Because of mind control, my fellow Mormons. You fail to see the obvious... not because you are dumb, or stupid... but because you have been trained how to think.

If Joseph Smith were alive today, and he was making the same claims he did then, including the practice of polygamy, treasure seeking and the sexual relationships with young girls, members of this church would cast him aside as someone who shouldn't be trusted. They would never in a million years believe he was a prophet of God. In the standards we use today, I would be more trustworthy than he would be.

If you hadn't been taught that Joseph Smith was a holy man who restored the gospel, you would be more willing to look at evidence to gain a piece of the bigger picture. Most of the people in the church have been there since childhood. They only know the positive about Smith... and if they know negative things, they don't know ALL the negative things. They assume he is a good man because the people they trusted told them he was a good man.

What if he wasn't? Ever stop to think about that?

What *if* the church wasn't true? If you immediately discard that statement after reading it, you are the victim of at "thought stopping" mindset. You wont even consider it. You would rather believe that I am horrible, just so your whole belief system doesn't crumble.

I guess I just don't get it. I'm stupid.

Andee


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Happy Holidays from the Cats!

Posted by: Andee / Category: , , , ,

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All Callings Are Inspired My Ass!

Posted by: Andee / Category: , , ,

As a kid I was taught that all callings were inspired by God. All of them. From the Primary teachers to YW & YM teachers, from Bishops to Stake Presidents, from Apostles to Prophet. Everyone is picked because God wants them picked.


Now I realize just how stupid that is:

By Gene Kennedy-A former bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing three young girls in his Harrisville ward, cried today as he was sentenced for his crimes.



But the emotion Timothy McCleve showed wasn't enough to get a lighter sentence: He will spend two to 30 years in prison for molesting the three sisters.



There were no apologies for the cameras, but in court it was a different story. With his lip quivering, Timothy McCleve told the parents of three girls he abused that he was deeply sorry.



The mother, equally emotional, said, "We want to say that we do not hate the defendant, nor do we wish him harm. However, we do not want him to be able to hurt others with his sickness. He has been free all this time while they [the victims] have been withdrawn, suicidal and full of anger."



While he was an LDS bishop, McCleve sexually abused three sisters from his ward. The molestations took place more than a dozen times in their home.



In September, McCleve pleaded guilty. This afternoon, Judge Ernie Jones had to weigh two very different recommendations on the bishop's fate.



The defense pushed for probation and presented a report from a psycho-sexual doctor saying McCleve's condition is treatable. But the prosecution wasn't going for it, and argued that McCleve abused five victims over a period of several years.



The other victims are now adults and came forward after the Harrisville sisters did. Despite all the emotion today, in the end, a bailiff handcuffed the former bishop and took him to prison.



At one point during the sentencing, the father of the victims actually wanted to physically approach McCleve to reassure him that the family still cares for him and holds no ill well against him.


So, this guy was sexually abusing girls during the time he was an acting bishop. Nice.

Let me pause while I wait for believing Mormons to jump in with "but he is just a man!" comments. Go ahead, get it out of your system.

How is it that you can rationalize that he was called by God to be a bishop? How is it that people all over the world don't question sending their children into one-on-one meetings with their bishops with the doors closed? How is it that these men get so much respect and trust without earning it?

I know that there are good men out there acting as bishops... but I think they are the exception. Bishops *are* just men. That is part of the problem. These men have no formal training on how to handle important things like abuse if they are reported to him. Let's not forget to bring up the fact that if someone were to accuse a bishop of this kind of thing, they would face all kids of opposition... "Bishop Greene? He wouldn't do that!!!"

Problem is, it happens all the time.

Will the church ever wake up and realize that they need to do background checks, train their leaders, and screen then more carefully? Or will they continue to live with their blinders on?

Andee


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Food Photos

Posted by: Andee / Category: ,

My headache is a little better, so I thought I would mash two of my loves together. Food and photography. I found these photos on flickr, a photo sharing website, and I take no credit for them. I will link to the photo and give credit to the photographer, to see them, simply click on the photo. If you took one of these photos and want me to take it down, I will do it right away... I mean no disrespect by showing them, if they are here, they are AWESOME!

Some of these are amazing photos that inspire the hell out of me, and others are funny and make you think. Most of them have a candy theme, because it's something I want to practice this week during my time off. Hope you like 'em!










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My Head Hurts :(

Posted by: Andee / Category:

I have a headache this big.



More posts tomorrow.

Andee


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This Is Hard!

Posted by: Andee / Category:

I chose this because I hate carrots...

This might sound easy, but it's not.

I was asked to write out 101 things that I hate, and than 101 things that I love for a friend who enjoys writing as much as I do. She was taught this during a free lecture she attended. It's supposed to be an exercise that gets your creative juices flowing and makes you consider things to write about during the inevitable cases of writer's block.

This is hard!

I am going to work on it tomorrow, and do my best to have it up tomorrow night.

I pass on the challenge to anyone else who is interested. Could be fun, or it could drive you insane.

Andee


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Much Better Now

Posted by: Andee / Category: , , , ,

Buddha Belly says, "She knows nothing about the church? You kidding me?"

You know, I was just left a comment from a TBM that told me I knew nothing about the Mormon Church.

I haven't laughed that hard in a reaaaaaally loooooooong time.

Thank you random TBM for the chuckle. I needed it. Hilarious!

Anyway...

I got to thinking about how my life is better without this "church."

I don't have to attend millions of meetings with people I don't like discussing what we made for dinner or how to color-coordinate your family home evening plans (yes, I was privy to that conversation once!) or how thankful we should all be that we have a living prophet who is so careful not to say anything that might be mistaken for a prophecy that could be proven wrong in the future.

Missing these meetings have opened my free time completely. I now enjoy a wide variety of hobbies including photography, blogging, and helping my friends on PostMormon.org as a moderator. Time is important to everyone. Time should be spent with the ones you love and doing the things you enjoy (as long as those things don't harm others). I will be damned if I give up my photography time to attend homemaking just because I happen to be female.

I don't have to confess my "sins" to a man who has no counseling experience or training on how to handle someone who has real problems. Bishops are just normal guys who suddenly have a title that makes everyone respect them. I often wonder why so many people assume there is revelation involved that suddenly makes their neighbor/dentist/whatever suddenly holy enough to determine someone else's self-worth.

I don't have to surround myself with the constant guilt and fear of making my Heavenly Father angry with me. Guess what? I have no idea if there is a God... and neither does anyone else. I know it upsets people to read that, but you don't "know." You "believe." BIG difference.

Surrounding myself with people who claimed to have all the answers (as long as I followed their rules and regulations) was really hard to handle. Not only did I have my own fears of upsetting God, but I had to deal with the constant worrying of my friends and family that I was going astray. This is enough mental and emotional blackmail to keep most people in the church, but I refuse to be a slave to that machine any longer.

I don't have to worry about the judgment of others. Don't get me wrong... I know they will judge me. The constant comments from believing Mormons is proof enough for that... I just have zero concern that they are right. Their feelings about how good of a person I am have no bearing on my life anymore. When people claim that I am a bad person when they really don't know me, it truly says more about them than it does about me.

I don't give a damn what people think about me, because I know that I am a good person and I treat people well. So, judgey-Mc-Judgersons: Judge all you want. Doesn't bug me. If it makes you feel better, so be it. No skin off my back. What you think simply doesn't matter. If there is a God up there watching us, taking notes, and keeping score, He will know that I did the best with what I was given... and so have many other people you have cast aside as sinners. Maybe you could learn a little from them.

I don't have to constantly endure my life... instead, I enjoy it. I take time to smell the roses. I have dinners with my family. I blog and meet new friends. I share photography online and learn from people all over the world. Life is to be enjoyed, not endured. I think many people forget that.

Most of all, I don't have to feel guilty for being who I am. I am okay. You have no idea how good it is to really feel that way.

Andee


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I Love The Onion

Posted by: Andee / Category: , ,

I love the Onion...

Typo In Proposition 8 Defines Marriage As Between 'One Man And One Wolfman'

SACRAMENTO, CA—Activists on both sides of the gay marriage debate were shocked this November, when a typographical error in California's Proposition 8 changed the state constitution to restrict marriage to a union between "one man and one wolfman," instantly nullifying every marriage except those comprised of an adult male and his lycanthrope partner. "The people of California made their voices heard today, and reaffirmed our age-old belief that the only union sanctioned in God's eyes is the union between a man and another man possessed by an ungodly lupine curse," state Sen. Tim McClintock said at a hastily organized rally celebrating passage of the new law. But opponents, including Bakersfield resident Patricia Millard—who is now legally banned from marrying her boyfriend, a human, non-wolfman male—claim it infringes on their civil liberties. "I love James just as much as a wolfman loves his husband," Millard said. "We deserve the same rights as any horrifying mythical abomination." On the heels of the historic typo, voters in Utah passed a similar referendum a week later, defining marriage as between one man and 23 wolfmen.


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Why We Leave

Posted by: Andee / Category: , , ,


Don't you just love it how we are automatically tossed aside as ignorant sinners who were looking for reasons to leave the church? The guy who emailed me a few days ago claiming that I had fallen away because Satan was misleading me really got me worked up. I try to let things like this go, but I have to vent.

Attention All Believing Mormons:

People do not leave your church because they are too lazy to attend the various meetings that waste half their life... time they could be spending actually enjoying their life and spending time with their family.



People do not leave your church because they were looking for a reason to leave. People like me leave because we have valid concerns with doctrine, church history, and the way the leaders of this church purposefully omit information from text books, lessons, and good old fashioned conversation.

People do not leave your church because they have sins they don't want to confess to their bishop. If we had sins we didn't want to admit, then we could just keep our mouths shut and go on with our lives like normal! Why in the world would we leave the church completely and make everyone assume we had done something wrong? There is no logic there.

People do not leave your church because they want to stop feeling guilty for something they did in the past. Leaving the church does not make guilt go away. If I did something wrong as a member I would have the same reaction and guilt that I would have if I hadn't left the church. Your religion of choice has no impact on your conscience. I know you would like to think otherwise, but you are wrong. People who resign are still good people... we don't automatically get drunk every night, sleep around with strangers, or become serial killers. Our morals are still very much a part of who we are... as a matter of fact, most people leave because they have high moral standards and they find that the leaders of the church don't.

People do not leave your church because they were offended. This has got to be the stupidest thing in the world to assume of someone. We don't resign because we don't get along with the bishop or because someone in the relief society made fun of our jello salad. Being offended would never make the church untrue, it just makes you offended. Like it or not, this is more than likely a reason people become inactive, but not a reason that people resign. Again, there is zero logic in that assumption.



People leave your church because they find out Joseph Smith was a con artist who lied to nearly everyone in his life. He married 14 year olds in secret for crying out loud! You want us to believe a man of God would do that? We are automatically bad people because we take his lies into consideration as evidence of his character? Get a clue.

People leave your church because the leaders are less than honest (to put it mildly). Most believing members of the church simply assume their leaders are chosen by God and would never lie, cheat, or mislead their members. If you did some searching and looked at the facts instead of focusing so much on the warm fuzzies you might just realize we know what we are talking about.

People leave your church because it isn't true... and the fact that the leaders and members of your church (who supposedly love everyone) love to discount our feelings and actions by using lame excuses like these is a way to keep other believing members from trusting us.



I know it's hard to believe right now, but you are putting your trust in the wrong people.

Andee

P.S. I took these photos while I was out in the bitter cold today. They have nothing to do with the topic at hand, but I thought I would throw them in to keep things interesting.


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Merry Christmas

Posted by: Andee / Category: ,


Well, this is the first year the holidays have rolled around and I have been up in the air about what I believe in. I certainly don't take the Bible literally, in all actuality, I have a hard time believing the Bible is holy at all...

This hasn't put a damper on my holiday season, but it has changed how I view it. It's not a celebration of Jesus' birth from a virgin mother in Bethlehem anymore. Instead, it's a time to be thankful for my new knowledge, and to spend time with the people I love.

My problem lies with when people assume I celebrate Christmas. I have been wished a "Merry Christmas" by customers at work, strangers in the grocery store, and over-the-phone customer service representatives.

It's really starting to get to me.

Don't get me wrong... I am not one of those people who is out to change "Christmas Trees" to "Holiday Trees." I don't really care too much if Santa comes to the office to pass out gifts.

My problem lies with when people just assume I agree with the whole story. For the first time, I see this from the other side. For the first time, I see how my Jewish friend must have felt when we were in elementary school and she was the only girl who didn't celebrate Christmas. Her Mom went out of her way to come to the class and share their beliefs, and we all shared potato latkes (something I have loved ever since!).

I am really wondering if I should say something if people wish me a Merry Christmas... The last thing I want to do is offend anyone, but I don't think keeping my mouth shut is going to help me feel anything but more and more angry.

What do you guys think?

Andee


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Dear TBM,

Posted by: Andee / Category:


Dear TBM,

You love to send me emails telling me how I have "Fallen Away."

I would just like to point out to you, that I didn't fall away...

I woke up.

Andee


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What The F*ck?!

Posted by: Andee / Category: ,

Roomie just had me read an internet news article that left me shaking my head in disgust and amazement. What could have me so worked up? I will let the news article speak for itself. As usual, I take no credit for the news article... I can't seem to locate the journalist who wrote it, so I apologize for not giving complete information!

UPDATE: Thanks to waltzingaround for linking me to the authors name! Story By DOUGLAS B. BRILL


EASTON, Pa. - The father of 3-year-old Adolf Hitler Campbell, whose request for a birthday cake with the child's full name on it was rejected by a New Jersey supermarket, is asking for a little tolerance.


Heath Campbell and his wife, Deborah, are upset not only with the decision made by the nearby ShopRite, but also with an outpouring of angry Internet postings in response to a local newspaper article about the cake.



Heath Campbell, who is 35, said in an interview Tuesday that people should look forward, not back, and accept change.



"They need to accept a name. A name's a name. The kid isn't going to grow up and do what (Hitler) did," he said.



After ShopRite refused the request for the cake as inappropriate, the Campbells got a cake decorated at a Wal-Mart in Pennsylvania, Deborah Campbell said.



About 12 people attended the birthday party on Sunday, according to Heath Campbell.



The Campbells' other two children also have unusual names: JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell turns 2 in a few months and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell will be 1 in April.

For the rest of the article, please click here... then again, it might continue to piss you off in more ways than you can count. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Here is the thing...

I know that his kids are not going to grow up and do the things Hitler did... at least, I certainly hope not, but not only is this asshat trying to memorialize Adolf Hitler and his actions, but he is setting his children up for judgment and scorn for their entire lives.

What is wrong with people?


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Noah's Ark

Posted by: Andee / Category: , ,


Noah's Ark is impossible. Didn't happen. Here's why!

Scientists say that it would take a supertanker just to carry every species of insect. Taking every species of animal would require fleets of arks. Faithful people say that Noah took every 'kind' of animal, not species. Two obvious problems with this theory:

  1. It takes thousands of years or animals to evolve into different species. If Noah's flood happened between 2400 BC and 3000 B.C., there wouldn't be enough years since the time of Noah until the time of accurate recorded history, for all the species to generate from two of every kind of animal.
  2. Even just two of every 'kind' of animal, and the food and water necessary to sustain them for over six months, would require a ship larger than the Ark as described in the Bible. The only way that would be possible is if you lumped in every form of animal that is remotely related such as having tigers represent all big cats. A tiger would then have to give birth to a lion, cheetah, cougar, Siamese cat, etc.


Some, like sloths and penguins, can't travel over land very well at all.


Some, like koalas and many insects, require a special diet. How did they bring it along?


Some cave-dwelling arthropods can't survive in less than 100% relative humidity.


Some, like dodos, must have lived on islands. If they didn't, they would have been easy prey for other animals. When mainland species like rats or pigs are introduced to islands, they drive many indigenous species to extinction. Those species would not have been able to survive such competition if they lived where mainland species could get at them before the Flood.



Getting all the animals aboard the Ark presents logistical problems which, while not impossible, are highly impractical. Noah had only seven days to load the Ark ( Gen. 7:4-10). If only 15764 animals were aboard the Ark (see section 3), one animal must have been loaded every 38 seconds, without letup. Since there were likely more animals to load, the time pressures would have been even worse.


Many animals, especially insects, require special diets. Koalas, for example, require eucalyptus leaves, and silkworms eat nothing but mulberry leaves. For thousands of plant species (perhaps even most plants), there is at least one animal that eats only that one kind of plant. How did Noah gather all those plants aboard, and where did he put them?


Other animals are strict carnivores, and some of those specialize on certain kinds of foods, such as small mammals, insects, fish, or aquatic invertebrates. How did Noah determine and provide for all those special diets?


Many animals require their food to be fresh. Many snakes, for example, will eat only live foods (or at least warm and moving). Parasitoid wasps only attack living prey. Most spiders locate their prey by the vibrations it produces. [Foelix, 1996] Most herbivorous insects require fresh food. Aphids, in fact, are physically incapable of sucking from wilted leaves. How did Noah keep all these food supplies fresh?



Food spoilage is a major concern on long voyages; it was especially thus before the inventions of canning and refrigeration. The large quantities of food aboard would have invited infestations of any of hundreds of stored product pests (especially since all of those pests would have been aboard), and the humidity one would expect aboard the Ark would have provided an ideal environment for molds. How did Noah keep pests from consuming most of the food?



The ark would need to be well ventilated to disperse the heat, humidity, and waste products (including methane, carbon dioxide, and ammonia) from the many thousands of animals which were crowded aboard. Woodmorappe (pp. 37-42) interprets Genesis 6:16 to mean there was an 18-inch opening all around the top, and says that this, with slight breezes, would have been enough to provide adequate ventilation. However, the ark was divided into separate rooms and decks (Gen. 6:14,16). How was fresh air circulated throughout the structure?



The ungulates alone would have produced tons of manure a day. The waste on the lowest deck at least (and possibly the middle deck) could not simply be pushed overboard, since the deck was below the water line; the waste would have to be carried up a deck or two. Vermicomposting could reduce the rate of waste accumulation, but it requires maintenance of its own. How did such a small crew dispose of so much waste?


  • How did a crew of eight manage a menagerie larger and more diverse than that found in zoos requiring many times that many employees? Woodmorappe claims that eight people could care for 16000 animals, but he makes many unrealistic and invalid assumptions. Here are a few things he didn't take into account:
  • Feeding the animals would take much longer if the food was in containers to protect it from pests.
  • Many animals would have to be hand-fed.
  • Watering several animals at once via troughs would not work aboard a ship. The water would be sloshed out by the ship's roll.
  • Many animals, in such an artificial environment, would have required additional special care. For example, all of the hoofed animals would need to have their hooves trimmed several times during the year. [Batten, 1976, pp. 39-42]
  • Not all manure could be simply pushed overboard; a third of it at least would have to be carried up at least one deck.
  • Corpses of the dead animals would have to be removed regularly.
  • Animals can't be expected to run laps and return to their cages without a lot of human supervision.


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