Out of the mouths of babes.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
I hope you Have ben teeching the trooth.
When I was five years old, my grandparents were missionaries in Mexico. I was going through a box of old stuff the other day and came across this letter that I wrote to them:
Out of the mouths of babes.
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
Out of the mouths of babes.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
It's funny, but it makes me cry.
Because it hits a little too close to home.
I wish I had a time machine, so I could go back ten or fifteen years and tell my younger self, "There's nothing wrong with you! Dream big! Your life is yours. Go live it!"
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
I wish I had a time machine, so I could go back ten or fifteen years and tell my younger self, "There's nothing wrong with you! Dream big! Your life is yours. Go live it!"
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
I'm a winner!
The winners of the 2009 Brodie Awards have been announced! I am honored to receive the Best Exit Story award for "The Rise and Fall of a Testimony."
The Best New Blog award went to a very worthy opponent, USU SHAFT! Congratulations!
Thanks so much to all of you who voted for me. Be sure to check out the full winners list. A lot of great writing out there!
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
The Best New Blog award went to a very worthy opponent, USU SHAFT! Congratulations!
Thanks so much to all of you who voted for me. Be sure to check out the full winners list. A lot of great writing out there!
TED Talk Tuesday: Matthieu Ricard on the habits of happiness
I really appreciated the message of this talk about developing an inner stillness and serenity, so that a deeper state of happiness and well-being pervades, no matter what surface emotions or external circumstances are swirling around us. My heart and my mind are mine, and nothing and no one can take that away from me.
Or, for those of you who prefer more secular packaging, here's Fiona Apple covering the Beatles.
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
Or, for those of you who prefer more secular packaging, here's Fiona Apple covering the Beatles.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Winds of Change
Apologies for the anemic posting. The personal life has been on the fritz. Much of it is too up in the air or too, well, personal to broadcast on the blog, but I can tell you this much: The husband and I decided that two years in a job he hates is more than enough, so he has put in his notice. Currently we have no plan of when and where to resume employment, but we feel good that something will work out. Perhaps some of you noticed the extra ads that went up on the blog last week. I hate to do it, but I figure if I'm gonna call myself a whore, I may as well be one, eh? ;-)
I also made the difficult decision to drop one of my classes. My course load this semester would have been a stretch even under ideal circumstances. With everything else going on, something had to give. I'm disappointed to have to push graduation back, but relieved to have been able to eliminate at least one stressful thing in my life right now. On the bright side, December commencement is so much shorter than May!
Also, today is the last day to vote for me in the Brodies! Best Exit Story and Best New Blog. Thanks so much to those of you who have voted for me already. I feel so loved!
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
I also made the difficult decision to drop one of my classes. My course load this semester would have been a stretch even under ideal circumstances. With everything else going on, something had to give. I'm disappointed to have to push graduation back, but relieved to have been able to eliminate at least one stressful thing in my life right now. On the bright side, December commencement is so much shorter than May!
Also, today is the last day to vote for me in the Brodies! Best Exit Story and Best New Blog. Thanks so much to those of you who have voted for me already. I feel so loved!
NonStampCollector: Context!!!!
I have a thing for NonStampCollector, in case you hadn't noticed.
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Please help boost my self-esteem through meaningless internet awards!
Hey, a million thank yous to those of you who have already voted for me in the Brodie awards. These are awards from Main Street Plaza for great work by ex-Mormon bloggers during 2009. I have a comfortable lead in the Best Exit Story category (thank you!), and had been neck and neck with USU SHAFT for Best New Blog, but they've pulled ahead! If you haven't voted yet and you like what I do here, please, please, please go vote for me!
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Uh, and this is a problem because...?
Elder Lance B. Wickman, an attorney for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a member of the Quorum of the Seventy, says of the court case challenging Proposition 8, "Perry [the plaintiff] seeks a court declaration that, as a matter of law, religious views may not be used to justify the denial of a social civil right. Stated differently, they essentially claim that the voters, from whom all authority in a democracy flows, may not consider religious views and values when deciding these alleged social and cultural civil rights."
Did I miss something? This sounds like standard separation of church and state to me.
Link to the full article from Deseret News.
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
Did I miss something? This sounds like standard separation of church and state to me.
Link to the full article from Deseret News.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
"Think about it" Thursday: The Afterlife
This week's question is more of a survey, just 'cause I'm curious, than a critical thinking prompt.
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
- Do you believe in an afterlife? Why or why not? If you do believe in an afterlife, what do you think it's like?
Don't forget the Darwin Day events!
Dr. Eugenie Scott is speaking at 6:30 p.m. tonight at Barry Hall, followed by a film Kansas vs. Darwin at the Fargo Theatre.
Panel discussion on the arguments in favor of evolution tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Barry Hall
Visit NDSU's Biological Sciences page for the details. See you there!
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
Panel discussion on the arguments in favor of evolution tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Barry Hall
Visit NDSU's Biological Sciences page for the details. See you there!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
TED Talk Tuesday: Diane Benscoter on How Cults Think
While I don't view Mormonism as more cultish than most religions in general, I can relate to a lot of the cult mentality described here. I recognize that most Mormons are trapped in their way of thinking, and this is why I don't vilify Mormon clergy. A warning that this talk contains some disturbing images.
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
Monday, February 8, 2010
I'm up for two Brodie Awards!
I am so honored to be nominated for Main Street Plaza's Brodie Awards! I'm in two categories: Best Exit Story, and Best New Blog. If you like what I do here, go visit Main Street Plaza to vote for me!
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Video of my talk! Finally!
My genius husband figured out the glitches, and the video is now live! Enjoy my talk, titled "A Mormon Testmony," given at NDSU's Science, Religion and Lunch Seminar on February 2, 2010.
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
I get email.
An interesting message was waiting in my inbox this morning. A reader seems to think I'm too soft on the Mormon church. I would reply privately, but the "from" name was "No One" and the address was @nospammail.com. So, I'm responding on the blog. The message seems to be in response to my letter to Mr. Bishop. Here it is:
(1) "by the Book." You capitalized "Book." I did not. I was not referring the the Book of Mormon specifically when I said that my mother was "by the book." I only meant that she has a tendency to accept pretty much anything Church leaders put out at face value, because--in her view--the Church hierarchy is led by God, and God would not allow them to lead Church members astray. I am well aware of all the revisions to the various editions of the Book of Mormon, and of the efforts of Church leadership to minimize and rationalize the reasons for all these changes ("we were just cleaning up the punctuation," etc.).
(2)You paint the Church as a malicious entity. I honestly don't think that it is malicious in its intent. Is it harmful, destructive, unhealthily authoritative? Absolutely. While I'm sure that the Church is not immune to its share of corrupt cronies in places of power, I truly believe that most of them are sincerely trying to do what they think is right. They really believe what they say they believe, that they are the One and Only Way to get to heaven, and therefore Whatever Means Necessary to help (make) a fellow human toe the line, are justified. They think they're doing a good thing by covering over the less than pleasant parts of Church history, or trying to pretend that they didn't really mean such and such crazy doctrine. (We wouldn't want anyone to lose their faith, because then they'd be damned, so let's not tell them anything that might give them cause to doubt.)
I honestly think that the bishop and his two counselors who met together and decided that I must be excommunicated loved me (in the best way that they could understand loving me), and that they had my best interests at heart. I don't believe that they wanted to take away my church membership; they felt that they had to, for my own good. I imagine that it was a difficult and painful decision for them to make, but they were victims of their beliefs as much as I was, and for that reason, I genuinely pity them.
Mr. Bishop who got blasted this week is victim to that same belief system. I've no doubt that he's acted harmfully toward some over whom he was given stewardship, but I very much doubt that he ever intended harm.
(3) Missions. I don't know what you think I thought about missions, but I never once had the impression that "helping the poor" was ever the main focus of the Church's missionary effort. Sure, missionaries might do a service project here and there, but I've always known that they're primary goal is winning converts.
You're right about the hard sales tactics. I got mixed up with a network marketing company when I was 20, and remember thinking, "Wow, this is a lot like church!" (Unfortunately, at the time, instead of reading that as a red flag about the Church, I read it as a gold star for the network marketing company.)
I've always understood a mission to be a grueling and demanding experience, and I've always been aware of the stigma about coming home early. As for the brainwashing and oppression you describe, I'm sure that's all done out of the same "love" (see above on Whatever Means Necessary) as everything else the Church does. I did not serve a mission myself, though, so I'd be very interested to hear from those of my readers who did.
Bottom line, most Mormons are not mean, bad people. That includes most Mormon higher ups. They are doing the best they can with what they think they know. I am by no means defending Mormon beliefs or the Church as an institution, but I do not vilify those propagating abuse, because most of the higher ups are trapped in the same mind control as most of the lower downs.
I've got no problem with a person who wants to express an opinion, but next time have the guts to leave a name.
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
"by the Book" - the problem with the Mormon book is it changes as the wind blows and the higher ups in the Church try to cover up the old "God given" story so that people don't see a continuous revision of the books, teachings, policies and everything - all to keep themselves in power and keep the serfs from asking too many hard questions.Alright. First of all, I'm puzzled by your efforts to ensure anonymity. It's not as though you're saying anything I haven't heard before, although I do disagree on several of your points.
And I will disagree with "I do not know you and you yourself have not done anything to me" all those at the top of the pyramid do damage to all those forced to keep the LDS church going without the full, transparent knowledge of what those at the top know.
Take even the simple and common case of the stories (many would say outright lies) about what Missions do and what people do while on their missions compared with the truth and the understanding that people have when they return - there is no "helping the poor", or whatever stories you have heard - there is continuous high pressure sales tactics and cruel, brainwashing and oppressive conditions that the young "elders" endure during that time. The people at the top know this and they also perpetuate the lies about what happens - why? They also set up social, physical and legal barriers to people bailing out of their missions early - taking their passports, no admission to BYU, etc. in order to prevent them from coming home early before being throughly brainwashed and telling others the truth about what goes on.
(1) "by the Book." You capitalized "Book." I did not. I was not referring the the Book of Mormon specifically when I said that my mother was "by the book." I only meant that she has a tendency to accept pretty much anything Church leaders put out at face value, because--in her view--the Church hierarchy is led by God, and God would not allow them to lead Church members astray. I am well aware of all the revisions to the various editions of the Book of Mormon, and of the efforts of Church leadership to minimize and rationalize the reasons for all these changes ("we were just cleaning up the punctuation," etc.).
(2)You paint the Church as a malicious entity. I honestly don't think that it is malicious in its intent. Is it harmful, destructive, unhealthily authoritative? Absolutely. While I'm sure that the Church is not immune to its share of corrupt cronies in places of power, I truly believe that most of them are sincerely trying to do what they think is right. They really believe what they say they believe, that they are the One and Only Way to get to heaven, and therefore Whatever Means Necessary to help (make) a fellow human toe the line, are justified. They think they're doing a good thing by covering over the less than pleasant parts of Church history, or trying to pretend that they didn't really mean such and such crazy doctrine. (We wouldn't want anyone to lose their faith, because then they'd be damned, so let's not tell them anything that might give them cause to doubt.)
I honestly think that the bishop and his two counselors who met together and decided that I must be excommunicated loved me (in the best way that they could understand loving me), and that they had my best interests at heart. I don't believe that they wanted to take away my church membership; they felt that they had to, for my own good. I imagine that it was a difficult and painful decision for them to make, but they were victims of their beliefs as much as I was, and for that reason, I genuinely pity them.
Mr. Bishop who got blasted this week is victim to that same belief system. I've no doubt that he's acted harmfully toward some over whom he was given stewardship, but I very much doubt that he ever intended harm.
(3) Missions. I don't know what you think I thought about missions, but I never once had the impression that "helping the poor" was ever the main focus of the Church's missionary effort. Sure, missionaries might do a service project here and there, but I've always known that they're primary goal is winning converts.
You're right about the hard sales tactics. I got mixed up with a network marketing company when I was 20, and remember thinking, "Wow, this is a lot like church!" (Unfortunately, at the time, instead of reading that as a red flag about the Church, I read it as a gold star for the network marketing company.)
I've always understood a mission to be a grueling and demanding experience, and I've always been aware of the stigma about coming home early. As for the brainwashing and oppression you describe, I'm sure that's all done out of the same "love" (see above on Whatever Means Necessary) as everything else the Church does. I did not serve a mission myself, though, so I'd be very interested to hear from those of my readers who did.
Bottom line, most Mormons are not mean, bad people. That includes most Mormon higher ups. They are doing the best they can with what they think they know. I am by no means defending Mormon beliefs or the Church as an institution, but I do not vilify those propagating abuse, because most of the higher ups are trapped in the same mind control as most of the lower downs.
I've got no problem with a person who wants to express an opinion, but next time have the guts to leave a name.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Celebrate Darwin Day at NDSU with Dr. Eugenie Scott!
Dr. Eugenie Scott will be the keynote speaker for NDSU's Darwin Day celebrations next week! Her address is titled "The Evolution of Creationism" and I'm sure will be fascinating. All the information is below, and also on NDSU's Biological Sciences webpage. The panel discussion on evolution Friday afternoon should also be worthwhile. Dr. Scott is on the panel. Among the other panelists, I can personally vouch for Dr. Allan Ashworth, my geology professor, who is an absolute riot; and Dr. Davis Cope from the mathematics department, whom I have interviewed, and who is one of the most wonderful human beings I've ever met.
I hope to see all you locals there!
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
I hope to see all you locals there!
Darwin Day 2010
Come celebrate science and education with us this year at our Annual Darwin Day Celebration! This year we are hosting Dr. Eugenie Scott from the National Center for Science Education!
Tentative Schedule for 2010
February 11, 2010
- Science Cafe, 'The Evolution of Creationism'
- Dr. Eugenie Scott, Executive Director NCSE
- 6:30 PM, Barry Hall Auditorium
- Movie Showing, 8:30 PM
- Fargo Theatre, 'Kansas vs. Darwin, A Documentary about the Kansas evolution hearings', $5 per person
February 12, 2010
- STEM Women's Coffee, 10:30 AM, FLC 316E
- Advance FORWARD
- Celebrate with cake and get your T-shirt (if you haven't yet!), 2 - 3 PM outside of Barry Hall Auditorium
- Panel Discussion, 3 - 5 PM, Barry Hall Auditorium
- Panelists:
- Dr. Eugenie Scott, NCSE
- Dr. Allan Ashworth, NDSU, Geosciences
- Dr. Julia Bowsher, NDSU Biological Sciences
- Dr. Dennis Cooley, NDSU Philosophy
- Dr. Davis Cope, NDSU Mathematics
- Dr. Erin Gillam, NDSU Biological Sciences
- Dr. Steve Travers, NDSU Biological Sciences
- Panelists:
Friday Funny: Jon Stewart on Obama and the GOP
Jon Stewart: One of the men for whom I might change my mind about not having anymore children. Freaking brilliant!
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Q & O | ||||
| ||||
Thursday, February 4, 2010
"Think about it" Thursday: The line between divine authority and human foibles
This question was prompted by one of Mr. Bishop's comments following my talk (video hopefully coming soon, the program keeps crashing in the middle of the download; I must have a demon in my computer). He said that priesthood leaders are led by the Spirit and represent the Lord, but that they're also humans who make mistakes.
Um, I'm sorry, but which is it? Where is the line between Bishop X, the mouthpiece of God; and Bishop X, the average Joe who screws up just like the rest of us? And how the hell is the average Church member supposed to know where that line starts and stops?
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
Um, I'm sorry, but which is it? Where is the line between Bishop X, the mouthpiece of God; and Bishop X, the average Joe who screws up just like the rest of us? And how the hell is the average Church member supposed to know where that line starts and stops?
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Mr. Bishop responded.
He requested that I not publish his response to my apology, and I will honor that request. I'm not going to bother to reply, because I have homework and two kids, and it was all the same excuses that I've heard before: rationalizations, defensiveness, and an insistence that deep down, I must really still believe it. (No, I promise, I really don't.) Now that I know that you're reading, Mr. Bishop, I just have one thing to say: "Oh, sky cake. Why are you so delicious?!"
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
James Arthur Ray charged in sweat lodge deaths
Thank justice! Purported "self-help guru" James Arthur Ray faces three counts of manslaughter for the deaths that occurred at a retreat he ran last fall. I was outraged when this story came out, and am happy to see Mr. Ray facing proper consequences.
Here's the link to the full story.
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
Here's the link to the full story.
I apologized to the bishop.
While it was exciting to let loose on a bishop, I later felt a little bad about it. So I asked the seminar organizer for his email address and sent him the following message:
Dear Mr. Bishop (not his real name),
I wanted to apologize for yelling at you yesterday. I was more than a little surprised at the emotion your statement provoked. Such an outburst is not characteristic of me. I was offended at your assertion that excommunication is not punishment, but losing my temper was not the right way to handle the situation.
I understand that you view excommunication as a means of helping a person come to full repentance, and therefore view it as a loving act. What I do not understand is how you can minimize how painful the experience can be for the person being excommunicated. Your tone yesterday seemed to imply that it was really no big deal. After all, what reason could a person have to be upset over something that was done out of love? And they can still come to church, so what's the problem?
I'll tell you what the problem is. I believed that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was God's church, and that my bishop was God's representative. Excommunication was a statement from God Himself that He did not want me in His church at that time. Unless you have experienced that kind of rejection yourself, I don't think you can imagine what that's like. It is an authoritarian horror, and I cannot understand how you can rationalize that it is a loving and merciful thing to do to a person.
Finally, I hope you don't feel that my presentation was antagonistic or anti-Mormon. You came in a bit late, so you missed my statement at the beginning that what I was sharing was my personal and subjective story, and I did my best to present LDS doctrine fairly and accurately. I steered away from some of the more esoteric and controversial "deep doctrines" and only gave milk instead of meat, in an attempt to cast the teachings of the Church in a respectful light.
My mother was my main example growing up, and she has always been very conservative, literal and by the book. I have since met other Church members, such as yourself, who do accept evolution and who do not implicitly accept every word from the apostles' mouths as doctrine. I recognize and respect the LDS Church as a legitimate way to be religious and spiritual. I do not recognize it as the One True Church that it claims to be, and whatever else it may be, if it is not what it claims to be, I personally do not want to be a part of it.
Again, my apologies. I do not know you and you yourself have not done anything to me. It was not right of me to treat you as I did. I hope you'll forgive my lapse in judgment, and perhaps we will see each other again at future discussions.
Sincerely,
Leah Elliott Hauge
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
I yelled at a bishop today!
Okay, so my talk on Mormonism went really well, and then afterward there were some questions and discussion, and one of the attendees, a Mormon bishop, tried to claim that excommunication was not a punishment, and I lost it. I yelled at him! I don't even remember exactly what I said, but I do remember slapping the table. At first I felt a little foolish, but now I just can't stop laughing!
I yelled at a bishop! Oh, my freaking god, I yelled at a bishop! This is the best day of my life!
If you enjoyed this post, I hope you'll check out my new blog.
I yelled at a bishop! Oh, my freaking god, I yelled at a bishop! This is the best day of my life!
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