Hi! My story is weird. I come from a dual religion family. Mom is Catholic, and so I was baptized as a baby. But she wasn’t much of a church goer, (we did attend holiday Mass, but my knowledge of the Catholic Church was pretty much, we dress up and go for Easter/Christmas) so when my dad, who is Mormon, decided to become active again, it was decided he’d take over our religious upbringing. I remember enjoying Sunday school, and having a general good time with my friends there, but felt pressured into getting baptized. All my friends were doing it, my teachers encouraged it, and my dad seemed confused when I said I wasn’t sure. But, he did allow me the time and space I needed. By the time I was 11 (Mormons raised in the church generally get baptized at 8) my friends commented about how odd it was I wasn’t baptized. So, when my sister got baptized, I joined her.
I won’t get into the whole experience, but I remember my dad went from casual activity, to super active, there every week, and we had zero choice, even as we grew older. I grew to loathe church, because it wasn’t something I chose to participate in. I HAD to go. Then, there was the fact that, the older I got, the more the things I was being taught just didn’t make sense. (Again, that’s a whole different thread.) finally, about 17, I informed my parents that I would no longer be going. For some reason, me standing my ground, or maybe it was the fact that I was about to be an adult soon anyway, had them agreeing I could make that choice. (Later, when I returned from military duty, my dad stated I’d have to go to church if I wanted to live in his house. That lasted a couple months…because at this time, I REALLY didn’t believe. All I had to do was stand my ground again.) The church managed to sucker me into giving it another try a couple more times, the last, resulting in me going crazy, because they would not leave me alone when I’d finally had enough.
But because I didn’t believe what the church taught me, I spent (and still spend) many hours studying various religions. One day, a couple years ago, I was chatting with my mom about religion, and how Mormonism didn’t fit with me. I explained the beliefs I’d formed after my own reflections, and come to find out, they aligned very much with Catholicism.
I haven’t fully crossed over, because my dad seems to take personal offense at my desire to not attend Mormon church. (My daughter, who went with him until recently has chosen to stop attending church, seminary, and all other activities as well.) it doesn’t sit well with him, and he still tries to push it, for example, demanding we pray (the Mormon way) over meals when we dine together. My daughter, brave child, says the dinner prayer she learned from my mom. I’m not so brave, so if he calls on me, I mumble out something passable for him.
I know if I fully convert, (is it converting if I was already baptized?) he’ll lose his mind, and I’ll get talked about, like my bro and sis. “This is happening to them, because they left the church…” Type remarks. I might not hear the remarks, but I know he makes them, and gets angry when he tries to push the issue. “If you don’t want to be Mormon, call Utah and have them remove you!” It’s like a dare. (My dad is really a cool guy, but when it comes to religion…I just try to lie low, because he’s so passionate about his beliefs.)
So, that’s my story. I’m not the best church goer when it comes to Catholicism either, but I’m trying to be better about that.
As for leaving the Mormon church? I live in the town I grew up in. I still have friends in the church. News would spread like wildfire, and I’m not ready to deal with a bunch of well meaning friends trying to change my mind.
Great post!
