No more hypocrisy!
Here is the letter that I will post on my door and email to my other family members, enjoy!
On another note, this will be my last Sunday to be a hypocrite and have to smile and nod at all the stupid teachings and lessons I abhor! (assuming everything goes right)
Dear Family,
Consider this my proclamation to the world... It is today that I am officially considered an adult according to US law, and so I am entitled to my own opinions and beliefs. I have been feeling frustrated in this house for as long as I can remember and today it will cease. Your beliefs are different from mine, and you’ve all been hypocrites in preaching about your own. There is no conditional love here, it’s always been the kids having to fulfill your needs; we need to have good grades, we need to get married, we need to do whatever you tell us to because you’re right, we need to teach other people what they’re “missing in their lives”, etc. Your children are not appendages to you, they are separate human beings and your only duty is to raise them to be strong and independent.
The reason I haven’t been performing my “priesthood responsibilities” or being very active in church is very simple: I’m Atheist and I always have been. No matter how you look at it, my theory of religion always comes down to a group of records being so blown out of proportion (much like a tall tale, or gossip that has been spread around) that it makes a story so inspiring that it “must be true”. If you recall ten years previously when Mom asked me whether or not I wanted to be baptized, I said no. It wasn’t out of cowardice or anything like that, I simply did not believe it; but since I was a “child”, mom felt she had the authority to force me to and she did so by screaming that I was going to do it anyway. Not much for following the church in saying that at eight years old we are able to decide for ourselves are we? What about all the screaming and physical abuse that has taken place over the years? Is that fulfilling your parental duties?
I’m sick of everyone always trying to force religion on me, if you believe it that’s fine, but don’t make your stupid side comments about me being antisocial or try to pressure me into doing things your way. Don’t bother waking me up for seminary, I am NOT going anymore, nor am I going to church, nor listening to conference (not that I really did in the first place), nor am I doing anything religion related. Do NOT for one moment assume you have the right to make me do anything, according to US law, a person has the right to leave a religion their parents placed them in. I WILL have my records removed from the church; this is not up for debate. I seriously doubt that threatening to kick me out of the house will be very effective, as you have yet to succeed, and if you do eventually do it, that wouldn’t be practicing the “Christ-like love” they talk about each Sunday.
On another note, this will be my last Sunday to be a hypocrite and have to smile and nod at all the stupid teachings and lessons I abhor! (assuming everything goes right)
Dear Family,
Consider this my proclamation to the world... It is today that I am officially considered an adult according to US law, and so I am entitled to my own opinions and beliefs. I have been feeling frustrated in this house for as long as I can remember and today it will cease. Your beliefs are different from mine, and you’ve all been hypocrites in preaching about your own. There is no conditional love here, it’s always been the kids having to fulfill your needs; we need to have good grades, we need to get married, we need to do whatever you tell us to because you’re right, we need to teach other people what they’re “missing in their lives”, etc. Your children are not appendages to you, they are separate human beings and your only duty is to raise them to be strong and independent.
The reason I haven’t been performing my “priesthood responsibilities” or being very active in church is very simple: I’m Atheist and I always have been. No matter how you look at it, my theory of religion always comes down to a group of records being so blown out of proportion (much like a tall tale, or gossip that has been spread around) that it makes a story so inspiring that it “must be true”. If you recall ten years previously when Mom asked me whether or not I wanted to be baptized, I said no. It wasn’t out of cowardice or anything like that, I simply did not believe it; but since I was a “child”, mom felt she had the authority to force me to and she did so by screaming that I was going to do it anyway. Not much for following the church in saying that at eight years old we are able to decide for ourselves are we? What about all the screaming and physical abuse that has taken place over the years? Is that fulfilling your parental duties?
I’m sick of everyone always trying to force religion on me, if you believe it that’s fine, but don’t make your stupid side comments about me being antisocial or try to pressure me into doing things your way. Don’t bother waking me up for seminary, I am NOT going anymore, nor am I going to church, nor listening to conference (not that I really did in the first place), nor am I doing anything religion related. Do NOT for one moment assume you have the right to make me do anything, according to US law, a person has the right to leave a religion their parents placed them in. I WILL have my records removed from the church; this is not up for debate. I seriously doubt that threatening to kick me out of the house will be very effective, as you have yet to succeed, and if you do eventually do it, that wouldn’t be practicing the “Christ-like love” they talk about each Sunday.