#open forum

This can be a touchy subject, so feel free to keep scrolling.

I grew up pretty sheltered as far as religion goes, and I’d like to understand more of what’s out there. Not that I’m looking for a new church or wanting to convert anyone—though if anyone is looking for a church, please feel free to message me anytime—I just want to educate myself on what other people believe, and I’d love to hear if you’ve had any cool spiritual experiences that you’d be comfortable sharing. Even if you just reply with a link to a website that explains your beliefs like I did below, I'd rather that then try to find the right websites on my own.

I have a few specific questions under the cut if you’d like some ideas of where to start. This is an open invitation, even if you’re not religious, but please be respectful of others. I’m not looking to start arguments, just to learn.

(Throwing in some tags for a couple folks who I know like to talk about religion)

@kanerallels @accidental-spice @getting-used-to-different

Link to my church for those who are curious: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe

Yes, I do. I remembered during the days she didn’t call me back.

You might be asking yourself “who the fuck doesn’t want a happy, healthy, and normal sex life built on love, mutual respect, and a genuine desire to see your partner happy?” The number of people might surprise you, my children.

There are many factors that lead certain individuals to be like this. Undiagnosed mental illness, poor family life, parental absence, former sexual abuse, premature exposure to sexualization, and so much more. And while they might feel like there’s no other way, or that this is just how life is. Trust me, it isn’t.

Treating something as the norm is what makes it the norm. Sexual immodesty is not freedom or happiness. Mistreating your partner because of your selfish sexual proclivities is wrong. And this behavior is not normal. It’s symptomatic of mental and spiritual health problems.

As always, I don’t judge nor mistreat the mentally ill, and being a bit of a lothario, seductress, or sexual deviant doesn’t automatically mean you are mentally ill. In fact, a little deviance can be therapeutic for some. But there are far too many men and women who’re suffering from an inability to develop and maintain proper and wholesome relationships with their significant other. And we as a culture treat this problem as though it is not.

We call it “liberating”, “healthy”, and “normal because we’re all just animals after all”. We just let mental and emotional abuse fester in our sex culture because in all honesty, we’re all just trying to bust a nut. It’s selfish to do this, and it’s wrong to exploit people for brief carnal pleasures. I have seen dozens of friends suffer from hookup culture, and I myself have done harm and been victimized by others in hookup culture.

It’s not fun, glamorous, healthy, or normal. Love and romance is the pursuit of meaningful connections. The finding of the soul’s counterpoint in another. The building of a life together, and a family if you so choose. It’s hard to abandon something as pleasurable as sex addiction. But if you don’t try, then you’re only perpetuating the norm of abuse and exploitation.