It’s time for some real talk here.
Being Mormon fucking sucks. From a very young age, children are taught that women are just their bodies. Little girls are supposed to cover up, give talks in primary classes about why it’s important to be “modest.” Little girls are taught that when they grow up, they can be anything they want!…as long as they go on a mission, get married in the temple to a Mormon man, and raise their children in the Gospel.
Little boys are taught to “respect” women, which essentially just boils down to “women are weak, so you need to protect them, you need to open doors for them, you need to carry things for them, and if you see a woman doing any form of manual labor, offer to do it for her.” Unless said manual labor is cleaning, cooking, or taking care of children. Little boys are taught that male piercings are immodest, that they should learn to build houses and go hunting and learn to be a successful Man™ so they can support their wife and children.
Being Mormon fucking sucks. I didn’t know that LGBTQ+ people even existed until I was almost eleven, and that was my mom telling me, “Remember our neighbors? Paul and Greg? They think they’re married.” When I realized I was transgender, I was terrified because I thought that meant I wasn’t going to heaven (Mormons don’t believe in Hell. They believe in “The Outer Darkness”). I was woken up at 11 p.m. by my parents, who had gone through my emails, and who gave me a three-hour lecture on how I couldn’t really know if I was transgender. My second cousin sent me a letter when I came out to her telling me that God loved me and he would fix me, I just had to pray and read my Bible. Our Branch President told me that God loved me even if I was trans, but I shouldn’t tell anyone, especially the children.
Being Mormon fucking sucks. From day one, babies are exposed to repetitive hymns that are technically just chanting “Follow The Prophet” and “The Lord Knows The Way.” We are constantly told that The Spirit of God will guide us, and all we must do is be kind and faithful to the Church.
Being Mormon fucking sucks. Young Women’s classes teaches teenage girls that their primary job is to be a wife and a mother. They cover it up with pretending to teach “life skills,” but nothing they teach is useful to any woman except a woman who will do nothing but pop out babies and take care of the house her whole life.
Being Mormon fucking sucks. Misogyny? In every home. The women do cleaning projects. The women take care of the children. The women cook while the men sit on their asses. The women arrange nice crafts for the children. The women work the gardens. The women do the family shopping. The women do not question their husbands. The women do not disobey their husbands. If a woman doesn’t get married, she’s urged to, and told that she’s not following the Gospel.
Being Mormon fucking sucks. In every Ward, in every Branch, there is always a group of old women, sometimes as young as 40, who are completely and utterly toxic. They hear a rumor that a young woman wore something that showed her shoulders or knees? One of them will lecture her about it. Some youth are dating before sixteen? They get lectured about the sanctity of their virginity. There is a rumor going around that someone took drugs? One of these ladies will come around and yell at their door, pound on it and shout at the person about God. They’re a clique, pure and simple, a clique that shits on everyone who don’t follow their world view.
Being Mormon fucking sucks. They cling to you like a grumpy toddler if you want to leave. When you’re baptized, your name goes on the records. If you stop going to church, people start asking you when you’re going to come back. They ask you if they should pray for you. You stop going long enough, and everyone forgets about you except the missionaries. They come by every few weeks, just to try to teach you. You have to call church headquarters to get your name taken off the records, and even then sometimes it doesn’t happen. And the missionaries still come by. They think you’ve “gone astray,” that if they appeal to God and The Holy Spirit enough then you’ll see the light and come back.
Being Pagan fucking rocks. You worship on your own terms. You can choose to not worship at all, and simply work earth magic and manipulate life energy.
Being Pagan fucking rocks. You choose your focus, and live it. You can change your focus too, it doesn’t have to be permanent.
Being Pagan fucking rocks. You get to see all the benefits of various plants, various crystals, all the good energy instilled in the earth and the sky and in everything around you.
Being Pagan fucking rocks. I chose kindness and equality as my focus. Equal education, equal opportunity, and trying to stop hurt and hate. It’s nice.
theartofmadeline
2087
gummygunk
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