Comments on: Episode 37: Mormon Stories Host Dr. John Dehlin

By: Melody

Melody — Mon, 10 May 2021 14:23:51 +0000

I love and appreciate all the work Leah and Mike are doing for those who have been abused by cults. It is so brave and inspirational.
I was so looking forward to this episode but was so disappointed. The abuse the Mormon church does was so downplayed.
Tithing is presented as a “choice” but at the end of the year you must attend a meeting to prove you pay full tithe or can’t go to the temple.
If you can’t go to the temple, you can’t participate in their “real” church with the cult rituals and costumes practiced inside.
You aren’t just left off a group text, you are shunned for leaving and told you don’t love your family and don’t love your kids because they will belong to someone else in heaven. You are completely cut off and shunned. It is mentally abusive over and over—you are never good enough.
And they use the elderly like my mother to go through birth and death records from all over the world looking for names, pretending it’s for ancestry, so they use the names for baptisms of the dead to increase their member numbers.
And how to stay an 501C by buying property and building a huge building —they are an expert and where do you think Scientology and others learned it from?
And the way they teach girls that if you have already had sex you are a used piece of chewed up gum that no one will ever want again, so you’re useless, is why girls don’t report sexual abuse. Just look to Elizabeth Smart as an example. She admitted the same.
The whole church is based on lies upon lies. And every time someone tries to reveal the truth, they are “fair gamed”. Absolutely.
I am humbly begging Mike and Leah to do more on this topic in the future. I know so many people suffering from its abuses that could really use the help that I’m without power or platform to provide.

By: Nelle

Nelle — Tue, 04 May 2021 12:00:10 +0000

Thank you so much for this episode! I loved it. As a former Mormon, your work exposing the harm Scientology perpetrated on its adherents helped me to verbalize what I deep down knew Mormonism was doing to me and my family. John is correct that Mormonism presents a thick veneer of niceness and happiness, but the underside of it is very dangerous and destructive. It nearly destroyed my life. So grateful to be on the other side, and to be able to listen to podcasts like these that give words to all the feelings and experiences people like me have had. Again, thank you, thank you! Mike, I know you speak out at great personal cost.

By: Megan

Megan — Sat, 24 Apr 2021 18:38:42 +0000

First, I have to say that I love your podcast and get excited each week when there is a new episode. With this crazy year and all of us being pretty isolated, it’s like hearing two “friends” every week so thank you!

Another great episode and I agree that for whatever reason, Mormons at least seem very nice.

Have you thought of having the girls from Escaping Polygamy on the podcast? I’ve always been so impressed with them and fe l like it court be an interesting one since they actually had to escape as so many scientologists (at least the sea org ones) do.

Anyway, thanks for all you do 🙂

By: Balletlady

Balletlady — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 13:56:41 +0000

In reply to Jere Lull.

The adult cartoon series…” South Park” did a entire episode about how Joseph Smith founded Mormonism.

Of course the religion made changes when POLYGAMY was cast aside by most TRUE believers & then the FLDS offshoot branch came into play to keep men being permitted to keep SPIRITUAL multiple wives.

It was quite amusing. Seems like the writers of South Park find a way to bash every religion.

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 11:36:28 +0000

I enjoyed this podcast and really enjoy all your episodes. However I feel that you guys give Christianity a pass. I feel that many of the criticisms towards other religions also apply to Christianity. Some of your guest’s comments in this episode really highlighted this to me. Made up stories (lies) presented as facts. The Bible is full of contradictions and historically inaccuracies. There are stories in the Bible that are ridiculous that rival Xenu. Plus it is full of horrendous acts against people from their “loving” creator.
The comments about disappointing family members when you leave the church or lose your beliefs rings true to many former Christians. The quiet shunning and disapproval is real.
As a former Christian who lost his faith over a period of time, I get frustrated that Christianity is still treated as the socially acceptable religion, despite the lies, the scandals and the cover ups.
I would love you guys to talk to some former Christians to discuss why they left the church and what leaving the Church was like for them. Can I suggest you invite Seth Andrews who hosts The Thinking Athiest podcast for an interview?

Kind regards,

Peter

By: Rip Van Winkle

Rip Van Winkle — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 11:34:26 +0000

Marvelous episode.

great listen, really smooth too. Nice balances.

I loved the ideas he bounced around about coming together. WOW!

….

Ever since I woke up, I’ve been learning to deal with enormity of what the cult stole from me – starting with the basic freedom to love and enjoy this big world. For the cult to be what it is, this has to be “a prison planet”, a mirage, and a poor copy of a copy of a copy of a world. It’s a distraction from eternity. To be rejected as a trap.

He stole our sunrises.

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 11:49:29 +0000

In reply to Richard.

Maybe in Buddha’s time the monks and nuns were continually coming up with new revelations and the locals didn’t take them too seriously – lol

By: Roger Larsson

Roger Larsson — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 11:39:29 +0000

Scientologists pick new bodies – mormones pick the dead body in the grave.

Who wants to pick new bodies?

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 11:28:08 +0000

In reply to S. Moore. There is a story in Buddhist lore that when the Buddha emerged from under the Bhohdi Tree he saw a farmer walking along a nearby path. Buddha approached the farmer and said, "I have just become enlightened." The farmer replied, "That may very well be, Sir, but I have work to do." and continued on his way.

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 11:10:42 +0000

In reply to S. Moore.

Regarding informed consent in scn, rather than being told that scn was the one true religion it was suggested that as one progressed up the Bridge he would become more and more aware of ultimate truth(s). At least that’s the way I understood it and there was a comforting degree of certainty in that attitude or belief.

On the other hand as someone once said, “Not everyone needs an ever climbing level of truth to the stellar heights of ultimate truth-hood.”