Author Archives: eternityofcats47

First Things: Relational Templates

In some ways, going through the things you believe is the easy part of a faith transition. Much harder is adjusting the patterns you’ve internalized and may not consciously realize exist. One way this issue shows up is in relationships. It’s easy to follow Mormon patterns for relationships, which I’m calling relational templates. Does MormonismContinue reading “First Things: Relational Templates”

First Things: Lenses of Interpretation

We look at the world through lenses—the ones in our eyes, in glasses, in binoculars, in microscopes, and in telescopes, to name a few. And whatever lenses you use, you’re going to see different things. When you’re Mormon, especially if you were raised Mormon, you learn to see the world through the lens of MormonContinue reading “First Things: Lenses of Interpretation”

Free Will, Part 4: Moral Responsibility and Criminal Justice

We’ve talked about whether you should deconstruct free will, contextualized Mormon teachings in the wider discussion of free will, and clarified the differences between supernatural fatalism and determinism, so now we’re on part four of our free will series, in which we’ll talk about moral responsibility and criminal justice.

Free Will, Part 3: Fatalism in a World Without Magic

Today we’ll talk about fatalism, which can unconsciously influence your ideas about determinism and make you feel helpless and out of control. We’ll go over some examples from literature, talk about how patriarchal blessings function in a world without magic, and tie all that back to determinism. I hope that this information will help you avoid some emotional spiraling or regain a sense of control. 

Free Will, Part 2: Contextualizing Agency in Mormonism

My goal here is to contextualize agency in Mormonism within the discussion of free will and determinism. We’re matching up terms here and taking stock of our Mormonism-based philosophical beliefs as well as examining other perspectives. Spoiler alert: you’ll probably find you’ve never fully believed in free will.

Free Will, Part 1: Should You Deconstruct Free Will?

One thing people often deconstruct during a faith transition is the concept of free will. Here are what I see as the pros and cons of deconstructing free will. If you have heard about free will/determinism but haven’t looked into the issue, then you can decide whether you want to deal with this right now.

Atheist Insight and Religion for Atheists, by Alain de Botton

I found a cheap copy of Religion for Atheists not terrible long after I began my post-Mormon journey. I’ll detail for you here what about the book I found valuable so you don’t have to read the book.

First Things: Confronting Fear

After you stop believing or decide to stop affiliating with the Church, you will probably feel fear. Here’s an overview of what fear is, when it’s useful, and how you might start to confront and manage Church-derived and existential fears.

First Things: 5 Tips for Setting Boundaries

What is a boundary? A boundary is a limit or a rule that you set for your life to keep yourself healthy and happy.

Here are the Eternity of Cats rules for setting boundaries.