Shall We Sin?
Topic: The Miracle Of Sin
Shall we sin? Absolutely!

One of the things I've noticed with some of my fellow apostates is they resist enjoying the many pleasures the world has to offer. Contrary to what many TBMs think, apostates often times have difficulty embracing a worldly life. Part of that resistance I think, is a belief that they need to be able to say, "I lived the gospel for 25 years, I went on a mission, I never did anything wrong, I paid a full tithing. When I left the church it wasn't because I wanted to sin or because I was bitter, but because I had studied the issues and made an informed decision."

There are a couple of problems with this reasoning. First of all, it's a Mormon belief that the presence of sin accounts for all apostacy. Those who have rejected the many absurd claims of the church don't need to apply this standard to themselves. Sins, emotions, personal choices, and lifestyle are always a part of apostacy. Just not for the reasons church members think they are. It doesn't matter if it's Mormonism, Scientology or the Navy, someone who breaks community protocols and alienate themselves from the group, even in subtle ways, is always in a position where they can more objectively evaluate the institutions they belong to. This is not inherently good or bad. Suffice it to say, there is no inherent shame in "sin" being a part of the exit story.

So yes, it's ok to sin! No Mormon is ever going to believe you didn't! The key to remember is that just because other factors besides reason contribute to apostacy, that doesn't mean the apostacy isn't justified on the very logical grounds given. In fact, as I have argued, it often takes some real life turmoil in order to get our brains to question deeply held assumptions about the world.