…he most likely noticed that Allen asserts that most ex-Mormons “carry … emotional baggage and possess the ‘Church is evil incarnate’ attitude,” and felt that was an unfair characterization.

I never said that most ex-Mormons carry that baggage or attitude, but that many do. (Go back and read the post.) I would never say that most do, because I don’t believe that. However, many really do have those feelings. (Ever been to ironically named Recovery from Mormonism board lately, or subscribed to one of the ex-Mormon mailing lists, or been to one of the many post-Mormon get-togethers that regularly occur? The feelings and attitudes abound, are reinforced, and are fostered.)

The reality is that many, many people leave the Church and remain fond of major aspects of their Mormon past, as well as on good terms with Church members.

Agreed.

Not everyone is out to “get” Mormonism, something FAIR cannot admit or else it would have no reason for existing.

I agree that not everyone is out to “get” Mormonism. But if you think that such a belief is the reason why FAIR exists, then you really don’t know anything about FAIR. The fact is, there are criticisms made against the beliefs and practices of the Church. Not everyone makes them, but some do. And, in the marketplace of ideas, such criticisms should be examined and addressed. That is what FAIR does.

-Allen

NorthboundZax, I have yet to see a post on this site that is “terribly deep” or noteworthy. While I agree that noting intersections of religion and pop culture can be intriguing, I imagine Mitchell didn’t recognize Allen’s post as “fun and interesting.” Instead, he most likely noticed that Allen asserts that most ex-Mormons “carry … emotional baggage and possess the ‘Church is evil incarnate’ attitude,” and felt that was an unfair characterization.

The reality is that many, many people leave the Church and remain fond of major aspects of their Mormon past, as well as on good terms with Church members. There’s nothing noteworthy about this. Not everyone is out to “get” Mormonism, something FAIR cannot admit or else it would have no reason for existing. Welcome to the Bloggernacle. Here you will find “Mormons” of all stripes (active, inactive, orthodox, conservative, liberal, former, cultural, gay, straight, etc.) that get along very well and try and leave insulting insinuations (like Allen suggests here) to themselves in an effort to learn and grow.