Hello, I hail from Southern California. I am a never-Mormon, but have had many Mormon neighbors, classmates, coworkers, and friends. My previous church affiliation was rather conservative and legalistic, having some of the same issues many Mormons have: salavation by works, lay clergy, faith stories/myths, pride in long generations in the "church", the "church" being the Only True Faith, women are the second/lower class, etc. Being a woman, I particularly chafe about being the daughter of the ever-fallen Eve. I mean, if God can forgive our sins, then why is it he couldn't he forgive Eve? And women for being female?

Anyway, I have been lurking this website for about 5 years. Feel there are a lot of intelligent, funny, and thought-provoking posters here.

The only time I ever been in a Mormon chapel was a few years ago, when they had an open house for the temple in Newport Beach, CA. What a ridiculous building. I could tell there was a feud going on amongst the members.

Hello! Fellow SoCal girl here. I'd say "welcome to the board", but technically you've been here longer than I have! :)

Welcome!

I have just been here since Easter this year

I enjoy it too

Welcome.
There are a bunch of us here from California.
I'm on the Central Coast.

Nice post, screwdriverdrinker!

"Feud" had me stumped, till I thought, maybe California Mormons (liberal) and Utah Mormons (hardass, and/or condescending toward Californians). I've heard they are different tribes within BYU, or at least within a dorm suite.

I'm curious what your former religion is, though you certainly need not say. I think I once read about something like that among Norwegian-Americans, though my memory is hazy.

Thanks for the welcome responses.

I forgot to mention: why I chose my screen name. I wanted to chose New Age Deinker but the forum-thingie wouldn't let me. The reason is two fold for that. In the 1980's, my employer encouraged us to attend these classes that fostered indepemdemt thinking and it was called New Age Thinking. A group of fun-loving drinkers met after work and called themselves New Age Drinkers, in irreverent homage. The second reason I chose Screwdrive Drinker is not only it's my philosophy to have a little drink but also a little "screw it, I will drink what I like!" And I guess I like Forbidden Cokedr
Drinker's moniker too. (Thanks forbiddencokedrinker!)

My relligion is an invention of a failed Litheran minister who like aspects of the Mennonite church and created his own church in the mid-1800's in Eastern Europe. They still keeping the forbidden rules (no dancing, no smoking, no card playing, no worldly music, no jewelry, no make up, no fun). And 3 hour sermans and no musical instruments. Sundays are 10 hours long.