I haven't posted in some time but I had an experience last week that unfortunately really annoyed me. This is one of the few places where people might actually understand.

I was highlighted in our local newspaper recently for my work at my job. The reporter asked the usual background questions. How long have I been at my job, what school did I go to, what do I enjoy most about my work etc....

It was a somewhat lengthy article articulating several aspects of my job and my accomplishments along with the reporter's comments while he observed me at work.

My husband's TBM friend saw the article and told my husband what a great article it was and how it was such great publicity for the church because I went to BYU and the article stated that.

He knows that we no longer believe. I guess the thing that annoyed me the most was that he was most excited about the church publicity aspect of the article rather than the main message of the article and the importance of the job that I and my colleagues do. TBM's certainly do see things through a different lens than the rest of us!

See, you are thinking worldly thoughts, not spiritual thoughts. Were you thinking spiritual thoughts, you would know that you should have focused on YBU and the MORmON faith instead of your work so you could give glory to god....

Or you could just throw up and say, "I kick ass!"

Congrats on the recognition. It's nice from time to time to be recognized for what you do.

They have to make everything about the church. It's all credit or advertisement for the church, blah, blah.

My response to this is that, "in spite of the handicap of attending BYU and being raised in a cult-like religion (the Mormons), I have accomplished blah, blah, at work. It's hard enough having people see the BYU diploma and having people assume I'm Mormon.

Congratulations on doing well at work and being spotlighted!

I hate it when the church tries to suck up all your achievements to promote the church. The first time the YW had Standards Night, my daughter hadn't attended all year and hadn't passed off a single one of their stupid goals. So the YW president tried to give credit to the YW program for my daughter's music lessons. They had NOTHING to do with Mormons, or the goals she'd set in their dumb program but they wanted to make it sound like her music talent was entirely due to her setting a goal to learn her instrument, thanks to this inspiring program.

I wish I could think of a good comeback for you. Sometimes, even if you don't say it, you feel better just knowing what you want to say to them. Maybe just something about "Yeah, if the church comes up, it's a great opportunity to tell people why we left so they don't accidentally get suckered in my the missionaries." Congrats, BTW, on all your success.

I go through a similar thing when people see I graduated from BYU (my name and bio appear in a program, for example) They then ask are you a mormon or they just assume I am a mormon. I sometimes get very interesting questions and sometimes very interesting looks.

That would irritate me if someone said that to me.

I've read the bylaws on the current BYU alumni association. It's very airtight to ensure that the FP/12 have complete control over this organization. What we really need is a real BYU alumni association to represent us BYU grads who believe that the university needs to be an honest institution and a place where its students, faculty and alumni will have true academic freedom.

I went to a secular, woman's university and my FIL always made fun of my college because it was not a highly known university or BYU. Funny that my education paid the bills while my husband was still in school for 3 years and helps some still. I would much rather have my tiny, woman's college name on my resume than one named after one of the most vilest men on earth!

The thing I hate now is having to put BYU on my resume and job apps! I often wonder, on the ones I never hear back from, if that has anything to do with it. I imagine them sitting there looking at my info and saying "BYU, huh? Big negatory on that one, into the trash with it!"