What Are Your "Beliefs" (the Most Active Commenters)?

[Free Ranger]

I'm sure this question might have been asked already. If so please feel free to provide me a link to that thread. But I have not seen it in the posts I have skimmed through. So Just thought I would dip my toes in the water and gauge the social atmosphere of this board (celestial and terrestrial areas) by asking what is the personal beliefs of those who are most active posting comments on this board?

To be specific in what I am most curious is along the lines of:

Are you agnostic or atheist and hostile to any in all forms of Mormonism and religion in general, even liberal religions, no matter how nuanced or theologically "liberal" are their non-literal interpretations?

Or non-theist but can see the good in religion or spirituality and when it is interpreted more metaphorically and non-literally it then can be useful or helpful in some ways as Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell explained.

Or perhaps some kind of literal-believing Christian?

Or a Buddhist, religiously Jewish, New Age, or something other?

[High Spy]

The Bible, Book of Mormon and most of D&C are scriptures, but the Angel Moroni landed his Instrument via a 5.7 magnitude earthquake on March 18, 2020 producing a perfect timing pattern translated to spell CRIST, which also serves as a keyword to find related posts. Dan Vogel blows the lid off most fanciful fabrications in his video about the Pious Fraud Theory.

[Free Ranger]

... Dan Vogel blows the lid off most fanciful fabrications in his video about the Pious Fraud Theory.

Are you saying Dan Vogel no longer considers Joseph Smith a genuine Christian believer, especially in the early years? I understand you're being sarcastic but I don't understand what you are trying to say in regards to my sincere questions as the OP?

I'm also wondering if you are willing to answer my question?

I am just trying to gauge the social atmosphere so I can communicate more effectively on this board by better understanding those who comment most often.

I have been told that the celestial forum especially, is a place for respectful discussion.

[High Spy]

... Dan Vogel blows the lid off most fanciful fabrications in his video about the Pious Fraud Theory.

Are you saying Dan Vogel no longer considers Joseph Smith a genuine Christian believer, especially in the early years? I understand you're being sarcastic but I don't understand what you are trying to say in regards to my sincere questions as the OP?

I'm also wondering if you are willing to answer my question?

I am just trying to gauge the social atmosphere so I can communicate more effectively on this board by better understanding those who comment most often.

I have been told that the celestial forum especially, is a place for respectful discussion.

All are statements of fact, with no sarcasm or rudeness intended. David also lost his lawful right, by doing wrong.

Hence the Davidic Servants signature via the number fifty-seven divided by 10.

[ceeboo]

Hy FR

To be specific in what I am most curious is along the lines of:

Are you agnostic or atheist and hostile to any in all forms of Mormonism and religion in general, even liberal religions, no matter how nuanced or theologically "liberal" are their non-literal interpretations?

I am a Bible believing Christian - I am a never-Mormon - After years spent on these boards learning about Mormonism (and hearing the personal experiences of Mormons who were willing to share) I lost my interest in Mormonism. Due to this, I spend very little time reading these Mormon related forums. I spend most of my time reading/posting in the three "Spirit" forums. So, given that, the following is my personal perspective concerning the "Spirit" forums.

For the most part (there are always exceptions) the most active commenters are, at best, not very tolerant of thoughts/worldviews/beliefs that stray from a political left worldview. At worst, clear examples of blatant and open bigotry is quite common. Perhaps worst of all, as I see it, bigoted posts very rarely (never?) get challenged by anyone who happens to belong to the same tribe. Imagine that.

Just my take.

[Res Ipsa]

I was born and raised LDS. I stayed that way until I was about 19 1/2. I am currently not a person of faith. Methodological naturalist is a pretty good category to put me in.

[Free Ranger]

I was born and raised LDS. I stayed that way until I was about 19 1/2. I am currently not a person of faith. Methodological naturalist is a pretty good category to put me in.

Thanks for sharing.

[Res Ipsa]

I was born and raised LDS. I stayed that way until I was about 19 1/2. I am currently not a person of faith. Methodological naturalist is a pretty good category to put me in.

Thanks for sharing.

You're welcome. I think I missed part of your question. I am not hostile toward either religion in general or Mormonism in particular. I tend to focus on what people do, as opposed to what they believe.

[Free Ranger]

Hy FR

To be specific in what I am most curious is along the lines of:

Are you agnostic or atheist and hostile to any in all forms of Mormonism and religion in general, even liberal religions, no matter how nuanced or theologically "liberal" are their non-literal interpretations?

I am a Bible believing Christian - I am a never-Mormon - After years spent on these boards learning about Mormonism (and hearing the personal experiences of Mormons who were willing to share) I lost my interest in Mormonism. Due to this, I spend very little time reading these Mormon related forums. I spend most of my time reading/posting in the three "Spirit" forums. So, given that, the following is my personal perspective concerning the "Spirit" forums.

For the most part (there are always exceptions) the most active commenters are, at best, not very tolerant of thoughts/worldviews/beliefs that stray from a political left worldview. At worst, clear examples of blatant and open bigotry is quite common. Perhaps worst of all, as I see it, bigoted posts very rarely (never?) get challenged by anyone who happens to belong to the same tribe. Imagine that.

Just my take.

Thanks Ceeboo,

That was my general impression as well after lurking on the other Spirit Forums, and so I was wondering if that was just my perception or not; so thank you for sharing your perspective.

As I've explained elsewhere, I was an atheist for many years and have reconstructed a non-orthodox pragmatist Christian faith-stance through the perspective of John Shelby Spong and Marcus Borg who allowed me to explore Christianity as a non-theist, which led to my reading others like Tom Holland, author of the book Dominion: that led me to appreciate Christianity for changing our culture for the better. Then I reconstructed a way to be a kind of "Heritage Mormon" if you will, or what I call Emergent Mormon on my blog at http://emergentmormon.blogspot.com/, meaning I treat Mormon Scripture like a Catholic treats the Apocrypha, just a few extra scriptures I treat as allegory and mythos while respecting my Mormon Heritage but rejecting the Orthodox Brighamite sect (Utah-based LDS Church). I go into more detail on my blog at:
http://emergentmormon.blogspot.com/

So I was just trying to figure out if I could share some alternative points of view in the "exmormon community" on how to interpret "Mormonism" in a pragmatic humanistic kind of way for those who are open to that option, because quite frankly, I just got bored being in a reactionary, angry state and just debunking for years; and so reading these other ways to be Christian I started to ponder if one could apply those methodologies to Mormonism, and to my surprise I found that you could. But now I am realizing that like with many things, middle ways and moderate views are often hated by the extremists. Orthodox Mormon Apologists of course detest my views because I reject the historicity of the Book of Mormon, etc., but the seemingly majority voice of atheistic Leftist-leaning exmormons don't like my view because it dares to focus on the positive and find some utility in Mormonism philosophically through the pragmatic methods of John Spong, Marus Borg, Joseph Campbell, etc. At least that "closed-mindedness" has been the reception so far among most in the exmormon community so far.

In fact, last time I posted in the other forums I was essentially ganged up on from my perspective and asked at one point to "join us," the atheistic far-Leftist club, or I would continue to be slandered and misinterpreted, straw manned, and insulted. Which I consider disappointing and sad because I don't believe that every exmormon is going to think and believe alike. And many might prefer to at least absorb different points of view, but the loudest voices are just too eager to attack and slander and be bigoted. And so I'm not gonna join that toxicity for the sake of my mental health: meaning it makes me sick to my stomach, or angry, which then makes me irritable which isn't healthy for those around me in real life.

This ultimately means that those who are open minded, and curious are not given the opportunity to just learn about alternative points of view in the other forums as it becomes an echo chamber, which again is very sad. It actually kind of reminds me of Orthodox Mormonism and the way Brighamite leaders like the late Bruce R. McConkey and Boyd K. Packer and current Dallin Oaks like to handle alternative views. It seems like the same personalities that want to control things and attack in orthodox religions, are the same types of personalities that like to control things and attack in nontheist communities. Human nature and personality theory is consistent that way.

[ceeboo]

I am not hostile toward either religion in general or Mormonism in particular. I tend to focus on what people do, as opposed to what they believe.

If I wasn't so afraid to speak my mind on this board, I would tell how much I appreciate and value many of your posts.