How members are expected to behave in cyberspace interaction

[_Lucretia MacEvil]

Jason Bourne ... almost he persuadeth me to be a Mormon ...

He is reasonable, open, and humane.

Indeed. But, in my opinion, he could have finished his message and been ahead of the game w/out quoting Ballard's condescending and self-righteous remarks, which are all about putting on a show of righteousness. Mormonism is always the religion of "doing" rather than "being." Ballard advises to "adopt a demeanor" rather than simply being the kind of person who can go online and interact graciously. "Our position is solid; the Church is true" attitude is alienating. TBMs who come here relying on that belief end up angry and defensive or swarmy and sanctimonious, never convincing.

[_Chap]

Jason Bourne ... almost he persuadeth me to be a Mormon ...

He is reasonable, open, and humane.

Indeed. But, in my opinion, he could have finished his message and been ahead of the game w/out quoting Ballard's condescending and self-righteous remarks, which are all about putting on a show of righteousness. Mormonism is always the religion of "doing" rather than "being." Ballard advises to "adopt a demeanor" rather than simply being the kind of person who can go online and interact graciously. "Our position is solid; the Church is true" attitude is alienating. TBMs who come here relying on that belief end up angry and defensive or swarmy and sanctimonious, never convincing.

Yup. The Church is not perfect, but some of the members are (though not perfect) better than quite a lot of the Church's representatives.

[_Lucretia MacEvil]

Egos are being engaged on this thread ... I know my own ego is throbbing because I am feeling physical symptoms. Anyone else feeling it?

Just a suggestion, maybe Jesus wasn't a supernatural being of any sort. Maybe the Bible got him wrong on just about every level. Maybe he was a man who somehow transcended ego, judgment, fear, anger, and so on. Maybe the rest of us find that an impossible example to follow, but maybe that's okay because his example can give us moments of peace.

[_Jason Bourne]

OK, I lied, one more comment to offer a correction and an apology.

Jason,

I think at least part of the misunderstanding has been my fault for writing this line:

Every time I see a Mormon saying to be more Christ like I want to run away and scream.

That was bad form because it unfairly singled out Mormons and didn't explain what I saw as being misleading when people are told to act more like Christ. This statement is more accurate:

Every time I see anyone saying to be more Christ like, when they really mean act in such and such a way (which may or may not have anything to do with acting like Jesus did), I want to run away and scream.

My apologies for writing something that was easily construed as an attack on Mormons. I think that all Christian organizations develop an institutionally approved set of behaviors which become a stand-in for what it means to be "Christ-like." Thus act more "Christ-like" ends up meaning, act more like a Baptist, or act more like an Anglican, or act more like Mormon, etc. I saw Ballard invoking the Mormon approved version of this and reacted against it. I should have chose my words more carefully.

You are good by me. I think you made some fair points. And yes, looking at Ballard's comments they along the lines of we have the truth, don't argue and just bear your testimony.

The whole point of my thread here is to remind LDS defenders that they need to raise the level of discourse and it is not just me saying so. It is their leaders. They constant barrage of calling this place a cesspool and smutty and acting like the people who post here are trash and so on is just tiresome. Calling it the Great and Spacious Trailer Park and what that conotes and so on is not in line with raising the dialogue.

I know critics here can be rotten too. But that does not justify that actions we see from some.

That is what I was trying to get at.

Maybe I did not do a good job.