Philo Double Standard: Mithraists can Appropriate and Modify Symbols and Stories of Others, but not Hor Papyrus Author

[Kishkumen]

Why would you want to leap from my statement about Bill Reel to denouncing all of us? I don’t get it. I was offering my opinion on Bill. That’s it!

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[Kishkumen]

I am sorry you see things that way. I did not mean to be a source of such profound discouragement. Really I just want you to go into that kind of situation with eyes wide open. The positive case would be Denver Snuffer. I thought they were pretty respectful to him. It probably helped that he was RFM’s friend going into it.

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[Kishkumen]

I know you don't mean anything by it. But my shelf broke, not my testimony. My delusional shelf about epistimological ecumenicalism. It isn't directly your fault, but you pulled the wool OFF my eyes by exposing the true nature of what is going on, to show the dreamworld I've been living in. Not a dreamworld that the Church is true. I'd be a real fool to think the Church is not true after this, when something else showed its truth. Its just that I have a true sense for the Great and Spacious now, and see it for what it is, and how I was fooled by it. A dreamworld of epistemological bridge building hopes. I see it for what it is. thank you. I should be thanking you. RFM is not my friend. Bill Reel is not my friend. John Dehlin is not my friend. I know there is nothing in store but derision and hostility. Thank you.

I will rethink my Sunstone presentation now, and my activities in general, and go back into my monastic regions of my research where I came from in a sense, and emerge when there is something interesting. Thank you

Paul will be happy about that, for one, as will Marcus, and they will get a laugh from this thread. That is, after all, what the Great and Spacious is for, to live in. A dwelling place of mockery and derision. Score one for the Book of Mormon. Minus one for the Great and Spacious.

Hows that for a shelf breaking? What a weird kind of loss of faith that is, isn't it? A loss of faith in the Great and Spacious building! How about that!

Betcha haven't seen that one before in your adult world! Betcha that kind of loss of faith is a new one for you all!

I'll bet that kind of shelf breaking will give you all some great entertainment.

Respectfully, I feel like you are making way too much out of comments that were born of my concern for your possible experience on one podcast with one podcaster, Bill Reel. And, honestly, I am not sure I am being totally fair to Bill. The leap to reading into my comments some kind of larger message about the unbridgeable gulf between your position and that of others, such as Philo and me, is really unfortunate. Your conclusions on why Don Bradley is respected are off base, in my opinion.

What you may be missing here is that relationships matter. Our ability to allow each other to be who we are and be OK with that helps us have positive interactions and form friendships. Rushing to judgment and refusing to extend any trust to others is a way to burn bridges before their construction is complete.

Yes, I am pretty cautious about appearing on podcasts. That does not mean you should not. You might go on Mormonism Live and be treated very respectfully. I am a little worried because of other comments and reactions that have come from Bill Reel in the past. Yes. Sure. But that does not mean I am right. It just means I am cautious, and perhaps too much so. Bill is, at the end of the day, a decent person, and if he does not see eye to eye with you, that is not the end of the world.

I think there is something truly valuable to be found in the symbol of the Great and Spacious Building. Do not let others deter you from your quest for the truth. I am happy that you are not letting others get in your way. What I am not happy about is your apparent haste to withdraw in the face of what amounts to well meaning cautionary advice from me, one guy, on one thread, in regards to one guy, on one podcast.

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[Kishkumen]

All of these decisions are entirely in your hands.

I will say that experience has taught me that I never know exactly what kind of positive or negative impact my words and actions will have. That is part of the burden of being human. We operate with limited information, limited mental and physical tools, hopefully do our best, and hope for the best.

This thread is a good example. I meant the best, and little did I anticipate your reaction.

Likewise, you never know what positive impact you will have on others who read or hear your work. You may never know. If you are lucky, someone may take the time to drop you a note on occasion.

That’s the way things are for most of us.

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[Marcus]

From The Abyss,
Lindsay Brigman:

We all see what we want to see. Coffey looks and …he sees hate and fear.

You have to look with better eyes than that.

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