Why I am not a Mormon

[_Daniel Peterson]

Not from me, Daniel. You don't face personal hostility from the Jersey Girl and there are many others here whose treatment of you is the same or similar as my own. I say what's on my mind in any given situation and I certainly am not one who rides the Scratch bandwagon.

I know, and I appreciate it. You and Tarski and Liz and certain others (and, of course, The Nehor and mentalgymnast, etc.) have been much fairer and more charitable than the folks who, in their seemingly obsessive personal hostility to me, provide most of the posts on just about every thread in which I participate.

[_beastie]

Part of the problem is that DCP demonstrates a strong predilection for these type of threads, versus other, more academic discussions with people less prone to personal attack.

In other words, ya find what you look for.

by the way, that was EA's point earlier - compare how much time DCP is willing to spend on a thread like this, versus one about a real issue with his apologetics. (ie, Wisconsin horse skull)

[_Daniel Peterson]

Part of the problem is that DCP demonstrates a strong predilection for these type of threads, versus other, more academic discussions with people less prone to personal attack.

In other words, ya find what you look for.

by the way, that was EA's point earlier - compare how much time DCP is willing to spend on a thread like this, versus one about a real issue with his apologetics. (ie, Wisconsin horse skull)

I reserve my real efforts for serious places -- which generally means for publications.

This isn't a serious place. Not in my experience with it.

[_Jersey Girl]

Part of the problem is that DCP demonstrates a strong predilection for these type of threads, versus other, more academic discussions with people less prone to personal attack.

In other words, ya find what you look for.

by the way, that was EA's point earlier - compare how much time DCP is willing to spend on a thread like this, versus one about a real issue with his apologetics. (ie, Wisconsin horse skull)

That's likely true, beastie, however in my observation Daniel's predilection is often preceeded by Scratch's obsessive and overly dramatic postings with Daniel as the target of choice and I in now way fault Daniel for choosing to respond to those.

[_beastie]

I reserve my real efforts for serious places -- which generally means for publications.

This isn't a serious place. Not in my experience with it.

Then don't complain about how many posters are hostile to you when you seek out and largely participate on threads that are precisely about just that. And don't point out that this isn't a serious place when you avoid serious discussions in this place. You find what you look for. You are clearly looking for this type of thread.

That's likely true, beastie, however in my observation Daniel's predilection is often preceeded by Scratch's obsessive and overly dramatic postings with Daniel as the target of choice and I in now way fault Daniel for choosing to respond to those.

There are two dancers in this little ball we have going on here. Each is moving his own feet.

[_Jersey Girl]

Not from me, Daniel. You don't face personal hostility from the Jersey Girl and there are many others here whose treatment of you is the same or similar as my own. I say what's on my mind in any given situation and I certainly am not one who rides the Scratch bandwagon.

I know, and I appreciate it. You and Tarski and Liz and certain others (and, of course, The Nehor and mentalgymnast, etc.) have been much fairer and more charitable than the folks who, in their seemingly obsessive personal hostility to me, provide most of the posts on just about every thread in which I participate.

I think you'll also find that never-Mo's on a board like this are largely apathetic to situations that involve you. Though we are but a small fraction of posters on this board, I can tell you that our little fraction often looks at some of this stuff as odd/weird/strange behavior the personal hit topics and mob mentality included.

[_Jersey Girl]

I reserve my real efforts for serious places -- which generally means for publications.

This isn't a serious place. Not in my experience with it.

Then don't complain about how many posters are hostile to you when you seek out and largely participate on threads that are precisely about just that. And don't point out that this isn't a serious place when you avoid serious discussions in this place. You find what you look for. You are clearly looking for this type of thread.

That's likely true, beastie, however in my observation Daniel's predilection is often preceeded by Scratch's obsessive and overly dramatic postings with Daniel as the target of choice and I in now way fault Daniel for choosing to respond to those.

There are two dancers in this little ball we have going on here. Each is moving his own feet.

beastie,

With all due respect, I have witnessed this type of "little ball" or "dance" for a number of years on LDS boards and those haven't been exclusive to Daniel and Scratch. It is a phenomena that astounds never-Mo's such as myself and others.

[_beastie]

With all due respect, I have witnessed this type of "little ball" or "dance" for a number of years on LDS boards and those haven't been exclusive to Daniel and Scratch. It is a phenomena that astounds never-Mo's such as myself and others.

Of course. You're witnessing a divorce.

[Guest]

And don't point out that this isn't a serious place when you avoid serious discussions in this place. You find what you look for.

If there are serious discussions here, I haven't seen them.

And I really can't imagine any active, believing Latter-day Saint choosing to come here, and staying here, for substantive conversation. The ratio of static to signal -- to say nothing of personal insults and character assassination -- is simply far, far too high.

I come here, it's true, mostly because (as I've said many, many times, in various venues) I find pathological public behavior regarding religion very interesting. (I'm in Near Eastern studies, you know.) I just posted something over on the board formerly known as FAIR regarding anti-Mormons at today's Fourth of July parade in Provo for that very reason. And I don't think, by a long shot, that pathological religion-related behavior is limited only to the religious. That's also why I sometimes look in on the so-called "Recovery" board, and, less often still, on "CARM." And that's why I find the behavior of Scratch and, to some extent, the parallel behavior of Miniscratch somewhat intriguing.

[_beastie]

If there are serious discussions here, I haven't seen them.

You haven't looked very hard, if at all.