The Anonymity Issue

[_MrStakhanovite]

But my own personal practice is primarily Buddhist, as I spent almost a decade studying both philosophy and ritual practice in Nepal.

In what capacity? What I mean is, did you go in more like an Anthropologist, just looking to learn what other people believed, or were you more of a believer from the get go? Are you from Nepal?

[_Stormy Waters]

One Sunday night not too long ago I finally had the chance to take a peak inside the Bishop's folder that held some of my Church records. In it were several printed email messages from Mormon apologists who post on this message board.

Several years ago this crazy Mormon named Bob Crockett started extorting me via private messages, threatening to expose my "apostasy" to my family while my little sister layed in a hospital recovering from an illness that almost took her life.

Around the same time, a very large professor at BYU took a break from touring Southern California with LDS professional fund raiser Ed Snow and soliciting donations from my step-dad to follow through on Crazy Crocket's threats.

I strongly recommend maintaining anonymity to protect yourself from these two "saints" alone, not to mention the other crazies that might be lurking.

I think your experience is one of the most compelling reasons to stay anonymous. I think the apologists would just like to be able to leverage our families/friends/jobs against us to silence our critiques. Their mentality is protect the church at all costs.

[_Samantabhadra]

In what capacity? What I mean is, did you go in more like an Anthropologist, just looking to learn what other people believed, or were you more of a believer from the get go? Are you from Nepal?

I first went to Nepal because I heard there was a thing called Buddhist philosophy and I wanted to know what it was. Actually at that point I was studying to become a physicist, and my views on religion hewed closer to atheism than anything else. But I also had a hankering for learning as much philosophy as I could, and I was reasonably well-versed in the Western philosophical tradition, but it irked me that there appeared to be this whole world of "Eastern" philosophy that I knew absolutely nothing about. In any case I definitely wasn't a Buddhist when I went to Nepal, and becoming one (or something reasonably close to one) was a long, painful, drawn-out process that I'd be happy to talk about... some other time ;)

[_Kishkumen]

That isn't really my view. My reading of the New Testament tells me, and you can disagree perhaps, that Jesus decried hypocrisy as much as anything else. The Pharisees pretended to be one thing when they were really sinners. We all are sinners, Jesus taught, and we should love the sinners, Jesus taught, but to pretend not to be a sinner when one was really a sinner was something He thought was abominable. Jesus taught more about hypocrisy than morality, truth-telling and murder.

I think one should act consistently with one's belief and practices in all regard.

My guess is that most people who post here are not in fact holding themselves up as lights to humankind and behaving in a manner that is inconsistent with their actions. Like many people who sit in LDS pews every Sunday, they have their own thoughts, but they have few outlets for sharing them. In fact, the Church is designed thus that it discourages people from voicing "uncorrelated" views. At the same time, it does not forbid them from holding their own views. I hardly see how using a message board to give voice to the thoughts, ideas, and feelings that are effectively proscribed elsewhere is inconsistent, unless you are telling me that voicing differing opinion of any kind outside of one's own head or in very private and intimate conversations with sympathetic souls is essentially forbidden.

I invite all to come within the embrace of the Gospel, but the Church isn't for everybody. If you're unhappy, then (1) go inactive, or (2) resign. Then, be happy and make the most of your life. But to experience the dissonance of trying to be a church-goer on the one hand and be an anonymous critic on the other hand is something that, to me, Jesus would condemn.

I disagree completely.

In Wang Chung's case, it seems to me that Jesus would be happier with him if he acted consistently with his personal beliefs, be in sitting in the congregation as an agnostic or on the stand.

We can all be grateful that you have absolutely no clout in Wang Chung's stake.

[_MrStakhanovite]

We can all be grateful that you have absolutely no clout in Wang Chung's stake.

Oh, but just imagine all the trouble he'd cause if he knew who Wang was?

[_Kishkumen]

No authority to say this, either. Good grief.

You consistently show us your core decency.

[_Kishkumen]

We can all be grateful that you have absolutely no clout in Wang Chung's stake.

Oh, but just imagine all the trouble he'd cause if he knew who Wang was?

If Eric is being truthful, enough. Right?

Yes, I think that Bot and Eric have shown in their different ways, why anonymity remains wise, so long as it is not abused.

[_Kishkumen]

Attacks are attacks, the fact that the person who penned them doesn’t make them false ipso facto, or a greater crime. There is either evidence to be had or not, and none of it contingent upon an author’s real name.

We have no idea the real identity of any of the authors of the canonical Gospels, should we dismiss them as anonymous cowards trying to smear the Pharisees?

Not a bad point, but I do think anonymity can be abused to harass innocent people. If find that distressing, since any one of us could potentially be victims of such harassment.

[_Eric]

If Eric is being truthful, enough. Right?

Yes, I think that Bot and Eric have shown in their different ways, why anonymity remains wise, so long as it is not abused.

Don't take my word for it. Besides, Peterson was cleared of any wrong doing by a business ethics professor at a Los Angeles community college.

[Guest]

I have not done the things Eric claims. You can read my past denials. Ad naseum.

As to Harmony's claim about my "stewardship," I have no stewardship over anybody, thank goodness. But, I do have opinions.