Why I am not a Mormon

[_Rollo Tomasi]

The notion that GoodK's public derision of his father is an intimate part of their private life is risible, and your claim that my alerting GoodK's father's attention to that public mockery "initiat[ed] an adverse effect on their relationship" is without any basis in fact. There seems to have been none. (It's difficult to imagine, though, that the attitude toward his father revealed in GoodK's public posting hasn't had "an adverse effect on their relationship.")

You are one cold-hearted dude. The hubris you have displayed on this thread is truly mindboggling.

[_antishock8]

The notion that GoodK's public derision of his father is an intimate part of their private life is risible, and your claim that my alerting GoodK's father's attention to that public mockery "initiat[ed] an adverse effect on their relationship" is without any basis in fact. There seems to have been none. (It's difficult to imagine, though, that the attitude toward his father revealed in GoodK's public posting hasn't had "an adverse effect on their relationship.")

You are one cold-hearted dude. The hubris you have displayed on this thread is truly mindboggling.

Yeah, that Mormon Jesus really works miracles with these people; god forbid they're reminded of the high standards they set for everyone except, apparently, themselves.

[_GoodK]

Most of the people here will probably be impressed by your affectation of heroic martyrdom, and will find your version of this convincing.

That's interesting, because I thought you were trying to play the hero role here.

I'm not impressed, and I know better.

What do you mean you know better? Did I leave something out?

The fact is, though, that your posting here matters not at all to me.

I know better then to believe this.

I would never have informed your father of it.

Wait a second, do you think the issue is my father knowing about me posting here? Let me rid you of that notion right now. I sent him links to the threads you and I participated in at MAD long before I started posting here (because frankly, I was unimpressed by your sarcastic and dismissive treatment in the anti-Mormon thread and hoped he could do better)

He knows and I know about your atheism. That's not news. It was when you mocked him quite contemptuously while he was dealing with your hospitalized and seriously ill sister, his daughter, that you gave your identity away.

Of course he knows of my atheism. I told him right after I was diagnosed.

I did not mock him quite contemptuously. How do I know that?

Not only do I know the tone and meaning of my own words, but I know that he did not misinterpret my post as contemptuously mocking of him or my sister.
How do I know this? Because he told me, at a dinner party... when I found out that it was you, and not Brother Crockett, who sent him the post. But you, perched in your computer chair hundreds of miles away, are free to make that judgement call. Heroic?

I thought he should know that you were making public fun of him.

As Dr. Shades so kindly pointed out, I wasn't making fun of him until you sent it to him. Before that, I was commenting only on the hypocrisy of a situation (crediting God for healing the sick) anonymously. I refuse to believe you don't understand this.

I would have wanted to know, if my son had been doing such a thing.

And, if you must know, I spoke with him about the letter as well. But - being the atheism inflicted heathen that I am - I didn't find the hospital waiting room an appropriate place to vent those frustrations. I was content letting my parents deal with the situation the way they wanted to. You, on the other hand, felt entitled to decide when me and my dad would have that conversation about what happened with my sister and who deserves the thanks. Heroic?

I considered posting under another identity because the professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic in the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages at a prestigious University figured out my personal identity. Need I say more?

It didn't take much sleuthing. You posted, and made fun of, passages from a letter written by your father that he had also sent to me and to others.

Re-read:

Wait a second, do you think the issue is my father knowing about me posting here? Let me rid you of that notion right now.

The issue is your meddling, Brother Peterson. And at least Brother Crockett had the integrity to contact me via private message. I believe you had my email address. You could have contacted me... If you didn't feel as though you were above such effort.

Incidentally -- for the record -- I'm a Mormon partially because I disagree with the reasons that you adduce to justify your decision to reject Mormonism.

I'm listening...

[Guest]

I thought you were trying to play the hero role here.

Hardly.

Wait a second, do you think the issue is my father knowing about me posting here? Let me rid you of that notion right now. I sent him links to the threads you and I participated in at MAD long before I started posting here (because frankly, I was unimpressed by your sarcastic and dismissive treatment in the anti-Mormon thread and hoped he could do better)

Irrelevant. The fact that your father knew about your posting on the board formerly known as FAIR has nothing to do with what you posted about him here.

I did not mock him quite contemptuously. How do I know that?

Not only do I know the tone and meaning of my own words, but I know that he did not misinterpret my post as contemptuously mocking of him or my sister.
How do I know this? Because he told me, at a dinner party... when I found out that it was you, and not Brother Crockett, who sent him the post. But you, perched in your computer chair hundreds of miles away, are free to make that judgement call. Heroic?

I've said nothing about it being "heroic." But I did and do find what you posted about your father contemptuous. Still, I'm glad that your father is trying to keep a relationship going with you. That's what I would do, and what I would expect him to do. He's a good man.

I refuse to believe you don't understand this.

I don't understand this.

I believe you had my email address.

I don't believe that I did. In any case (see below), I didn't and don't think that I had any obligation to contact you.

You could have contacted me... If you didn't feel as though you were above such effort.

The arrogance meme is duly noted. It plainly resonates here.

Nevertheless, I don't see that there was much urgent call to contact you before calling your father's attention to what you had posted. Especially if it was as harmless as you say it was. That's all I did. It was in a public place.

Here's the sum total of what I sent to your father about your post here:

Dear XXXXXX:

Thanks for informing us of XXXXXXX’s situation. I’m glad to hear that she’s apparently doing better, and I’m including her in my prayers.

On a related but rather unpleasant note, I’ve gone back and forth as to whether I should call your attention to the following item, but I finally decided that you probably ought to be aware of it:

http://www.mormondiscussions.com/discus ... sc&start=0

I don’t want to add to your stresses and burdens. If I’ve made a mistake in judgment here, please forgive me.

With very best wishes for you, your wife, and your daughter,

Dan Peterson

That's it.

Incidentally -- for the record -- I'm a Mormon partially because I disagree with the reasons that you adduce to justify your decision to reject Mormonism.

I'm listening...

FARMS has published 117 books, and materials totaling more than 100,000 pages. I've been a significant player in that, and it's in the public domain. And I have several book manuscripts in process right now. I make my case in print.

LOL. Obviously, Rollo, you're not going to get much dissent here on this board (among the many here who know me so well) from your view that I'm an unethical and mean-spirited jerk. Perversely, though, I'm just never quite going to concede the full accuracy of your portrayal of me. (Go figure.) So I guess we'll have to leave it at that -- though I hate to miss any of poor antishock8's important contributions.

Now I really do have to go.

[_antishock8]

Wow. The talking carcass keeps telling use he "has to go", but miraculously finds time to come around again... And again... And again... But he's gotta go. Once again, color me... Shocked... That Mr. Peterson has lied.

[_Rollo Tomasi]

Still, I'm glad that your father is trying to keep a relationship going with you. That's what I would do, and what I would expect him to do. He's a good man.

It's almost as if you consider yourself a member of GoodK's family. Problem is, you're not ....

I believe you had my email address.

I don't believe that I did. In any case (see below), I didn't and don't think that I had any obligation to contact you.

You certainly should have, given that you were about to butt into a private family affair.

You could have contacted me... If you didn't feel as though you were above such effort.

The arrogance meme is duly noted. It plainly resonates here.

I'd call it Dan's hubris, but same difference.

Here's the sum total of what I sent to your father about your post here:

Dear XXXXXX:

Thanks for informing us of XXXXXXX’s situation. I’m glad to hear that she’s apparently doing better, and I’m including her in my prayers.

On a related but rather unpleasant note, I’ve gone back and forth as to whether I should call your attention to the following item, but I finally decided that you probably ought to be aware of it:

http://www.mormondiscussions.com/discus ... sc&start=0

I don’t want to add to your stresses and burdens. If I’ve made a mistake in judgment here, please forgive me.

With very best wishes for you, your wife, and your daughter,

Dan Peterson

That's it.

Completely inappropriate.

Obviously, Rollo, you're not going to get much dissent here on this board (among the many here who know me so well) from your view that I'm an unethical and mean-spirited jerk.

I and others would do it over at MADB but for the fact we've been banned.

[_antishock8]

I find it amusing that the talking carcass says, "Obviously, Rollo, you're not going to get much dissent here on this board... that I'm an unethical and mean-spirited jerk." Well, at least on this board dissent is allowed. The talking carcass should throw his weight around at MAD&B and allow for more dissent.

[_Rollo Tomasi]

But I did and do find what you posted about your father contemptuous.

I went back and read GoodK's original post from March that started all this, and I did not read it as being "contemptuous" or "mocking" of his father. What I think really pissed you off (and caused you to lash out by forwarding the post to GoodK's father) was the post's perhaps being "contemptuous" or "mocking" of your beloved FARMS.

[_GoodK]

Surprise. Another sarcastic and dismissive response from Brother Peterson. That's what really bothers me about this whole thing. That I'm better than you sort of language. "Arrogance" doesn't even seem like the best word for it.

[_Jason Bourne]

#4 is reason enough. That lack of fiscal transperency will eventually lead to the church shrinking.

I do not agree. It has not to date decreased the Church size at all. Most active members are quite fine with this.