Calling Thayne, Can I Help With NOM?

[_Red Ryder]

Starbucks Mom and AllieOop in the same thread! This is like finding your old friends at a different costume party. Only Starbucks Mom has come out of the coffee closet it appears.

I've been a lurker here at MDB since Shades and Keene set this place up. It's been fun to watch the apologists battle the unbelievers over the years until the church started to toss out the essays and acknowledge the problems. Great conversations even from faqs!

I'm on the unbeliever side of this messy equation and found a home at NOM mostly due to maintaining and finding ways to make family relationships work while navigating out. Needless to say the middle way didn't work but the friendships and support at NOM was worth it and I became a junkie. Glad to see you guys here!

I like long walks on the beach, laughing at garments, and pointing out the institutional dishonesty of the church. I admire penguins and the occasional emu in high heels! Oh, and elephants from the Mayan jungle too!

[_Res Ipsa]

I for one welcome our new NOM overlords.

Seriously, good to see y'all here.

[_moksha]

I think it would be best for someone to just start a new board.

Au contraire, it would be best for all of them to come here.

I would be concerned that this place would blow some of the tender NOMies out of their comfort zone.


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All this outreach seems very encouraging. Wish you guys could also snag a few posters like Jeffret and Alas that might have some milk/meat combo of nourishing information.

Did Thayne seem depressed or in a general state of burnout? Those things happen to all of us and it is completely understandable. If there was desire born of these feelings to "get rid of it all", maybe a big group hug would work wonders in terms of letting the board continue (true to its original purpose) but helmed by those who with a desire to put their shoulder to the wheel and push along.

I will attempt to put out some mental vibrations to Zadok, but it would be more effective if someone could email or message him. I miss that Emu big time.

[_Hagoth]

I think NOM was a wonderful, but in some ways unsuccessful, experiment in trying to find the elusive middle way. I think it taught us that a true middle way isn't ultimately realistic for most of us, but what it did achieve with overwhelming success, in my opinion, is that there are a lot of non-believing people attached to the church in all kinds of weird ways who need a community of fellow-travelers.

In Thayne's eyes NOM was probably not very successful at its middle way goal, but for those of us who found a home there it was just what the doctor ordered.

Here's what I have concluded. A middle way is entirely possible in a faith tradition that is open to it. A lot of people in other religions are middle-wayers, perhaps most. But TCoJCoLDS is a fundamentalist religion and it abhors people who aren't fully committed and eager to give everything they own, their life if necessary, to the building up of the kingdom. It only makes room begrudgingly for heretics when it is forced to do so by law or threat of massive apostasy/loss of funding.

NOM has helped me find a new kind of middle way. I have learned a lot about how to quietly be myself, try to enjoy the people through groupthink-filtering goggles, and protect myself from being taken advantage of. NOM has helped me make huge progress in my personal and family life; it caught my my crowd dive and carried me over a potentially disastrous mosh pit.

[_moksha]

Middle-Way stuff always sounded a bit Buddhist. I like the concept of Cafeteria Mormonism where you can take what works for you and disengage yourself from parts that seem either misguided, abusive, hateful or manipulative.

My own desire is to reemphasize that which encourages us to be better people, to help one another, and make all within our sphere of influence a better place. I would like this done within a spiritually conducive setting that promotes the inherent dignity of humanity and keeps unnecessary superstitions from interfering with those goals.

Include that into the mix of what others want and I would be a happy camper.

[_Madison54]

I like long walks on the beach, laughing at garments, and pointing out the institutional dishonesty of the church. I admire penguins and the occasional emu in high heels! Oh, and elephants from the Mayan jungle too!

Yes! Red Ryder is in the house....

So glad to see you here!

[_Corsair]

I think NOM was a wonderful, but in some ways unsuccessful, experiment in trying to find the elusive middle way. I think it taught us that a true middle way isn't ultimately realistic for most of us, but what it did achieve with overwhelming success, in my opinion, is that there are a lot of non-believing people attached to the church in all kinds of weird ways who need a community of fellow-travelers.

In Thayne's eyes NOM was probably not very successful at its middle way goal, but for those of us who found a home there it was just what the doctor ordered.

The tone of NOM felt like it probably should have been named "Former Believers with Faithful Spouses". That described many of the regular posters there including myself. The only "middle" happening was the inevitable compromises between married couples that had a deep religious divided between them. I completely agree that the fabled "Middle Way of Mormonism" does not really exist. The LDS church needs a few more centuries to develop a real acceptance of non-orthodox believers.

[_Tator]

"Former Believers with Faithful Spouses"

So true. Great statement.

[_Enough]

I think NOM was a wonderful, but in some ways unsuccessful, experiment in trying to find the elusive middle way. I think it taught us that a true middle way isn't ultimately realistic for most of us, but what it did achieve with overwhelming success, in my opinion, is that there are a lot of non-believing people attached to the church in all kinds of weird ways who need a community of fellow-travelers.

I miss NOM. It was the best group-"fit" I have found for over 4 years. At first, I believed that there could be a "middle way". But, that was before the The Great Retrenchment started in earnest (about 2-3 years ago with the Essays & Excommunications... Not to mention The Policy-Revelation that Shall Not be Named).

I hope it will be revived.

[_mentalgymnast]

...the fabled "Middle Way of Mormonism" does not really exist.

I think it does.

by the way, I was active on the NOM board back in its infancy and toddler days. I went by the name of 'runnerguy'. I was a runner then and I'm still running.

Just not as fast.

Regards,
MG