A friend asked why am I here on MDB

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

[quote=msnobody post_id=1221484 time=1586629811 user_id=23]
[quote]Who is your friend?[/quote]

Respectfully, "Who is your friend?" is a question I am not going to answer. [/quote]

[quote=msnobody post_id=1221548 time=1586731526 user_id=23]... my friend is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who has struggled with belief in TCoLDS and in belief in God/a God, yet has an appreciation for the culture in which he/she was raised. A very lovingly, genuine person.[/quote]

Ok. Now that you’ve had enough time to flesh out the background of “your friend” who is a questioning member of the cojcolds -the j is silent - why in the world couldn’t you just say that upthread when I asked you a simple, curious, and genuine question? The answer you ended up giving wasn’t bizarre or doxxing anyone. This all has a weird vibe to it. Your reluctance and then capitulation is off, despite how sweet and genuine Jersey Girl, another Christian, says you are, and of which I have little doubt.

ANYWAY, what’s up with your friend’s faith crisis? Why is she aware of this board?

- Doc

[_msnobody]

Thank you for your kind words, Jersey Girl. I’m actually not amongst those on lockdown, but an essential employee. I’m not on the front lines. I’m thankful to be able to continue to work through all of this. Working does however cramp my free time to post and the mental exhaustion at the end of the day keeps me from entering into more a systematically engaging dialogue. Honestly, I think I have brain fog and it’s only noon.

I was thinking, “Am I being thought of as a troll. Am I being played with as a troll?” It has been years since I’ve thought of the T-word.

[_huckelberry]

I suspect people have some difficulty maintaining the sense of their own innocence. It appears that a strain can cause people to attack others accusing them of lying or other sins, perhaps even stupidity. It is to my view not only Christians who fall into this trp but nonbelievers who support their innocence by accusing others.

Now my religion does not tell me to hate or condemn anybody. It tells me not to do that which I confess I experience some difficulty doing sort of like that Paul quote Physics Guy observed above.

[_Jersey Girl]

Thank you for your kind words, Jersey Girl. I’m actually not amongst those on lockdown, but an essential employee. I’m not on the front lines. I’m thankful to be able to continue to work through all of this. Working does however cramp my free time to post and the mental exhaustion at the end of the day keeps me from entering into more a systematically engaging dialogue. Honestly, I think I have brain fog and it’s only noon.

I was hoping you were included in a reduction of services. Darn. Well it's nice to see you posting again.

I was thinking, “Am I being thought of as a troll. Am I being played with as a troll?” It has been years since I’ve thought of the T-word.

Nah. You're just being viewed as the new shiny object to attack by people who don't really know you because they have a little too much time on their hands. Don't we all!

Well, maybe not you MsEssential.

;-)

[_msnobody]

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, that I do.

This certainly rings true for me. I'm selfish and tend to put myself first instead of others. It is a constant battle. Like a war waging inside. I am thankful though for the times I'm allowed to recognize it and change my way of thinking. I regret the times I don't recognize it, and worst are those times when I just choose to ignore it.

[_msnobody]

Ok. Now that you’ve had enough time to flesh out the background of “your friend” who is a questioning member of the cojcolds -the j is silent - why in the world couldn’t you just say that upthread when I asked you a simple, curious, and genuine question? The answer you ended up giving wasn’t bizarre or doxxing anyone. This all has a weird vibe to it. Your reluctance and then capitulation is off, despite how sweet and genuine Jersey Girl, another Christian, says you are, and of which I have little doubt.

ANYWAY, what’s up with your friend’s faith crisis? Why is she aware of this board?

- Doc

.

Sorry, but I took "Who is your friend," as something different than tell me about your friend's background. I kind of gather that you may have viewed me as a troll (am I showing my age/) doing a drive-by, and dropping what may seem to be insincere, self-righteous love bombs.

What's up with the crisis of faith?
Well, pretty much like most everyone else; doubts about the truth claims of the church, growing weary of trying to live up to expectations, the problematic past doctrines of the church and maybe some of the ongoing ones as well- IDK. The tug-of-war with leaving/staying and maintaining peace within the family. Figuratively, speaking, let's not forget the ever downward bowed bookshelf that at times slips off its support under the weight of it all and eventually gets to where the length of the board no longer reaches the supports on which it was once able to stand, no matter how many times we try to nail it back up there. The questions of if this isn't true, how do I know if anything is true? Can I trust again? Then, there are positive things that can be appreciated about the culture.

I was thinking earlier today about a verse I've heard several times the few times I've attended a meetinghouse whether it be F&T Sunday, Relief Society, stake conference, from LDS missionaries, etc. I was thinking about that verse, I think it is somewhere in Matthew 5, that says, "Be ye perfect," and how the church doesn't teach an effective way of how to do that. If we don't know how to "be perfect", we are set up for failure, and eventually self-loathing, despair and anger. Yet from the same book, in Hebrews 10, it says, "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." And prior to that in v. 11 "Every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:" We stumble over that one offering, that only way of "be ye perfect." How different would the church be if there was "one offering," than members sacrificing self, day after day, that never takes away sin?

Why is my friend aware of this board?
I assume back in the day, there weren't a lot of places like this to go to. I don't remember but a handful when I encountered Mormonism in about 2002, and I think there weren't but a couple of directions a questioning LDS could go for online discussion at the time. I really didn't probe the question, I thought about asking, but didn't. I felt like I already knew the answer without having to ask. I got the idea that my friend feels like maybe they've reached the end of any benefit this or any like discussion board may offer. And, I suppose, wondered about the reason I'm here. I mean, this stuff has been rehashed over and over for many years.

Well, I'm tired. Good night and sleep well.

[_MsJack]

MsNobody, what was your handle on ZLMB?

I get that, as Christians, we're called to be witnesses in all times and all places. God has saved me from myself too many times to count. I'm grateful for my Christian faith and I know that I would not be the person I am today without the Holy Spirit's refining fire in my life.

But I also think that, sometimes, when interacting with a group that is burned out with religion, the best way to be a Christian witness is to be a good person and a thoughtful friend. "To the Gentiles I became a Gentile" and whatnot.

Usually the only people who want to know why I post here are conservative Mormons who can't understand why I post at a place which is fairly hostile to the LDS faith. I usually respond by admitting that I know this board isn't perfect and leaves a lot to be desired, and I'm open to recommendations of other boards to post on.

Haven't gotten a single recommendation yet.

[_Lemmie]

Why is my friend aware of this board?
I assume back in the day, there weren't a lot of places like this to go to. I don't remember but a handful when I encountered Mormonism in about 2002, and I think there weren't but a couple of directions a questioning LDS could go for online discussion at the time. I really didn't probe the question, I thought about asking, but didn't. I felt like I already knew the answer without having to ask. I got the idea that my friend feels like maybe they've reached the end of any benefit this or any like discussion board may offer. And, I suppose, wondered about the reason I'm here. I mean, this stuff has been rehashed over and over for many years.

I always wonder when I read things like this. I enjoy this board as a source of ongoing friendship and interaction with people, many of whom seem to have similar backgrounds or a pretty solid understanding of the common, born and raised LDS background. There seem to be similar ongoing experiences such as Interacting with family members still LDS, and similar interests in topics, plus a lot of new topics to find interest in. Of course these are online interactions, but given where I live and work, there are literally almost no people, and certainly no large group of people, with similar backgrounds to mine that I can interact with regularly in person. Nor is anything as remotely convenient or even possible as the opportunity of taking a few minutes here and there, at any time of the day and almost anywhere, to engage.

In that sense, how does one “reach the end of any benefit” to a discussion board? I’m not so introverted that I can imagine deciding to keep living but that it’s time to stop having interactions with other humans, whether in person or online.

my heart's deep desire for my fellow MDBer's to know, not just a head knowledge, but to know deep within their soul the peace that surpasses all understanding that comes from trusting in Christ alone.

Sigh. I have a deep desire for you to KNOW, deep within your brain, that no one can KNOW this thing that you feel. I really want you to understand the difference between knowledge and feelings. However, that’s really none of my business, is it? So I won’t continue to press you on it. In fact, I retract saying it at all, and out of respect for you I won’t bring it up again, unless you’d like to discuss the topic (as opposed to just evangelizing or witnessing.) You know, now that I think about it, maybe that’s what you meant when you said one may have reached the end of the benefit of a board like this. If one sees it only or primarily as a place to “witness” then yes, I can see how the benefit might end.

On the other hand, I really liked MsJack’s take on this subject, thank you for your post, MsJack!

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

“I really didn't probe the question, I thought about asking, but didn't.”

“I felt like I already knew the answer without having to ask.”

“I got the idea that my friend feels like maybe they've reached the end of any benefit this or any like discussion board may offer.”

“And, I suppose, wondered about the reason I'm here. I mean, this stuff has been rehashed over and over for many years.”

So, your “friend” asked you, out of the blue, why you post at MDB, and your answer was a sort of lengthy answer regarding evangelizing to us here, and you didn’t care to ask her about her reasons for participating, but rather just made some assumptions and moved on after taking the opportunity to talk about your own motivations?

Not a good look, Ms. Nobody.

One of the things about good fiction writers is they’ve developed a thorough in-universe backstory. At the drop of the hat, the really good writers would be delighted to share the sordid details of Tywin Lannister’s dealings with House Reyne, or why Darth Revis could dunk on Lebron James if he were drafted by the NBA. The superficial fictional writers rely on tired tropes and shallow characters, say, like Bella and her sexy teenage vampire cabal. Vapid recycling of soulless characters caught up in a moral arc easily resolved by ex machina miracles are tells that a writer hasn’t progressed beyond Jack Chick tracts.

Step up your witnessing game, madame. If you’re going to be predictable, at least be interesting.

- Doc

[_Gadianton]

msnobody,

Just a couple of observations. First, I don't think others consider you a troll. Trolls are intentionally being obnoxious. I think you are very sincere. Sincerity can be obnoxious to the degree it lacks self-awareness. My guess it's this latter angle Cam is coming from. I've had hundreds of irritating run-ins with born-again Christians lacking self-awareness, but, I haven't followed your posts, so I have no opinion one way or the other at this time about your practice of Christianity. My point is that, I don't think what's on the table is "trolling".

Second, the matter of your friend. Okay, I think Cam was being a dick for going straight to the throat on this one because you come across as a nice person, but it is what it is, and it has generated a two-way conversation.

Your post title said "A friend asked why am I here..."

your rebuttals to Cam are like, "Because I would not give you the name of my friend that makes me a liar?"

But you've also said:

"I‘ve been asked more than once why I participate here, by participants and non-participants alike, and have made several friends here over the years, many of whom are from the ZLMB days."

These responses are barely compatible. In the latter, it's like you're arguing for plausible deniability, is it not possible that out of all the years you've posted, someone has asked why you are here, and that person could arguably be considered an online friend? Doesn't really hit the mark.

I don't know what Cam's expectations are, but I doubt he expects you to pony up an in real life name to track down. I think an answer indicating you had specifics in mind is good enough; I'll take it on your word. If you say, "a friend from this forum asked me last tuesday" or "A co-worker in real life, during a conversation at lunch a month ago where this board came up" -- any answer indicating you had a specific person and specific conversation in mind when you wrote your OP will do for me.