Dan thinks ex-Mormons are sad and pathetic on Sundays for coming together online

[Everybody Wang Chung]

I know DCP in real life. I would certainly not describe him as a happy person. He has always seemed very anxious, distressed and insecure. He loves to talk about critics, both inside and outside of the Church. He also is not healthy and I'm sure that has negatively affected his well being.

I also think DCP is doing a lot of hand-wringing about the truth claims of the Church. As he gets close to shedding his mortal coil, he has a lot of doubts and probably realizes his life's work was spent on an organization that isn't what it purports to be.

[drumdude]

I know DCP in real life. I would certainly not describe him as a happy person. He has always seemed very anxious, distressed and insecure. He loves to talk about critics, both inside and outside of the Church. He also is not healthy and I'm sure that has negatively affected his well being.

I also think DCP is doing a lot of hand-wringing about the truth claims of the Church. As he gets close to shedding his mortal coil, he has a lot of doubts and probably realizes his life's work was spent on an organization that isn't what it purports to be.

He hides it well, if that's true. He's always come across as smug and arrogant in his public appearances.

TLD: "There are few things as pathetic than the people who have left the Church but watch general conference in order to find something to outraged about. Imagine leaving the Church and still watching general conference. Isn't there anything, and I mean literally anything, else to do?"

I agree. I think it's really bizarre.

[Everybody Wang Chung]

He hides it well, if that's true. He's always come across as smug and arrogant in his public appearances.

Most psychologists will tell you that people who appear as smug and arrogant are hiding deep insecurities, especially if it's an adult.

[drumdude]

It’s impossible to make anything foolproof, because fools are so ingenious.”

I think of that one often when I read what some of my fiercest critics have to say about me over on what I occasionally call the Peterson Obsession Board. Still, they puzzle me more than just a bit: I haven’t been able to decide whether they’re so hostile to me because they thoroughly misunderstand what I write, or whether they thoroughly misunderstand what I write because they’re so hostile to me.

For instance, in yesterday’s blog entry I chuckled a little bit skeptically over the boasting that I’ve observed for years now about all of the glorious things that certain former believers in the Restoration allegedly do every Sunday, now that they no longer attend church or keep the Sabbath. And now, par for the course, certain of the folks at the Peterson Obsession have taken that to mean that, in my judgment, everybody who leaves the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leads an empty and pointless life. Which has led to not just one but two indignant threads denouncing me and, for what it’s worth, pointing out that I’m actually the one who leads a pointless and empty life — and, perhaps by now (I haven’t looked for a little while), that my late mother wore Army boots and that So Was My Old Man.

I’m glad Peterson has clarified that perhaps as few as one person lives an empty and pointless life after leaving the cult. But certainly not zero!

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

It’s impossible to make anything foolproof, because fools are so ingenious.”

I think of that one often when I read what some of my fiercest critics have to say about me over on what I occasionally call the Peterson Obsession Board. Still, they puzzle me more than just a bit: I haven’t been able to decide whether they’re so hostile to me because they thoroughly misunderstand what I write, or whether they thoroughly misunderstand what I write because they’re so hostile to me.

For instance, in yesterday’s blog entry I chuckled a little bit skeptically over the boasting that I’ve observed for years now about all of the glorious things that certain former believers in the Restoration allegedly do every Sunday, now that they no longer attend church or keep the Sabbath. And now, par for the course, certain of the folks at the Peterson Obsession have taken that to mean that, in my judgment, everybody who leaves the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leads an empty and pointless life. Which has led to not just one but two indignant threads denouncing me and, for what it’s worth, pointing out that I’m actually the one who leads a pointless and empty life — and, perhaps by now (I haven’t looked for a little while), that my late mother wore Army boots and that So Was My Old Man.

I’m glad Peterson has clarified that perhaps as few as one person lives an empty and pointless life after leaving the cult. But certainly not zero!

User Sir Sam Steele had this pithy observation:

How can Dr. Peterson not understand that he's being toyed with? That his reactions are such predictable trainwrecks? That he is is the lolcow of Mopologetics. As Kiwi Farms is to Chris-chan, DiscussMormonism is to Dan Peterson.

I recommend readers revisit Dr. Stak’s epic lolcow thread on Dowsin’ Dan.

- Doc

[drumdude]

I’m glad Peterson has clarified that perhaps as few as one person lives an empty and pointless life after leaving the cult. But certainly not zero!

User Sir Sam Steele had this pithy observation:

How can Dr. Peterson not understand that he's being toyed with? That his reactions are such predictable trainwrecks? That he is is the lolcow of Mopologetics. As Kiwi Farms is to Chris-chan, DiscussMormonism is to Dan Peterson.

I recommend readers revisit Dr. Stak’s epic lolcow thread on Dowsin’ Dan.

- Doc

I hope he never figures it out and we get many more years of LOLs to come.

[canpakes]

But one thing is clear: They seem to spend at least some amount of time each and every Sunday — and, it would seem, for certain of them, a rather substantial chunk of time — sitting alone in front of a computer screen expressing their anger and contempt to a similarly-minded group of invisible strangers for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members.

This seems like a strangely antiquated notion at odds with how most people react with social media these days.

It’s super simple to punch out a response to a Reddit post while standing in line for a few moments at the local coffee shop. With friends or family, even. There’s no need to be “sitting alone in front of a computer screen expressing their anger” to do that.

[Kishkumen]

Sad and pathetic is all in one’s perspective, I suppose. Some might find it sad and pathetic to care what LDS General Authorities think about much of anything. Given all the wisdom that is to be found in the world, it is easier to find more wisdom in a lot less time outside of the hours spent sitting in General Conference. I can barely stand to listen to criticisms of General Conference that last much less time than Conference. RFM’s excellent one-hour review of General Conference was almost more than I could stand. At the end of it, I marvelled at the fact that millions of people actually sat through one or more sessions of that.

One could call sitting through Conference sad and pathetic.

I prefer to see it in a less denigratory light. Just as I prefer to see ex-Mo uses of the Sabbath in a more sympathetic light. You can sit through boring, repetitive meetings. You can go fishing. You can work at a soup kitchen. The last is undoubtedly a better use of time than the other two.

[Gadianton]

I can barely stand to listen to criticisms of General Conference that last much less time than Conference

We're definitely on the same page here. I'll skim conference summaries by critics, but I won't subject myself to much more. One of the worst things ever, more depressing than a return-to-mission dream, was the realization on a beautiful Saturday afternoon that it was conference weekend and any good times were to be cut short to get dressed and head down to the Stake Center with the satellite dish to watch priesthood session. I remember counting it down, left draw in, right draw in, center draw in and the talk is over and on to the next one.

The apologists know darn well they hate it too. I've never heard anyone joyous over sitting through conference. My parents who pretended to like it had all kinds of side things going on during the TV sessions, like cooking a big lunch or whatever. I'm sure DCP has had his fair share of rewarding conference lunches to reward himself for suffering through those talks.

[drumdude]

I'd like to note that most posters here have been pretty quiet, I imagine enjoying their Saturday afternoon.

What has Dan been up to?

DanielPeterson
gemli
19 minutes ago
gemli: "me don't no what you meen."

Probably not, poor fellow.

View in discussion
DanielPeterson
DanielPeterson
gemli
21 minutes ago
gemli: "You're projecting."

No. I'm providing an unfortunate but clinically accurate description. I diagnosed your condition years ago, and it hasn't changed.

View in discussion
DanielPeterson
DanielPeterson
gemli
24 minutes ago
gemli: "You keep making the same unsubstantiated claims. What's a realist to do?"

A genuine realist might consider closing his mouth for a few minutes while opening his eyes and unblocking his ears.

View in discussion
DanielPeterson
DanielPeterson
gemli
26 minutes ago
gemli: "If I've got to explain why, no explanation would suffice."

Plainly, gemli has nothing cogent to say here. But then, how is this time different from all other times?

View in discussion
DanielPeterson
DanielPeterson
gemli
27 minutes ago
gemli: "Like they say, it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool, rather than open one's mouth and remove all doubt."

I'm much too kind to ask the obvious question.

View in discussion
DanielPeterson
DanielPeterson
gemli
28 minutes ago
The logical fallacy known as circular reasoning should perhaps be named after poor gemli. It's his signature, after all.

View in discussion
DanielPeterson
DanielPeterson
gemli
31 minutes ago
gemli "Are all religions true, even those that disagree with each other on major scriptural claims?"

You've already asked this irrelevant question dozens of times on this blog, including today. I've responded to it every single time, but you've never reacted. You've just waited for a little while and then asked it yet again.

View in discussion
DanielPeterson
DanielPeterson
gemli
36 minutes ago
gemli: "Sometime people think they're looking through a window at the world. But it turns out to be a mirror."

Oh, poor fellow. We know. We know.

View in discussion
DanielPeterson
DanielPeterson
gemli
38 minutes ago
gemli: "When it comes to odd notions, I take my hat off to you, sir."

Don't be so modest. By light years, you're the most dogmatic person on this blog.

View in discussion
DanielPeterson
DanielPeterson
gemli
40 minutes ago
gemli: "I'll get back to you in a bit."

I don't doubt it. In Nietzschean terms, it's the doctrine of the eternal return.

DanielPeterson
gemli
41 minutes ago
gemli:. "The null hypothesis would be that there is no supernatural angelic being until there are rational and substantive reasons to believe the claim."

And you refuse to acknowledge any reasons that might possibly conflict with the views that you already hold.. So your position isn't actually a hypothesis. It's a dogma.

View in discussion
DanielPeterson
DanielPeterson
gemli
an hour ago
gemli: "Oh, I've got plenty to say. But there's probably some sort of good taste filter that would remove all the verbs."

Oh, I never doubted that you could say something insubstantial, lacking both substance and substantives.

View in discussion
DanielPeterson
DanielPeterson
gemli
an hour ago
gemli: "There is no tangible evidence. There are stories of tangible evidence. Stories are not proof of a claim. They are what require proof."

Zzzzzzz. You've said that dozens of times. I've responded dozens of times. At first, I did it at length and in some detail, setting forth an actual logical argument. I soon realized that putting such effort into it pointless. You never responded to anything I said. You simply paused for a little while and then repeated the same thing all over again.

View in discussion
DanielPeterson
DanielPeterson
Beacon Hill
an hour ago
BH: "Is the Obsession Board Exmo Reddit?"

No.

I never look in on Exmo Reddit. Life is short.

Posted from Miami, Florida

Dan, why can't you get off your phone for 10 seconds and just enjoy where you're at? Life is too short to have these ridiculous, and frankly very embarrassing for you, exchanges with Gemli.