RfM--why it's a useless site. (Simon will love this!)

[_why me]

Why Me might have had a point, but he chose to fulfill Godwin's Law. Move along. Nothing to see there.

Not really. All hate sites have one thing in common. Allow people to vent their hate and reinforce their hate. It comes with the turf. To show commonality is not godwins law but it can make a valid comparision. Please tell me the difference between a jewish hate site and a Mormon hate site. Or for that matter a catholic hate site?. Godwin's law should not be allowed to stop an honest comparison when it comes to hate.

The question is: is RFM a hate site? Or is it just people venting about Mormonism?

[_Bond James Bond]

I suppose that if one hates jews one can create a site that blasts jews complete with a swastika here and there. And then create a discussion forum blasting jews where people can engage in jew bashing as therapy.

There is a context that cannot be ignored when someone uses antisemitism. Try another example.

I suppose that this will add to our humanity as human beings. Maybe not, right?

While I see the temporary value of venting, I would hope that most people would move onward. But people meet their communal needs in many ways, and at some point you have to let them be.

Is RFM any different when it comes to Mormons?

See original point. The comparison of Jew bashing and Mormon bashing ignores the context of actual violence and oppression that has happened to Jews that is almost completely lacking in Mormon history.

[_RayAgostini]

I remember when you went on the postmo site. They were nice as pie toward you.

Not initially. I went there looking for confrontation, and got it. My views gradually changed because of several PMs I exchanged with members "in transition", and they were not members out to hurt the Church, but had genuine and unresolved conflicts with both Church and family, and didn't feel "at home" in Mormonism, but felt pressured to stay.

One reason for this is because what I was saying about them over on fair. I believe that you checked the site out because of what I was saying about that site.

Quite possible.

When people develop a new thought process about the LDS church and it is negative and then they go to a site to confirm their new belief system, it is usually a good idea to have that new beleif system challenged in case of a fallacy. On postmo and on rfm they do not allow such challenges or debates. All negatives about the LDS church are given kudos and group hugs. These sites just become bias confirmations and as such they are not very theraputic. Unless having a possible wrong bias being confirmed with kudos and group hugs is theraputic but I doubt it.

As I said, many of them didn't feel "at home", or comfortable with the Church, and felt they weren't being true to themselves, but only putting on a false face to please others. At Post-Mo they found like-minded people who would actually listen to their real concerns and doubts. This doesn't always result in leaving Mormonism, but at least they had people lending them an ear about real concerns and questions, which they didn't find in Church.

[_marg]

What I'm getting from it through my biased views is that ..."

Correct, it's your biased views.

[_why me]

See original point. The comparison of Jew bashing and Mormon bashing ignores the context of actual violence and oppression that has happened to Jews that is almost completely lacking in Mormon history.

And the hatred shown to Mormons during the beginnings of the LDS church was not hatred? True, not on the scale of the jews but yet, extermination was a term used toward the Mormons.

[_why me]

I suppose that if one hates jews one can create a site that blasts jews complete with a swastika here and there. And then create a discussion forum blasting jews where people can engage in jew bashing as therapy.

There is a context that cannot be ignored when someone uses antisemitism. Try another example.

Not really. When we look at history the jews were not the exceptions. Genocide is as old as the hills. The armenians were victims of turkish genocide long before the jews. And the armenians have not forgotten it.

And certainly if the Mormons were exterminated during the early days as some would have hoped, it would have also been genocide. Such is hatred when fanned by more hatred.

[_Bond James Bond]

And the hatred shown to Mormons during the beginnings of the LDS church was not hatred? True, not on the scale of the jews but yet, extermination was a term used toward the Mormons.

Sticks and stones (for hundreds of years) = Jews
Words (except a few violent incidents) = Mormons

[Guest]

Not really. When we look at history the jews were not the exceptions. Genocide is as old as the hills. The armenians were victims of turkish genocide long before the jews. And the armenians have not forgotten it.

Armenians aren't Mormons. I'd also like to point out that the Armenians actively took part in rebellion against the Turks in Eastern Anatolia when the Russians invaded during WWI. Never mind that no one mentions the millions of Muslims killed in the thirty or so years before WWI by Christians in the Balkans, Asia Minor, and the Caucasus region that Armenians went along with. Some would call the killings of Armenians during World War I the final blow in a larger civil war and ethnic conflict between Muslims and Christians between 1820-1920. Personally I think no one was entirely innocent in the episode (except for the women and children caught in the "slaughters of men").

Certainly different than the Jews during WWII (or pogroms against Jews in the old Russian Empire or antisemitism during the Middle Ages).

And certainly if the Mormons were exterminated during the early days as some would have hoped, it would have also been genocide. Such is hatred when fanned by more hatred.

If! It's kind of a big word in historical study.

[_RayAgostini]

And certainly if the Mormons were exterminated during the early days as some would have hoped, it would have also been genocide. Such is hatred when fanned by more hatred.

According to D&C 101, it was God who sent these trials and afflictions:

1 Verily I say unto you, concerning your brethren who have been afflicted, and persecuted, and cast out from the land of their inheritance—

2 I, the Lord, have suffered the affliction to come upon them, wherewith they have been afflicted, in consequence of their transgressions;

[_asbestosman]

Correct, it's your biased views.

Thanks for clearing that up Marg. If there's one person whose views help me question and reconsider my biases, it's you and your example.