stemelbow wrote:Hey all, in all my questioning of LDS ideas and principles (yes I've questioned positions and beliefs of the Church) the only LDS person I can think of that has treated me in any way rudely is Will. Of course even that is a little questionable because all he really did was try and say I'm on my way out accompanied with comments about how I'm ignorant. On these boards (all internet boards related to Mormonism) most (LDS), if not all, have treated me kindly. of course I'm not anywhere near a "threat" as many here have painted themselves as.
on the other hand, there have been many ex-LDS and/or disaffected LDS who have been far more rude to me. I don't mind it....I'm just saying. Of course, many of them say I deserve it, or whatever. Maybe I do.
Anyway, I suppose its not the treatment that matters so much to me. On the whole I find the critics positions to be far too hypocritical, unconvincing, presumptive, all-encompassing, or hostile to be swayed too much. I haven't read here for a week or so and I came back to see so much hostility again. I forgot how ornery many posters here are. Oh well. I'm sure they think I would be ornery too if I were them. I don't know. Point being, I just can't see how the alternative to my life as an active LDS is appealing in the least.
I just wish it was far more thoughtful and perhaps even a little compassionate around here. When I read people's complaints about mistreatement by LDS and then see these same people act like bullies or jerks, I'm sincerely disappointed. I don't like seeing people resort to that kind of stuff. On that note, I think there are plenty of things in LDS ciricles that is problematic. I don't like many LDS folks' atitudes. I just don't. I sit in the pews with people who are arrgant and rude, selfish and hostile. That's far more troubling to me than the LDS posters who act like jerks--just because I see them so frequently.
Anyway, I feel its fair I give my two cents. I don't know rightly if my testimony has grown since patronizing the MDD board or other boards for that matter. I think I thought so at some point. I do feel I "get it" more than I did 10 years ago. I think I get what the gospel is all about and somehow so many of the complaints that mean so much to those who leave just don't mean much to me. i have kind of a liberal view in that regard. I love what goes on in my life. I can't help that LDS of the past made mistakes orLDS today continue to make mistakes, even if they seem insurmountingly big to so many here. In a way, i suppose that has made my faith stronger--acccepting that there was some heavy doses of humanity in the church's creation and continued organization.
Stem,
You're still orthodox enough that you can avoid problems with the apologist side (which isn't all that orthodox to begin with). Try posting some frank doubts about some important issue and see what happens.
Yes, critics here have treated you poorly. Be fair though, when you first arrived here all you did was complain about tone and do that annoying "pep pep" thing. I didn't like you at first either, but then you stopped with that routine and I could see you were a genuinely nice guy. I think you're great.
But consider, it's not really about how the apologists treat those who are on their side. How do they treat those on the fringes? How do they treat the opposition? And vice versa. Neither side seems to really be any different that way.
Anyway, I'm not convinced you allow yourself to rationally look at these issues - you always seem to favor that which is more faith promoting over that which is most probable and which best fits the evidence. But, like I say, I think you're a cool cat anyway.