Elderbednarophobia

[Pelado]

Has President Monson released the testing schedule yet for the latest LDS nuclear weapons systems?

[smokymountainrain]

Thanks. Much appreciated. I'll try not to be so disrespectful of people's fearless leaders.

Meh, be yourself.

[YOhio]

Has President Monson released the testing schedule yet for the latest LDS nuclear weapons systems?

He's not saying that. He's just saying that we have our own form of juche which is the gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed through his prophet Joseph Smith and we're all shorter and weigh less than the rest of the world and need to put together a nice stunning card show to put on for guests.

[Bo Diddley]

I want everyone on this board to know that I love them and hold no ill will toward any of them.

At times I have contemplated whether to stop posting here. If I didn't know so many of you personally and care about you, I would have stopped long ago.

What I write is sincere. I'm sorry for my tendency to be insensitive to people's dearest beliefs. For me--at an intellectual level--dear beliefs about Mormonism are no different from dear beliefs about the fearless leader Kim Jong Il / Un, etc. I'm sorry that my views are hurtful to you. I do not intend them to be hurtful. I think that the phenomenon we witness is merely an element of the human desire to be tribal and to be united around tribal elders. It's really not different from what we see all over the world. I don't think that God is really the key factor. Instead, I think God becomes the excuse to continue being tribal in a world that should have left tribalism behind long ago.

That said, tribalism is our biology. I'm a BYU fan because I like to see my tribe win in battle.

I'm not sure how this squares with your first post and starting of this thread. Most people here seem to think you were trolling.

[kccougar]

Tell me what you think when you see the average North Korean responding to Kim Jung Il? What do you think when you read North Korean newspapers? What do you feel when you see Kim Jung Il addressing party officials in their conference hall?

I see parallels. I see Mormons worshipping their God or venerating their prophet. I see the Deseret News. I see general conference.

Of course there are important differences. I believe Mormon prophets and apostles are fundamentally good people--good people who control information and wield power. Usually they wield their power to do good. Occasionally they do a little bad.

But the phenomena of a tribe venerating leaders and tribal leaders manipulating information (propaganda) are important to recognize. It's part of our biology that we should try to moderate--nothing more, nothing less.

Honestly? I think of Studio C. Can't help it.

[Pelado]

He's not saying that. He's just saying that we have our own form of juche which is the gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed through his prophet Joseph Smith and we're all shorter and weigh less than the rest of the world and need to put together a nice stunning card show to put on for guests.

[TripletDaddy]

I lost some respect for sooner when I saw him apologize a few posts up. Weakness.

[YOhio]

Elderbednarophobia

I lost some respect for sooner when I saw him apologize a few posts up. Weakness.

I respect him because he still rolls g-style, which is pretty bold when you consider that due to recommend purchasing requirements those things have to be pretty threadbare.

[TripletDaddy]

I respect him because he still rolls g-style, which is pretty bold when you consider that due to recommend purchasing requirements those things have to be pretty threadbare.

He has lots of relatives that can buy him new ones.

[Jeff Lebowski]

that's just it. It is in part that but not "simply" that.

.if there were a good answer to give that would shut him up and make him look stupid, everyone would have gladly given it by now. That is how message boards seem to work...a daily battle to see who can win the argument. But he craftily asks questions which you will never be able to answer...but that, to one degree or another and whether you care to openly admit or not....you actually really wish you could answer.

If you maintain that the great ongoing battle with sooner and Seattle ute is all about tone and delivery, you simply aren't being honest.

Yep. Like "Show me scientific proof that there is a God!". Can't believe people rise to that bait.

What I am really enjoying, however, is Topper lecturing Sooner about being obtuse. Now THAT is funny.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Honestly I think Sooner comparing church leaders to dictators is better than GreenMonstah fantasizing about them having sex.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

What I am really enjoying, however, is Topper lecturing Sooner about being obtuse. Now THAT is funny.

I was thinking we needed Triplet to offer an irony ruling on that.

[Non Sequitur]

The real reason I am perceived as more of a threat than SeattleUte is because I left within the last few years.

SeattleUte says meaner things about Mormonism than I do. He calls it fucking weird and everyone laughs. But he isn't a threat because no one knew him when he as active. He represents something much more distant. Besides, I am a BYU fan, which just adds to everyone's confusion as to how to perceive me.

How often do you hear Mormons ripping on the RLDS / Community of Christ versus Episcopalians??? It's the same damn phenomenon. People who are or were recently more similar are perceived as the greatest threat and much more likely to be attacked.

The things that I write should stand for themselves. I never talked about you or your education or anything of the sort. It's not about me although I acknowledge a tone problem. All the same, this is much more about what I represent.

Every time I make an argument there is an ad hominem response. People could defend faith in a rational way, but instead of engaging me in a discussion on the merits, I am attacked personally. That's the way it goes. I'm not the only one who has noticed it.

Lastly, I reject the notion that a belief based on feelings is sacred and must be respected. Beliefs based solely on feelings or tradition do not deserve much respect in a debate on merits.

When people tell me that they want to rely on prayer instead of medicine for a life-threatening illness, I tell them that they will die if they rely only on prayer. I tell them this because it is true--not because I think they shouldn't pray. I tell them to go right on praying but to also do things based on evidence. I'm also not afraid to cite abundant, high quality evidence that prayer does not heal.

You're a definite asset to the site, and I'd never want to see you leave, but You nailed it when you acknowledged a tone problem. I usually agree with your beliefs concerning religion, but sometimes you could work on your bedside manner (that's not meant as a personal attack).

[SoonerCoug]

You're a definite asset to the site, and I'd never want to see you leave, but You nailed it when you acknowledged a tone problem. I usually agree with your beliefs concerning religion, but sometimes you could work on your bedside manner (that's not meant as a personal attack).

Cougarstadium is not a patient bedside scenario.

I am direct with patients when they try to imply that God will heal them. I tell them I hope God does heal them, but I also tell them that the day I see it happen it'll be published for the world to see. I explain that so far there are no credible reports of it happening. To say anything other than that would be a disservice to the patient.

There is no good reason to perpetuate fantasy. False hope and false comfort are not a virtue.

[TripletDaddy]

When people tell me that they want to rely on prayer instead of medicine for a life-threatening illness, I tell them that they will die if they rely only on prayer.

This must be the point at which they say, "tell me a little more about the medicine."