Time for a break

[_Runtu]

The last couple of days have seen me reevaluating my presence here. At first I thought I'd just stay away, but I thought better of it. But the more I read, the more I'm convinced that for too many there isn't a serious interest in actually talking about things that matter to me. I'm tired of the insults, the glorified "neener neener" posts, and the plain old stupid posts about poop. I've had this week off from work, and I've really enjoyed being with my family. My being home has allowed my wife to get some rest, and I have really noticed some improvement in her health, which has been a source of a lot of stress in our house lately. And then I come here, and it really dampens my spirit. I'm not even sure why.

The church and its place in my life are important issues to me. You might even say that notions of truth are matters of sacredness to me. It just doesn't help to have people treat the sacred and the important as mere games by which to make themselves feel superior. And the worst thing about it is that I feel myself getting dragged into these stupid pissing contests. Religious belief is not a contact sport, nor is it a club with which to beat people.

So, it's time for a break so I can get the bad taste out of my mouth and maybe come back contributing something more than "is not, you psychologically damaged moron!" Until then, I'll probably post a lot less. I suspect that at least a few people will find my decision to be an admission of defeat or a sign of cowardice. So, enjoy the high fives on me.

If I have offended anyone, I am sorry. And if I've contributed to a trivialization of the subject, I am also very sorry.

Thanks for your patience with me. I've tried to be civil and treat people the way I'd want to be treated, though I haven't always succeeded.

I'll be back when I feel like I can do better at that.

John

[_Coggins7]

The last couple of days have seen me reevaluating my presence here. At first I thought I'd just stay away, but I thought better of it. But the more I read, the more I'm convinced that for too many there isn't a serious interest in actually talking about things that matter to me. I'm tired of the insults, the glorified "neener neener" posts, and the plain old stupid posts about poop.

Darn, and here I thought the poop post was the only really important and relevant thread on this entire sorry board. I'm deflated, but in agreement with you overall, and may follow you shortly.


Loran

[_Lucretia MacEvil]

I'm new here, but I've have been reading for a while and have greatly appreciated your posts. Hopefully you will refresh quickly and return to the board with more clear thinking and graciousness. Happy New Year and may all be well with you at home.

[_Brackite]

Hi Runtu,
Take care, and I hope that you return here to this message Board again pretty soon.
Good-Bye, for now! Happy New Year!

[_Rollo Tomasi]

The last couple of days have seen me reevaluating my presence here.

My best wishes to you. I can certainly emphathize -- I, too, have been questioning where this board is headed, since there seems to be more and more threads with the sole aim of insulting individual or collective posters here, rather than address or debate any meaty issues. It certainly gets tiresome.

[_harmony]

The last couple of days have seen me reevaluating my presence here.

My best wishes to you. I can certainly emphathize -- I, too, have been questioning where this board is headed, since there seems to be more and more threads with the sole aim of insulting individual or collective posters here, rather than address or debate any meaty issues. It certainly gets tiresome.

Evil triumphs when good men do nothing. For me, it isn't enough to just observe injustice and do nothing. I am unable to let sleeping dogs lie. Just last night, I was lamenting the lack of coherant discussion from the church's perspective. When Wade and Loran are carrying the bulk of the church's defense, it is like dancing with a one-legged man: we go 'round and 'round but never get anywhere.

Perhaps the solution is to entice more participation from our TBM friends. Perhaps the solution is to simply refuse to engage with those who contribute only noise. Perhaps the solution is to spend more time in the Celestial forum. Perhaps the solution is to remind each other to stick with discussing the message, not the messenger.

For me, leaving is not an option. I support those who need a break; I've taken my share of breaks over the years.

[_wenglund]

Hi John,

I applaud your choice in spending more time with your family and for endevouring to do those things that will add real meaning and value to your life. That, I believe, will serve you far better than publically denegrating and bludgeoning my sacred faith and leaders by uncharitably proclaiming, among other things, them to be a lie, a fraud, not acting in good faith, and so forth. Doing the former will bring out the best in you, while doing the latter exposes the not-so-good in you. The former will help improve the quality of your life, while the latter will taint and degrade you and those towards whom your denegrating is directed. The former will keep the focus where you would like (towards the health and welfare of your family), and not where you dislike (on you).

I would think a good gauge for when you may be ready to come back would be when you are as comfortable having the light of criticism shown on you personally, and are open to personal criticism, at least as much as you have been comfortable having the light of criticism shown on the Church, it leaders, and its defenders and would expect them to be open to it.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

[_harmony]

Hi John,

I applaud your choice in spending more time with your family and for endevouring to do those things that will add real meaning and value to your life. That, I believe, will serve you far better than publically denegrating and bludgeoning my sacred faith and leaders by uncharitably proclaiming, among other things, them to be a lie, a fraud, not acting in good faith, and so forth. Doing the former will bring out the best in you, while doing the latter exposes the not-so-good in you. The former will help improve the quality of your life, while the latter will taint and degrade you and those towards whom your denegrating is directed. The former will keep the focus where you would like (towards the health and welfare of your family), and not where you dislike (on you).

I would think a good gauge for when you may be ready to come back would be when you are as comfortable having the light of criticism shown on you personally, and are open to personal criticism, at least as much as you have been comfortable having the light of criticism shown on the Church, it leaders, and its defenders and would expect them to be open to it.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

Balderdash, from first word to last. Ignore the whole post, Runtu.

[_Rollo Tomasi]

I applaud your choice in spending more time with your family and for endevouring to do those things that will add real meaning and value to your life. That, I believe, will serve you far better than publically denegrating and bludgeoning my sacred faith and leaders by uncharitably proclaiming, among other things, them to be a lie, a fraud, not acting in good faith, and so forth. Doing the former will bring out the best in you, while doing the latter exposes the not-so-good in you. The former will help improve the quality of your life, while the latter will taint and degrade you and those towards whom your denegrating is directed. The former will keep the focus where you would like (towards the health and welfare of your family), and not where you dislike (on you).

You really can be a condescending jerk. If the above diatribe is reflective of your "sacred faith," then you are the antithesis of a follower of Christ.

[_wenglund]

I seem to have touched a nerve here in those towards whom my post wasn't even directed. Could it be that they might see how perfectly my comments may fit them as well, and in a dysfunctionally self-protective way, react with unwittingly rank hypocrasy, not to mention their inadvertantly participating with me in the very things that Runtu stated he is trying to get away from?

But, that question focus attention on them, and they can't have that.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-