Called a Jerk for Using the Word Freethinker

[simon southerton]

After having a debate with two Mormons at nine-moons.com they ended the thread by calling me a jerk and closing the thread prematurely. I couldn't find an email on the site so I just posted this comment on the newest thread, see here: http://www.nine-moons.com/2007/02/09/go ... mment-7369

They have just ignored it so far.

When I was an active LDS member I don't remember being like that. Maybe I've forgotten the mindset?

As of 2/12/07 they deleted my message from their thread. So I re-posted the following message on the newest thread on their site:

Hey this is w.Kempton,

I just read the blog titled, Does Religion or Atheism Offer A Better Route To Unselfishness? By Rusty - February 6, 2007 (at http://www.nine-moons.com/2007/02/06/do ... mment-7238).

At the end I am called a "condescending jerk." So I went back to the blog to see what would cause such a response? Apparently my use of the term "freethinker" elicited this response. Jeff Ricks and I were making arguments for secular morality and when I had to leave my computer I made one final comment; after stating that I had to go and couldn’t continue explaining the possible evolutionary origins of altruism and how the Communist parties weren’t acting in the name of humanism, I said “…Hopefully another freethinker will join in on this blog and explain things further. I gotta go.” Some guy named Tom then responded:

“freethinker … Nonsense. What a condescending jerk.”

Then a guy named Rusty says:

“Yeah, it’s probably time to close comments on this one.”

They then closed the comment box so I couldn’t explain to them that I wasn’t being condescending at all! Since in the blog I was giving a secular perspective, and the terms humanist and naturalist were used a lot, I assumed they were aware of the term freethinker. Because in context, my final comment meant that I hoped that since I had to go another freethinker (i.e. a Humanist/Naturalist/Non-religionist etc.) could pick up where I left off in making my argument. The Freedom From Religion Foundation has a pamphlet on freethought that reads:

free-think-er n. A person who forms opinions about religion on the basis of reason, independently of tradition, authority, or established belief. Freethinkers include atheists, agnostics and rationalists. Source: http://ffrf.org/nontracts/freethinker.php

The term freethinker is defined in an online dictionary as:

“somebody who does not accept dogma: an independent thinker who refuses to accept established views or teachings, especially on religion.”

In another dictionary it says:

Freethinker \Free"think`er\, n. One who speculates or forms opinions independently of the authority of others; esp., in the sphere or religion, one who forms opinions independently of the authority of revelation or of the church; an unbeliever; -- a term assumed by deists and skeptics in the eighteenth century. Source: http://dict.die.net/freethinker/

Tom and Rusty simply misunderstood what I meant. I request that they add this comment to the end of that blog in the spirit of fairness.

[_harmony]

After having a debate with two Mormons at nine-moons.com they ended the thread by calling me a jerk and closing the thread prematurely. I couldn't find an email on the site so I just posted this comment on the newest thread, see here: http://www.nine-moons.com/2007/02/09/go ... mment-7369

They have just ignored it so far.

When I was an active LDS member I don't remember being like that. Maybe I've forgotten the mindset?

Wasn't FreeThinker really DCP? (my mind's foggy from cold meds, so I may not be remembering correctly).

[_w.Kempton]

what does DCP mean?

[_Bond...James Bond]

what does DCP mean?

That's Daniel C Peterson, Professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic at BYU and Leader of the LDS Apologetic Brigade. I'm sure a few posters here have more "colourful" things to say about him than I do. I'll let them fill you in more on the Krispy Kreme King.

[_w.Kempton]

ah yes, I know about Mr. Peterson. But I don't know what he has to do with some Mormons being offended over me using the term freethinker?

[Anonymous]

ah yes, I know about Mr. Peterson. But I don't know what he has to do with some Mormons being offended over me using the term freethinker?

I think "freethinker" has been one of his (Peterson's) many avatars/handles over his years on LDS boards. Don't have a clue why Mormons would be offended over the term. Maybe they thought you were saying they needed to be freethinkers, meaning they are currently closeminded.

[_w.Kempton]

yes that's exactly what they thought I meant; but in context, if they were educated regarding the meaning of the term freethinker they would not have been offended. That is the message I sent to them. I sent an explanation you can read in my original post at the link I provide. They have not responded to my explanation of what I meant by freethinker.

[_Bond...James Bond]

yes that's exactly what they thought I meant; but in context, if they were educated regarding the meaning of the term freethinker they would not have been offended. That is the message I sent to them. I sent an explanation you can read in my original post at the link I provide. They have not responded to my explanation of what I meant by freethinker.

I read that whole link and didn't see the argument. Is it the correct place?

[_w.Kempton]

Go to this link here http://www.nine-moons.com/2007/02/09/go ... mment-7369

ignore the above link, they erased my message.

Go to the first post on this thread to see what I sent them.