"No, You Really Felt It": How the Afore Solved Someone Else's Faith Crisis

[Everybody Wang Chung]

Over at the Hitchen's Obsession Board, the Afore is at it again. When a commenter named Axelbeingcivil bared his soul about his sincere, yet ultimately failed attempt at testing Moroni’s Promise, the Afore swooped in with his trademark condescension, "You definitely got the answer, you just dismissed it as wishful thinking."

Let that sink in. A genuine, earnest seeker pours their heart out about a painful spiritual dead end, and the Afore's grand rebuttal essentially boils down to, "No, you actually felt it, you just chose to ignore it."

Utterly douchey behavior from the Afore. Folks, you really can't make this stuff up.

I feel like I should speak directly and sincerely on this, because I have in fact tried this exact thing, as a result of interacting with people here and wanting to give it a sincere try. And as best I can tell, it didn't yield anything. No answers, no guidance, no response. Something I plainly wish were otherwise.

Lewis, as ever, found something he felt worked for him, and therefore felt should work for everyone. But it doesn't. Didn't for me, at least. And I feel... Disappointed by that.

I will, however, mention one case that I know quite well, in which the person related to me multiple instances in which I would have recognized an answer, but in which he didn't -- e.g., praying fervently and even in some anguish of soul and then having a feeling of profound peace wash over him, which, upon deliberation, he chose to dismiss as merely the product of wishful thinking. I found myself feeling that he had been given an answer but had declined (or been unable) to "hear" it.

[Gadianton]

Great, now poor axel stands under condemnation from the almighty God for having ears but "refusing to hear. Dan will be at the judgment bar to testify that Axel really did get an answer. This is serious stuff, and shows why it's a bad idea to start down that path in the first place.

[Doctor Scratch]

LOL!! Axel was their main go-to guy in terms of “proving” that they can tolerate criticism…and guess what? He packed up his stuff and left! Roflol!!!

There has never ever, in the entire history of the Internet, been a Mormon site that was capable of handling criticism. Banning, censorship, etc. have always been used with a heavy hand, and even when they get a “unicorn” like Axel, who walks on eggshells to ensure that their paper-thin feelings aren’t wounded, they wind up chasing him off.

[drumdude]

DCP prefers faithful comments from semi-literate Mormons like John Pack Lambert:

i am tired of being callead a bigot for not sypporting a radical socialudt Jew hating candiadte. I am tored of the cobstant lies agaibst good people who care about maintaining the v8tal institioms that keep America running and stopping them being overrum by people who wpukd destroy them.

There is nithing wring with calling someone by their full name. It isnormally seen as the most resoectful way to refer to someone.

Your attack on people for refering to someone in a name that uses their full nane is unjystified and unhinged.

El Syed is an extremist who thretens the stable continuation of American institutuons.

Dan often likes to ask non-Mormons if they’ve been drinking when they post like that. I wonder if he will ask Brother John if he has been imbibing.

Edit to add an additional post. I am actually quite concerned about John having some sort of serious neurological deficit (more than his usual one)

I think this is an unfair attack on people. I am tired of the constant and unjustified callimg of people bigots. The really bigots in Michigan are seen in who attacks who. Likd thd all black mob that beat ms in the face for caring for my black grandchild in the park. No one cared. No one was arrested. No one even stepoed up for me or stipped my bose from beimg bloodied. Stop pretending you know anything about Michigan. I get bloodied and beat and I am tired od bring called a bogot for usimg full names. I co sistently and boldly use my fullname. I am tired if radical enemies of teuth gaining power.

El Syed is themost evil candidate for office. He would work tl desteoy Israel. He favors the end of aid to that nstion and has called it evil. I am sick of him and sick of hiz horrible campaign signs that use onlt hid forst name. I dssouse any candidate who campaigns trying to uss just his or her first name. Such candidates and dwzpucable and dwsoused.

Next I will be tild I am a bigot for not liking when Black Hebrew Israelitez go around and spread their extremist anti-inter-racial marriage messages at budinesses as thry often dl in the area of Evergreen and Grand River in northwest Detroit.

[Philo Sofee]

Great, now poor axel stands under condemnation from the almighty God for having ears but "refusing to hear. Dan will be at the judgment bar to testify that Axel really did get an answer. This is serious stuff, and shows why it's a bad idea to start down that path in the first place.

Not nearly as bad as actually telling the religious zealots and gatekeepers about it however. Christ said don't cast your pearls before the pigs. The apologist, being the obvious pig, plays his part beautifully as to why Jesus said what he did.

[I Have Questions]

Over at the Hitchen's Obsession Board, the Afore is at it again. When a commenter named Axelbeingcivil bared his soul about his sincere, yet ultimately failed attempt at testing Moroni’s Promise, the Afore swooped in with his trademark condescension, "You definitely got the answer, you just dismissed it as wishful thinking."

Let that sink in. A genuine, earnest seeker pours their heart out about a painful spiritual dead end, and the Afore's grand rebuttal essentially boils down to, "No, you actually felt it, you just chose to ignore it."

Utterly douchey behavior from the Afore. Folks, you really can't make this stuff up.

I feel like I should speak directly and sincerely on this, because I have in fact tried this exact thing, as a result of interacting with people here and wanting to give it a sincere try. And as best I can tell, it didn't yield anything. No answers, no guidance, no response. Something I plainly wish were otherwise.

Lewis, as ever, found something he felt worked for him, and therefore felt should work for everyone. But it doesn't. Didn't for me, at least. And I feel... Disappointed by that.

I will, however, mention one case that I know quite well, in which the person related to me multiple instances in which I would have recognized an answer, but in which he didn't -- e.g., praying fervently and even in some anguish of soul and then having a feeling of profound peace wash over him, which, upon deliberation, he chose to dismiss as merely the product of wishful thinking. I found myself feeling that he had been given an answer but had declined (or been unable) to "hear" it.

How does Peterson know that, in the completely unrelated anecdote that he chose to try and rubbish axelbeingcivil’s experience, it wasn’t wishful thinking the person experienced? Is his reply respectful or condescending?

Now let’s say axelbeingcivil asserted that Peterson’s experience were not him “hearing” an answer, but were instead Peterson’s own wishful thinking? Why would that not be an equally valid position to take on the others claimed experience? How would Peterson have felt about being told he was wrong about what he had felt?

Peterson demands that axelbeingcivil accept at face value that he, Peterson, is an authority on axelbeingcivil’s feelings. The obnoxious level of arrogance in taking that stance is why Mormonism is determined to be amongst the least liked religions. It’s not the beliefs, it’s how people like Peterson present those beliefs.

I’ve seen many examples of that Mormon obnoxious arrogance in various parts of the world, almost universally from men over 30, almost universally white men over 30. But nowhere have I witnessed it as intensely and as commonplace as in Utah.

[canpakes]

DCP prefers faithful comments from semi-literate Mormons like John Pack Lambert:

i am tired of being callead a bigot for not sypporting a radical socialudt Jew hating candiadte. I am tored of the cobstant lies agaibst good people who care about maintaining the v8tal institioms that keep America running and stopping them being overrum by people who wpukd destroy them.

I hope that John’s severe cold and congestion clear up soon. He sounds terrible.

[Rivendale]

Gemli had that board on their heels every single post. They had no remedy no secret weapon for his surgical analysis. AxBS walked the cordial line very carefully but that didn't matter. It is a representation of Mormonism’s refusal to be criticized. Dan McClellan has mentioned he makes a lot of people nervous in Elders Quorum meetings and AXBC did that also. That forum is more of an anti missionary forum than this one or exmormon reddit.