I'm sorry to hear that you are upset and want to leave this message forum. I will be honest with you and my impression of you. You come across as someone who is often very full of himself and very condescending. At the same time, I see that you have a good curiosity about things and a desire to learn and improve. But then there seems to be an umbrella of bitterness that hangs above it all. Sometimes you are very sharp and cutting. Sometimes you retreat into a very defensive mode, like a cornered animal. And other times you show a good intellect and are very rational. People on this board seem to think of me as somewhat of an enigma (if they haven't just decided that I'm a complete jerk). Well, you are an enigma to me. I don't ever know what to make of you.
People do take jabs at one another. There has to be an allowance for that on a message board that is presumably comprised of mostly adults. It's part of the fun. Sometimes some people go over the limits for some of the people they jab at. That should be worked out between the two. There are many ways of doing that, more than one person has Private Messaged me to work out such situations with me. If it goes beyond ribbing and joking around then a mod can get involved. But there has to be substance to it. To some degree, we all have to learn not to engage such behavior if we find ourselves not liking it. So I don't agree with your criticism of these boards that "attacks" go on every day and people run rampant over one another.tannhaus wrote: People are allowed to attack on these forums. Some of them, even some mods think it is funny. But witness Jerseyjohnny attacking mormons in plot discussion. It goes on every day...and multiple people attack others.
I did not "attack mormons", so I do resent that accusation. If you want to go see how that discussion is going, go on and find for me where I have "attacked mormons" and prove it. I don't see it. It's a discussion, and I was the one being criticized and attacked for claims I made about Mormonism, claims I backed up with facts. So please don't accuse me of something I didn't do. From the way I'm spoken about in here, I would think that there's enough I actually DID do that you can legitimately complain about, so that you wouldn't have to reference an issue that isn't real.
You can call it "bully humor" if you like. Some of us see it as satirical. Regardless of what it really should be called, I have seen you partake in it as well. I have seen you attack those and speak down to those who have stepped up to defend you and your religion. So you really ought not throw stones in that glass house of yours.tannhaus wrote: It's bully humor. Some think it's funny to see them attack others. However, it's not funny to the ones being attacked or offended. It's not funny to those whose beliefs are being attacked. It's apparently not funny to all those that cast a vote to ban Jerseyjohnny. Yet, he's still allowed to attack.
Anyway, having said that, I want to say a couple other things to you. I saw your video. I have suffered from clinical depression in the past, so I know it's difficult. I hope you are getting professional help for it. When it's debilitating, as it seems to be in your case, professional help is pretty much necessary.
I think you sell yourself short, you spoke in that video of so much emptiness in your life and so much pain, but I think you fail to see what you do have. Consider the following:
There are people out there who wish they had your eyes that can see, your ears that can hear, your legs that can walk. There are people over in Iraq right now who are watching their kids get raped and killed, and there are kids there who have seen their entire families killed. There are people in many parts of this world who have to steal to eat. There are people in your own community who have to sleep on a piece of cardboard. There are senior citizens who can't walk, can't afford medicine, can't cook, can't drive, can't do a lot of the things they physically could do all their lives. ALL of these people would look at you and say "Wow, you have SOOO MUCH!!!" And you know, most of the people I just described, they go on with life.
One of the things I did to get out of my depression, on the advice of my counselor, was I volunteered myself. I worked for a mission to the homeless, and I did work with senior citizens. My problems began to pale in comparison. When I would help a guy into the shelter and he smelled so bad that nobody outside wanted to touch him, and I fed him and helped clean him up, it really put things in perspective. Or when I helped the elderly in a home where many of these people couldn't do something as simple as pick up a pen or go to the bathroom, and they were neglected by their kids and grandkids who would come around on holidays (maybe), it REALLY put my depression into perspective.
So, in closing this long-winded post (that so many people on these boards seem to hate from me), I just want to say that if you don't have professional help, get help; help yourself out by helping someone less fortunate than yourself; and I will miss having you around. Kinda. OK not really.
In seriousness, I'm sorry to see you go out on such a sour note, I hope to see you back in better spirits.Best of luck,
~ JJ
