LDS Freedom Forum

Hmmm... okay, I suppose I ought to tell you (all of you) a little bit about me so you have at least some kind of background during any possible future exchanges. Fair enough. Some additional perspective never hurts.

Politics has always been of great interest to me—although that should be pretty obvious if I'm jumping into a political forum—and I do occasionally find myself tangled up and active in the political process of my local state. It's hard for me to call myself a "conservative" though. There's little left of what I consider to be "America" to "conserve." But people call Ron Paul a "conservative" and he seems to be the one in favor of the most sweeping changes among the major party candidates for president, so who knows?

I have been called everything from an "ultra conservative" and "flaming liberal" to a "communist" and an "anarchist" and in some sense I suppose all are true while also being disingenuously false. Most of these labels are knee jerk reactions to my stances on this issue or that issue. It comes from the "if you believe X then you must be Y label" type thinking. Generally speaking, I find most political labels quite silly. With that said, feel free to send me private messages or ask questions in discussion before making assumptions about many of my beliefs. I'm always glad to explain myself, even if I am a little slow at getting back to people at times.

I'm something of a recluse, so if I don't respond for a week, that's annoyingly normal. Sorry. As such, please try to avoid, "LOL U WERE TEH OWNZ0RED! U HAVE NTHING 2 SAY!!!" I may very well have a lot to say but: 1. Work is time consuming. 2. My technical projects and other methods of wasting time are time consuming. 3. The quest for a wife... also time consuming.

It would be difficult to call me a "feelings" oriented person. I try to speak plainly and in matters of debate and discussion and do my best to avoid speaking sweetly or angrily. Facts and statements are what they are. My opinion is what it is. If it happens to contradict you, it doesn't mean I don't like you or hold you in any contempt. It means you and I do not agree and there's the possibility that one or both of us has erred in our conclusion.

I never debate to "win." If your logic and evidence is superior, I bow before you as a welcomed teacher and am happy you've helped me take a new step on a path of enlightenment. Debate is about the pursuit of truth and knowledge for me. As such, I will only engage in them so far as they provide that. Once something devolves down into the arena of "feelings" I'll simply walk away. I value reason just as much as I value freedom, with semantics coming in at a close second.

I possess a personal peeve (try saying that three times fast) that I'll just put out on the table right now:

I have been participating in various political centric forums since I was about 16 and IRC was still cool. I have seen the following statement more times than I can count: "Well, if you feel that way, why don't you move to X country then."

This usually comes in response to a statement about some country other than America demonstrating a working system or if, heaven forbid, you should speak out against a war or military action. Understand that I will not grace this statement with any kind of response nor will I communicate any further with someone who goes there. Everyone living in this country has a right to their belief system and a right to work toward change and I have a right to oppose them if I disagree. However, no citizen's personal beliefs make them more "entitled" to be here. People who use this "argument" brandish their true colors more than they realize and I simply do not have the time to waste on them—and make no mistake, it's a waste of time.

Other things of minor note:

• I'm under 30.
• I live in the southwest (and not in California).
• I'm intentionally ambiguous about my personal life and details.
• I have an unnatural obsession with shoes.
• With pretty much the exception of church, I wear novelty t-shirts wherever I go.
• I'm one of those annoying "Mac users" and a computer aficionado in general.
• I like when stuff explodes.
• Irony makes me smile.
• I read technical manuals for fun and it probably goes a long way in explaining my personality.
• I've been an avid war protester since I was 10-years-old.
• I believe in a very strict interpretation of the 12th Article of Faith in the USA.

There's a personally biased view of myself. I suffer from the unfortunate condition of being what I am. Take that for what it's worth.

So, hello everyone and I look forward to "meeting" and talking to many of you.

Welcome! I hope to hear more of what it is you have to teach us.

Do not be offended by any here. I have found without one exception that we all mean well. We do not all find it easy to separate out emotion and self worth from principle, you then may have top forgive as much as you are forgiven (probably more). I started reading "The Anointed" by Thomas Sowell this week and the first few chapters are good despite his overall conclusions (which are good but imperfect). The point that I like, and the reason I bring it up is that he illustrates how fruitless it is to argue based on the assumption that your argument is morally superior to another's. I have (of course) been all too guilty of doing so and post that for the express purpose of illustrating my gratitude for being led to it, in sharing it.

Good luck with the wife search, Proverbs 18:22 "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD."

I dunno that I have a lot in the way of teaching, but I've found that the best way to refine an idea is to throw it out before a group and pick at it and change this and that and see how well it stands up to a perspective other than your own. Sometimes you think you've figured out the most brilliant and perfect thing and you get excited and you impart your "new found wisdom" to a friend. That friend points out some glaring and obvious flaw you didn't notice and... back to the drawing board.

Some people would view this scenario as a personal defeat or a failure on some level, but I don't. I'm happy to discard whatever I view as nonfunctional. Besides, I think I enjoy the drawing board aspect of life far more than its results. The process itself is what gives me reason for existing.

I guess what I mean to say is that I'm here more to test ideas and be an alternate perspective for others. I could teach, sure... but I don't presume to. Teacher is a title that one must be given and cannot take for himself. If someone views me that way, I'm flattered.

As a programmer and someone who is pedantic to the point of irritation, my primary interest rests in functional systems—politics is kind of the social version of that and religion is my spiritual outlet for such things. Concepts like cohesion, consistency and efficiency appeal to me as well as quantifiability. Why is something good or bad? Can it be demonstrated in a manner beyond ecclesiastical rote? Is it doctrine or tradition? Is doctrine or cultural? Is it fact or groupthink assumption? Is it provable? Long term effects also interest me. Oh yeah, and I like to ask a lot of questions.

One of the other main reasons I mentioned the "feelings" thing is at times I have a tendency to come off as "cold," I guess, which people then interpret as "he doesn't care" which isn't expressly true, though it's not expressly false either.

Anyway, I appreciate your welcome.

Good luck with the wife search, Proverbs 18:22 "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD."

Yeah, I'm going to need it. Thus far I haven't been successful. So, if anyone out there knows any 20-something female that has been dating (or not) but is ultimately unsatisfied by the lack of socially awkward intellectual wannabe anti-hipsters out there, lemme know. I know at least one guy that fits the bill.

I suppose I should venture out into the "wild" now rather than lounge around the greeting parlor.

Cult Hero,

Welcome! BTW, I'm curious how you found this site.

I know someone who posts here and occasionally forwards some of the topics to me. After reading a few I decided to join the fray. For the sake of objectivity, that "someone" will remain anonymous for the time being.

Are you a neat Viking monster too, or is that just your dad?

You have me at a disadvantage. You clearly know me either by my style debate and writing, a private conversation with my anonymous associate or access to the IP addresses available to admins and moderators.

I assume we've crossed paths on another forum or mailing list. (And I'd appreciate it if you didn't go any further in pointing out who I am.)

Nope, I just guessed plain and simple.

If I guessed right then no problem, if I guessed wrong, then no problem. I will respect your anonymity as I would expect anyone to respect mine.