Archiving...

For posterity. My wife believes that this was an impractical and ineffective technique that I employed here to "fight back." I stand by what I said, but I agree that maybe it wasn't very empathetic or necessary to defend my comments with quite as much vigor as I usually do. So, I'll archive here a post I made on Facebook recently, and then some of the commentary with one particular person—a woman of my parents' generation from my home ward where I grew up who's notorious for meddling with people and causing unnecessary drama; something I could see even as long ago as when I was a young teenager in middle-school.  First, here's the original post:

Ezra Taft Benson: "God inspired 'a man among the Gentiles' who, by the Spirit of God was led to rediscover the land of America and bring this rich new land to the attention of the people in Europe. That man, of course, was Christopher Columbus, who testified that he was inspired in what he did. The temple work for the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence and other founding fathers has been done. All these appeared to Wilford Woodruff when he was President of the St, George Temple. President George Washington was ordained a High Priest at that time. You will also be interested to know that according to Wilford Woodruff's journal, John Wesley, Benjamin Franklin, and Christopher Columbus were also ordained High Priests at the time. When one casts doubt about the character of these noble sons of God, I believe he or she will have to answer to God for it." 

Remember that next Columbus Day when the revisionists are attempting to paint Columbus as a tremendous villain and undo the celebration and remembrance of his accomplishments.

Next, the drive by comment from this lady, who, keep in mind, I literally haven't seen in about thirty years and who has never commented on anything I've written before (nor I on anything she has done.)

David was also chosen of God and was revered in the scriptures even many generations later. He accomplished God's mission for him, but he also engaged in some reprehensible behavior once he accomplished that mission. Christopher Columbus did accomplish his mission, but his men, and possibly he, exposed the natives to STDs. You don't get those by shaking hands. He died of Reiter's Syndrome. And he did kill LOTS of natives. If it was war, it was a very lopsided war. I just went to visit President Washington's Mt. Vernon. He engaged in many courageous and heroic acts for our country. He also had 317 living slaves when he died, and there is a fairly large slave cemetery on his property. I saw the cemetery. So, over his lifetime he enslaved hundred of people. The slaves lived retched lives. I saw their living conditions. They even know some of their names and stories. I went thru the museum. Washington, himself, knew what he was doing was wrong, and it caused him Many sleepless nights. So, what is your point?? These men lived in a different time, and they were not flat Stanley's. They are men, not Gods. Thankfully, God is merciful, but we shouldn't just erase the stories of those who suffered. Maybe we need to make sure those Slaves and Natives also receive the blessings of the temple.

My reply to that was initially rather simple:

Yeah, well there's that. On the other hand, I'm quoting Presidents' Benson and Woodruff. You want to argue with something that the prophets, plural, said, then you're on your own with that.

OK, so she was obviously triggered in the first place, but the level of triggering increased with her next volley. Where she, in turn, kinda ticked me off, because I react very poorly to guilt trips, shaming attempts, and any other form of emotional manipulation. But first, her response:

What are you saying? That these things didn't happen? That doesn't make any sense at all. I don't believe for one mini-second that Wilford Woodruff or President Benson endorsed slavery or STDS. David was a king and a prophet. He wrote the Book of Psalms - which we still consider to be the word of God. However he did commit murder and adultery. This King and Prophet will have to make compensation for that. And there are millions of people who have died who have been ordained to be high priests if they qualify themselves. And many will. Yes, George Washington did some very commendable and courageous things for our country, but I'm sure that George Washington himself sorely regrets enslaving God's children. If you read what he wrote, you have to conclude that the spirit did testify to him that slavery was wrong, and though he was uncomfortable, he did not yield to the spirit. I am, sure he has repented, and likely pled forgiveness from those who he mistreated so badly. Certainly, he should be given credit for the good things he did, but he was a man - not a God. And I don't believe that he would - for a mini-second - ever desire that anyone use him to justify slavery. I think that would make him angry indeed. Joseph Smith certainly opposed slavery and took a very unpopular political position. ,Surely, you aren't implying that President Benson or Wilford Woodruff supported the institution of slavery in any way. It DEEPLY offends me if you are implying these noble men have in any way excused slavery or the rape of Native Americans.

And mine.

It DEEPLY offends me that 1) you're wandering around picking random arguments with me because of some comment that I made. That's borderline cyber-bulling. If you don't like something I've said, then just ignore it or unfollow me, don't try and swoop in here and argue with me about it. 2) You are using sophistry to try and run circles around the prophets to interpret their words to mean the opposite of what they clearly say so that you can hold on to your own pet peeve issue. That is flirting with apostasy, and even being generous, is looking WAY past the mark, as Quentin L. Cook says it. 3) You imply that the SPECULATIVE SUGGESTION made recently that Columbus did not die of gout and influenza as was long believed, but from reactive arthritis is a historical fact, and not a speculative bit of gossip. In addition, the fact that you report as a fact that reactive arthritis is caused by STDs when in fact the most common cause of it is intestinal bacteria as would be caused by poor sanitation related to food as would be common on a Renaissance era sailing ship or primitive island, where Columbus spent many years, means that you don't even understand the very claims that you are making and how specious and gossipy they are. 4) I have completely lost patience for the ankle-biters on the pillars of Western Civilization who use this kind of gossip and nonsense to libel great men, for whatever reason; virtue-signaling Phariseeism, self-righteous endorphin rushes, or just as a patch for their own misery due to their envy and covetousness. In the last days, we are supposed have the hearts of the children turned towards the fathers; this trend among the so-called elite to constantly belittle our culture, our civilization, our past heroes, and to tear them down; turning our hearts AWAY from our fathers is truly one of the greater widespread evils of the last days. I'm offended that you're participating in it. 

I don't know what made you think any of this was a good idea, but I assure you, it was not. If you're going to go around attempting to bully people and shame them by shouting SLAVERY at them randomly, you better at least have the tactical sense to find a softer target for your bullying. If you're going to engage in gossip about great men, you better have more than a superficial understanding of what you are claiming about them, because otherwise eventually someone, like I just did, will call you out for being nothing more than gossip by proving that there is nothing to your assertions than mean-spirited implications and hints. 

And as I said before, if you're going to flirt with subverting the words of the prophets to make them mean the opposite of what they say so that you can pursue your own agenda in spite of what they have clearly warned you against, then you're on your own.

Then later, I edited that to this:

On second thought, although everything I said was true and correct, that doesn't mean that it was a great idea to say it. I'll leave you to your... whatever it is that obviously triggered you to make this ill-considered drive-by commentary here, and you can deal with it on your own without any "help" from me.

I do admit that I get somewhat triggered myself by this nannying, manipulative, bullying approach, and probably hit back much harder than is warranted or called for. On the other hand, I feel, as I told my wife, that I've got plenty of scriptural precedent for calling out that kind of behavior. Which, of course, I'd ignore completely if it wasn't directed squarely at me, because it wouldn't be any of my business.

In any case, my purpose in archiving this isn't to justify or excuse my own reaction, nor to open that up for discussion in any way whatsoever, but rather the content of my longer reply.