Barbarians
October 14th, 2011 by John Mansfield
Over at the Grouchy Ex-Wives’ Blog, or whatever they call it, there’s another round going of the endless lamentations that Latter-day Saints might have a shared identity and expectations of one another. So uncivilized, and calling again to mind that description by Conrad: “The sympathetic and deserving creature that knows all about his rights, but knows nothing of courage, of endurance, and of the unexpressed faith, of the unspoken loyalty that knits together a ship’s company.”
Comments (9)
Filed under: We transcend your bourgeois categories | No Tag
Filed under: We transcend your bourgeois categories | No Tag
October 14th, 2011 09:46:35
G.
October 14, 2011
They really do take the tone that expectations are uncivilized. What’s funny is that civilization is, by definition, a shared set of identities and expectations.
The rule that one should expect folks not to have expectations and put social pressure on folks not to put social pressure on is not altogether free of self-contradiction.
Vader
October 14, 2011
I’m a little in the dark. Mail me the link so I can snark suitably about it.
John Mansfield
October 14, 2011
Sorry, I didn’t stop to think that I was being obscure, but it speaks well of the selectivity of those who were confused. Here’s a link: link.
Vader
October 14, 2011
I left a comment I hope will wake some folks up without being more offensive than is necessary. There does seem to be an astonishing insensitivity to the pain of those being left behind by the wanderer.
I also wonder about this equality thing. On the one hand, it is manifestly clear that all souls of are immeasurable worth to their Father. On the other hand, it is manifestly obvious that you cannot find two souls who are equal in any mathematical sense. I am led to conclude that “equality” as used in theological discussions, like “fairness”, is a term fraught with meaninglessness.
J. Max Wilson
October 14, 2011
Excellent quote, John. And very apt. Thanks.
Vader
October 14, 2011
Yes, an excellent quote.
There is a reason why the congregational area in a traditional Catholic cathedral is called the “nave”.
MC
October 14, 2011
I wonder if there’s a Godwin’s law for the Bloggernacle, in which every blog post about how terrible the Church is inexorably leads to some reactionary disputing that “It isn’t THAT bad,” which in turn leads to that person being accused of beliving that “All is well in Zion.” That blog may as well have as its subtitle, “No one will ever accuse US of saying ‘All is well in Zion.'”
Steve Evans
October 14, 2011
Yes, a flawless analysis as ever.
Bookslinger
October 14, 2011
John M: Is your OP here a comment on the OP there, or is your OP here a comment on the comments there?
I read the OP there (not the comments there), and I think you may be uncharitably reading things into the OP there.
Maybe it’s the comments. I didn’t see anything in the OP worthy of snark.