How to React

.... I've been struggling with how to write this post all day.

I mean, I could have easily blogged about something else. Some other event or thought process or thing that happened today.

But I've discovered that the easiest way to move past a problem. Is to blog about it. Get it down, get my feelings out, and then just work on forgetting it from that point on.

So.

I don't know how many of you readers know this.

But I have a twitter account.

It's been active for a bit now. I mean, I started it whenever I finished that reading goal I had a couple years ago of reading all the general conference talks from the year of my birth to the current year.

...I halfway think that was in 2012 that I finished it....Time passes so weirdly nowadays.

In any case.

On that twitter account, I decided to redo that Conference Goal.

Except I'm reading all the conference talks available on the LDS Gospel Library App (which is like 1972-2016) and then I'm posting the parts of it I like on twitter.

- If you're aware of my gospel blog - www.warriorofinspiration.blogspot.com then what's posted on Twitter is basically what is posted on that blog. -The blog will have more posts though because some quotes are just too long to post within Twitter's character limit.- lol.

Now Twitter....isn't that nice of a place on occasion.

Especially if you're posting something contrary to what an individual believes.

Then they can light into you like crazy. Writing things to make you feel bad, saying things to try and make you doubt yourself.

For the most part, I've managed to avoid this.

But posting about the LDS General Conference....basically attracts the haters.

Most often it's during the actual sessions of General Conference that they come out of the woodwork.

However,

Yesterday, I was posting some quotes I liked from Howard W. Hunter's October 1974 General Conference: To Know God

The link to it can be found here: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1974/10/to-know-god?lang=eng

The basic premise of the talk is that the search for Scientific Discoveries and the Search to Know God can be conducted along similar pathways.

And it attracted the ire of one of the anti-Mormon accounts that randomly decided to start following me a week or so ago.

*shakes head*

It was the sort of situation where they were like "Science is more logical than people believing in Tall Tales!" "You can't compare the two!" "Who says that the church encourages people to study out their principles, doctrines, and history before they join! This totally doesn't mesh with Science!!"

*rolls eyes*

You know these people are just itching for a fight.

They're not going to listen to reason.

They just want to browbeat you into the dust with their 'proof, and evidences and blah blah blah"

And anything you give them that is 'spiritual and heartfelt' is seen as insane because it's not 'physical proof.'

You're a 'blind sheep, part of a cult, are drinking the kool-aid'

Which is rather irritating.

I don't like being treated like I'm a five-year-old who knows nothing.

So my own ire rises. I want to fight back. To put them in their place and get them to shut up.

The problem is.

They won't shut up.

Feed the fire and you'll get more fire.

After all. These anti-people are waiting to fight with anyone who decides to cross their path.

They're the jaws of trap, the claws of crab grasping hard and not willing to let go.

And you know they're just saying things to get you to respond back. To prove yourself sane. To prove that you're not the crazy one.

*exhales*

So I've spent the last couple of days with a headache because of these anti-Mormon people. As I want to prove myself.

Not exactly prove myself right. But to get them to shut up for a minute would be really nice.

In any case.

The headache results from me having mental arguments with the people. Where I come up with ideas, and theories, and back it up with sources from conferences and scriptures and just life in general. And rehash them and rehash them trying to make it perfect.

The problem is....I don't know what the other side is going to say. (so these arguments end up staying inside my head more often than not) So when/if they say something different. It throws off the whole groove I had going, which sends me on another tract, where my mind is running around in circles.

But....

I think this is where I struggle.

Why do people find joy in proving others wrong? In taking away their happiness in their beliefs? Why are they so adamant to prove that people who are religious are a bunch of crazies?

Perhaps I was just raised differently.

But just because I have a different opinion on how the world work doesn't mean that I'm wrong. It doesn't mean that the other person is wrong. It just means we're different.

After all, we're all human, we're all individuals. It's up to us to decide what we end up believing in and doing.

Do some people research something to pieces before they decide whether or not they agree with it? Yes.

Do other people here something and think "Oh, that's cool, I'll go with that." and automatically agree?

Yes.

Are there people in the middle who do some research but for the most part accept what they're told as true?

Yes.

Does that mean any of these people are wrong?

No.

That's the nice thing about being individuals. We can believe act and do whatever we like.

Just because one of us is marching to the beat of a different drum doesn't mean that they're wrong.

Perhaps I'm just more accepting of differences.

I grew up being exposed to different religions, different standards, and different beliefs via traveling, meeting people, reading books, and just searching out answers to questions on my own.

Does that mean I have to agree with them all? No.

Does that mean they have to agree with my religion? My standards? my beliefs?

No.

It would be nice if they would respect them, as I'm perfectly capable of respecting other people's choices without having to agree with them. Why can't they do the same in return?

*shakes head*

It's hard to have conversations with people who just want to force their thought process down your throat. Can there be a reasonable conversation with them?

Honestly, I'm not sure.

The peacemaker within me wants to believe that it is possible to just meet up on neutral ground and talk things out. Hear each side, come to an agreement to disagree and leave on friendly ground.

But if one comes planning to attack, while one plans to just come......

The outcome will be rather bloody.

Especially if this discourse takes place within the 140 character limit of Twitter feeds.

It's so hard to have real conversations there.

In any case.

Just because I share something doesn't mean I'm trying to convert others to it. Sharing religious quotes is no different than quoting your favorite movie, sharing an inspirational thought, chatting about a favorite hobby, discussing the finer points of that football game the other night. Some people will be interested in it, some people won't. People share what they love. What they're passionate about. Whether that is The Church, The Flash, Red Rocks, or Pepper Jack Cheese.

Just because I love it doesn't mean you need to love it too. Again, we're individuals. We don't all need to like or believe in the same thing to get along. :)

As a final note on this whole thing....

The main thoughts that I've been having the past couple of days of dealing with the haters are these:

1. God is Perfect. People are not. They make mistakes.

2. Doubt your Doubts before you Doubt your Faith.

3. Let your Light shine. Spread Goodness, Positivity. Feed the Positive not the Negative.

Until you next read these words;

I'll be watching the leaves.

Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi