Unkind.

I will gently reply that the word “demand” you used is uncalled for. I don’t view you as an unwelcome contributor to the Bloggernacle, but your own words tell what is in your heart regarding others that you don’t warm up to.

I respect you and your opinions, I hope to receive the same.

You’re welcome to come by my blog. I hope you do.

“I believed the “spend more time with my family” part until I read the “setting up a new blog” part. Solo blogging eats up much more time than an occasional post on a group blog.”

If by “my family” you understand “teh intawebz,” his statement was accurate.

I, for one, will continue to visit T&S. I know that T&S is true.

Also, I have to keep reading here because I don’t know what the heck* “Junior Ganymede” means.

*heck: 1) exclamation used by mainstream, conservative, orthodox Mormons. 2) future destination of Kaimi Wenger.

Anyway, I’m sad to see Adam go, but mostly for his own sake. If he doesn’t blog here, he won’t have any outlet for the all-consuming guilt that he feels for binge-patterned self-abuse.

Adam claims Kaimi is the person who blogged under the anonymous name of Cafeteria Mormon–at web sites less than favorable to the Church. Kaimi should either confirm this, or outright deny it–and be done with it.

T&S’ own comment user policies in relevant part states:

2. As a general matter, Times and Seasons is a forum for believing members or for others who are willing to respect members’ beliefs. Commenters do not need to believe in the Church, but comments that suggest that all believers are per se unintelligent or uninformed are not welcome.

If T & S is a forum for believing members, then it follows its perma bloggers ought to be believing members. If Kaimi is the “Cafeteria Mormon”, and if he wrote what is attributed to him, I have a hard time understanding how those writings reflect a “believing member.” To me, not believing the historicity of the Book of Mormon takes one outside the category of a “believing member.”

If one describes the doctrine of male priesthood authority as “patriarchal bullshit” that takes one outside the category of a “believing member.” There are certain core doctrines that I think a “believing member” needs to accept. One of the most core would be a belief in the historicity of the Book of Mormon. If Kaimi has in fact written what is attributed to him, then I have a hard time accepting him as a “believing member.”

Now, whether T&S as a matter of blog policy decides to promote, maintain, or tolerate a perma blogger whose doctrinal beliefs are akin to what is attributed to Kaimi, then I think that calls into question whether in fact T&S can claim it is a forum for believing members.

That said, I don’t know whether Kaimi confessed to Adam he is/was the Cafeteria Mormon who wrote the things that appears on those less than favorable to Mormonism websites. I can only take Adam’s word for it; but, if Kaimi refuses to rebut or deny these allegations, I am going to tend to believe Adam is telling the truth.

Kent Larson wrote over at M&A

At the least, the idea that T&S has “bloggers that are so against the church” is false. At most there is one blogger who has ambiguous feelings about elements of LDS doctrine. As far as I can tell, the rest of us are very committed to the Church

From what I have read over the years, I think all the perma bloggers at T & S are very faithful members of the Church and believe its fundamental core doctrines. But, to characterize Kaimi as one who has ambiguous feelings, if in fact Kaimi’s feelings are truly reflected in the writings of Cafeteria Mormon–is an extremely generous characterization. Based on what evidence is available, Kaimi does not fit the definition of a perma blogger at a blog which defines itself as a place where “faithful believers” can have discourse. And, it’s not just a blog, Times and Seasons is in many ways a face for the Mormon faith on the Internet. The LDS Newsroom has linked, on more than one occasion to Times and Seasons.

I think Kaimi as some splannin’ to do here. Either Kaimi is the “Cafeteria Mormon” and does not believe many core and fundamental doctrines required of a faithful member, or Adam has lied about him–in which case Kaimi should publicly and loudly publish his disclaimer.

I for one am waiting.

This is one of the more lamentable side-effects of the method of Adam’s departures: awkward and boisterous declarations of orthodoxy at the expense of others. It’s lamentable not because declarations of faith are lamentable, but because here they are not naturally emerging as testimonies ought, but seem forced as a means of preserving readers such as Geoff B or Jared or MS or Bookslinger, who appear to demand them in exchange for their continued participation. As such they become litmus tests rather than a means of sharing faith and rejoicing together. Adam’s departure and the examination of Kaimi’s mormonism strike me as a sort of repulsive witch-hunt, with little more than blog readership at stake. We all look bad for participating in it.

Believe a little bit more and you might have your own stories about angels and outlandish spiritual experiences. I did, and know it works. It really is a matter of hungering and thirsting for the companionship of the Holy Ghost.