Disclaimer: I am not leaving, but one of our fellow bloggers is and here's a re-post of what I just wrote to him:
Will you be leaving your blog up or do I need to go in and quickly read the whole thing tonight after work? Sorry to hear you're leaving, but I hope you will leave the blog up for those of us who have just discovered you. Thanks also for your friendship on Facebook. I'm glad there's a way to still be in touch.
As to your comment "I think my outlook has stepped outside the bounds of what is allowed in the MoHo community", I was not aware that we had any particularly hard and fast rules about what is and isn't allowed.
To the contrary, I thought one of our great strengths was our diversity of view points from true believing to pragmatic and discriminating cafeteria-ists, to the cultural heritagists, to the less active, inactive, excommunicated, agnonistic, athestic, etc.
What we all have in common is not so much our entire belief system, per se, but the fact that our lives are in thousands of ways shaped by our Mormonism and our gayness, bisexuality, same gender attracted genetic structure, or simply our desire to read and weep or giggle about expose's on Journey into Manhood Weekends.
So I guess what I'm doing is what you were trying to do with your friend and that is extend your welcome, rewnew your subscription, affirm your belonging, express gratitute for what you've contributed and encourage you to lurk rather than completely withdraw.
Or to put it in more personal terms, some of us are really, really needy and we'll miss you more than we want to admit.
That said, of course I respect your decision to do what you beleive is best for you. Thanks for hearing me out. Good luck and may you continue to be blessed and bless those many others who your life touches.
Hmmmmmmm who is leaving? You got me wondering. :)
ReplyDeleteI always feel sad when someone has left, announced or unannounced. I guess it because I think it carries a negative connotation--they've given up on something rather than they have "moved on," the latter reflecting badly on me stuck where I am.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this of all communities should be open, but I am uncomfortable with "the Church means everything to me" perspective. When that discomfort is at a peak I post less often
Here, here. Couldn't have said it better myself. For what it's worth, I have rejected the Church and have become agnostic, but have not once felt unwelcome in our little community. So, to whoever is leaving, know that I also do not believe their is a "doctrinal" boundary that you can cross. The only line to me is the one that separates civility and respect from incivility and disrespect.
ReplyDeleteBROR: Here's his blog
ReplyDeletehttp://findingme-chris.blogspot.com/2010/04/in-case-i-dont-see-ya-good-afternoon.html
SANTORIO: Me, somewhat, too. And since I'm still fairly active in attending, I get to hear it occasionally on Sundays, too. ;)
C1: Thanks for the affirmation, my friend!
I didn't know there were rules to this "community". I didn't know there were laws and regulations regarding who is "in" and who is "out". That's what is so nice about this place - it just is! There aren't any rules and everyone's voice matters and counts. The association is in the commonality of our experiences that have some aspect of "MOrmon" and "HOmosexuality". A current card-carrying credential authorizing a certain point-of-view was never part of this - whatever "this" is... after four years, I'm still trying to figure out how this community came to be, but it is amazing that it has grown to the extent that it has, and it is amazing because everyone's opinion does matter.
ReplyDelete