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It’s time for some honest reflection. I’ve been thinking about social media and how there’s often polarizing sides. Take the current political situation. I don’t even have to read it-
I know where most everyone is at. I’ve had few surprises in the last year.

And so take this poll and if you answer yes and you care to, It would be interesting to hear what ways you’ve changed your mind.

There are a few people like ragpicker who have dramatically changed over the years. I want to express my appreciation for those who’ve dared to changed their minds.

This forum has helped me to soften my views on homeschooling.

I don’t exactly know where I come out on white privilege but Joshuabgood has exposed me to different way of thinking.....

After 14 years of discussions, I see many things as less black and white and need more nuancing.

Other things have crystallized for me.

I don’t think “changing your mind” is necessarily a binary thing: “I was on this side, now I’m on the opposite site.” Even when it ends up that way, it’s often a gradual thing. Other times you accept a new way of thinking about something, even if you don’t “change your mind” and accept all the conclusions it came with.

In that sense, I’ll offer this: I’ve seen it said here that everyone more conservative than me are cold legalists and those to the left of me are worldly liberals. I don’t think that way near as much as I used to, both because of people here and elsewhere. Have I changed my mind? I feel and more conservative and more liberal and about as moderate as I’ve always been (but not at all the same as I’ve always been).

Be specific, you say. Fine. I’m less sure headcoverings aren’t necessary. And I’m less sure that women shouldn’t be preachers. Go chew on that a while.

You mentioned politics.
This is a topic that few are interested in learning anything. Even on this forum.
Some are present to enlist others for their political causes, esp voters, and they’re pretty honest about their intentions.

Aside from that, most arrive interested in learning about (conservative) Mennonites, even if they arrive not knowing there are wide differences in beliefs. i believe i’ve LEARNED a lot over years.
About Mennonites, and about other Christian groups, including Catholics, EO, and Lutherans.

i would use the word, “learn” more readily/frequently than “changing minds.”
this forum can be a great aid to learning.



teachers used to welcome new classes with similar sentiment:
“you will get as much out of this class as you’re willing to invest in it.”

i find this applies to most of life.

I was changed by interactions on mennodiscus much more than here. Mostly because I was more willing to engage back then, not so much anymore. I came back more to listen, but I still can be pulled in.

I honestly don't know. I've learned to be a lot more careful with what I write, and know that if I'm the slightest bit riled, I'd better not post something w/o letting it set for a day or more, and then probably most of the time I don't post at all.

I think I've become less about having a complete list of do's and don't's, and more about letting people develop their own convictions. But oddly, I had made that same conclusion years ago, and somehow lost that perspective. Maybe some people here think I'm more messed up now.

Pelerin wrote:I’ve seen it said here that everyone more conservative than me are cold legalists and those to the left of me are worldly liberals. I don’t think that way near as much as I used to, both because of people here and elsewhere.

I've learned to know and respect people more conservative and more liberal than I would typically choose to interact with IRL. I've been blessed by that.

My thoughts have been shaped by reading and writing on a variety of issues. Trying to explain one's view to someone else tends to do that.

I've changed my opinion of penguins, and of the EO, so there's that.

I was going to say no, but I changed my mind and ticked yes on the poll.

I don't know if I've changed my mind so much as learned a lot that I didn't previously know about various different AB groups and what they believe. I grew up in a pretty narrow slice of Menno world and never really mixed with or learned that much about other groups in real life. I knew nothing about Holdmans, for example, before coming here. And I had never even heard of Charity before.