ken_sylvania wrote: ↑Tue Jan 13, 2026 10:33 am
If you make unfair accusations, the place to address them is in the thread where they are made.
Oh, but just about everything becomes an unfair accusation. What you imagine I am thinking about some group of people, whether or not I am saying it, you write it down, take offense, and blame me.
That is a very broad statement, and is simply not true. And in particular in the Early Anabaptist thread, I would encourage you to point me to the post where I wrote down what I imagined you were thinking about some group of people.
Bootstrap wrote: ↑Tue Jan 13, 2026 11:08 am
Or if I misunderstand you, instead of clarifying, you call that an accusation. And pretend it has great moral weight, and must be addressed there in the thread, instead of discussing the subject.
OK please clarify. Where do you think I did this? In the Early Anabaptists thread, when you said I was misrepresenting your position, I asked you to clarify, but you ignored the request.
Bootstrap wrote: ↑Tue Jan 13, 2026 11:08 am That technique allows you to hijack the thread. We aren't fighting about anything interesting or useful or important. It's often hard to figure out what we are fighting about at all. And it never ends.
So why do you do it?
Bootstrap wrote: ↑Tue Jan 13, 2026 11:08 am
Gaslighting.
It really is as simple as:
1. Are we discussing the topic? Good.
2. Are we going around and around in a fight? Let's stop doing that.
ken_sylvania wrote: ↑Tue Jan 13, 2026 10:33 am
If you make unfair accusations, the place to address them is in the thread where they are made.
Oh, but just about everything becomes an unfair accusation. What you imagine I am thinking about some group of people, whether or not I am saying it, you write it down, take offense, and blame me.
That is a very broad statement, and is simply not true. And in particular in the Early Anabaptist thread, I would encourage you to point me to the post where I wrote down what I imagined you were thinking about some group of people.
Bootstrap wrote: ↑Tue Jan 13, 2026 11:08 am
Or if I misunderstand you, instead of clarifying, you call that an accusation. And pretend it has great moral weight, and must be addressed there in the thread, instead of discussing the subject.
OK please clarify. Where do you think I did this? In the Early Anabaptists thread, when you said I was misrepresenting your position, I asked you to clarify, but you ignored the request.
Bootstrap wrote: ↑Tue Jan 13, 2026 11:08 am That technique allows you to hijack the thread. We aren't fighting about anything interesting or useful or important. It's often hard to figure out what we are fighting about at all. And it never ends.
So why do you do it?
Gaslighting.
See above. I'm happy to discuss the topic in the thread. If there's actually something worth discussing as brothers about our relationship or some serious offense, let's take it offline.
But a public fight about ... what exactly? No thanks.
Bootstrap wrote: ↑Tue Jan 13, 2026 11:08 am
Gaslighting.
It really is as simple as:
1. Are we discussing the topic? Good.
2. Are we going around and around in a fight? Let's stop doing that.
I'm not making you do anything.
Exactly. And I'm not doing it anymore. I just changed my signature to help me remember.
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1. Are we discussing the topic? Good.
2. Are we going around and around in a fight? Let's stop doing that.
3. Is there some serious wrongdoing or relational injury? Let's address that, probably not in public and certainly not for show.
Bootstrap wrote: ↑Tue Jan 13, 2026 11:06 am
I think there's a simple test. Does it bring attention to the topic, or does it provoke a fight. If we want to discuss a topic, that's pretty easy to do.
I'm not interested in the fight. I am interested in the topic.
As for gaslighting ... it's interesting how you bring in all that inflammatory emotional language, then insist that you are not emotional and the other people are. That's classic gaslighting.
I don't remember saying any time recently that I'm not emotional and other people are. Are you sure I've been doing that recently? Care to point out where?
Bootstrap wrote: ↑Tue Jan 13, 2026 11:06 am
I don't think we are having a substantive fight about anything that matters. When I try to respond to the fight, the ground keeps shifting. Classic gaslighting.
Oh really?
Yes, actually, I have noticed how when I push back on something you've said, in your response you defend something slightly different from what you originally said. For instance, when I asked for the source for the claim that the Swiss Brethren dressed like their neighbors, you said "if clothing was central to their identity....". But if you're claiming I shift my position maybe you could provide an example.
JohnL wrote: ↑Wed Sep 17, 2025 4:26 pm
I appreciate the conversations with yourself, Robert, Judas Maccabeus, Neto, Barnhart and Ernie. There may be a few I'm forgetting but I'll probably remember their names as I'm about to fall asleep tonight. I'm taking a break from the forum for now. I'm getting ready for a full Christmas season and an operation right after. God bless you and your families.
JohnL wrote: ↑Wed Sep 17, 2025 4:26 pm
I appreciate the conversations with yourself, Robert, Judas Maccabeus, Neto, Barnhart and Ernie. There may be a few I'm forgetting but I'll probably remember their names as I'm about to fall asleep tonight. I'm taking a break from the forum for now. I'm getting ready for a full Christmas season and an operation right after. God bless you and your families.
I hope the operation is successful.
It was. Thank you. The jello was good too. They even had my favorite flavor Black Cherry.
The Bionic Hillybilly.
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Free Will Baptist <-> Anabaptist
”Try hard not to offend. Try harder not to be offended.” Robert Martz
FWIW, I am not hearing a lot of compassion in what you wrote above. I don't hear a lot of concern for the vulnerable.
In your first paragraph, you felt very free to speak openly and bluntly, using language that ramps up fear and enmity toward immigrants. But you seem far more hesitant to speak bout ICE itself, even when the things they do endanger other people's lives, traumatize people, and take away their constitutional rights.
Board guidelines " State your own thoughts and opinions" . Don't tell me what I was saying or thinking.
