When I came back to this forum (Not that I posted a lot in the past, during a time when Creationism was a bigger problem), I really enjoyed Phat's contributions to this place and what he had to say.
I still say that he's a nice guy and I look forward to engaging with him more, despite the fact that our views on things have pushes further apart.
But also, especially in this past half year, he's been getting heavily bashed as this place has cooled down and he's one of the only contributors that's on the 'other side' of things.
I get that we don't agree with him, I get that he's been getting more extreme and in many cases, disjointed in his responses and expressing his views and substantiating them with evidence. But more and more, it's feeling like a beat down.
I personally am here to have as civil a discourse as I can muster, and sometimes, as with Candle, I go a bit too far with that, but I also think, Phat is staying around, because deep down, I feel he has respect for this place and for a lot of the people here and his history here. But were I in his place, and I was getting this kind of treatment, I would have left very quickly, because I would've gone "Fuck this, I've got better things to do"
He's struggling, that's for sure, and to most here, he's making some really bad decisions in life, but generally, you don't help a person by slapping him with the stick.
I might not be a Christian, but I believe in compassion and caring for a fellow human being. What's been going on here, even if deep down trying to shake him up and get him to really think about what he's doing and the choices he's making. Is not that, it's painful to read at times how ever so often discussions get into very personal territory.
And it fuels the disconnect. I read a post a month ago talking about Jehovah Witnesses, and how the goal wasn't for them to convert people, because that rarely to never happens, it's to drive down that they are alone in a way, fighting an enemy only to return to their group and find the support they need, so that support becomes more important to them, invaluable in fact.
With the problems that Phat's facing in life, he needs support more than anything, even if right now, we disagree on his political stance, on his choices, on his methods of debating.
Even if he votes for Trump, I'd rather be here, knowing that when it got down to it, I helped him push for a healthier life style and feeling better, despite knowing I disagree with his political choices and his more extreme view on them.
When push comes to shove, and in some weird event, Trump becomes the next president and he does crazy shit like we all expect him to do, because that's what he does, his cognitive abilities seem to be fading as well, he rambles like a crazy person. I think Phat will realize that he made a mistake in voting for him.
I don't think I've ever been this passionate about anything on here before like this, I'm not a very smart guy, brain damage causes issues with my memory. But feeling wise, I really think Phat doesn't need to be told he's wrong in so many ways that are mean, to be called stupid in so many ways.
I know for some, patience is gone, because it's been going on for a while now, but I think, in this unique situation where he's basically the only one on the other side to speak, the approach requires a lot more compassion and care, even if only to show him that he's got a place here.
Like I said, I think he respect a lot of you deep down, and that's why he keeps coming back, he might even consider some of you friends.
It's tough, this situation, but I personally just don't think the current approach will have any pay off.
And that's my two cents on the whole matter. Sorry for hijacking my response to you, nwr, to vent my view on things right here, I don't think you're wrong in what you're saying, just the whole situation has been slowly boiling up in me in various other parts of the forum.
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