Apostasy vs Blackmail

[Integrating Editor]

Is this guy a troll, or does he really think blackmail is a morally acceptable response to apostasy?

[Craig Jessop]

I'm really, really hoping it's a troll. Then again, I had a roommate once who was indeed this awful of a person (remember this? Same guy.

[wryness]

I just...my brain doesn't want to believe this could be anything BUT trolling.

I liked Anathema's measured "let me level with you response" and April's calling-it-like-it-is. If this is not trolling, I agree with her; this OP has serious issues in the way of sociopathy or sadism.

[yayfulness]

I hope it's trolling too, but if my time with the Board has taught me one thing, it is that I should never underestimate how sincerely weird and messed up people can be when the internet gives them anonymity.

Not to mention that things like that are HORRIBLE PR for the Church. Every time another story like that breaks (or another person comes across something like that question when googling something unrelated), people get all the more convinced that BYU is some sort of fascist dystopia ruled by fear and betrayal.

There are few if any things about BYU that I hate quite as much as the attitude of Enforcing Superficial Righteousness At All Costs. I'm just grateful that most of the people I spent much time around didn't seem to subscribe to that notion.

[yayfulness]

Oh, also: If you take joy in someone else's suffering, you're evil. Pretty much by definition.

[Portia]

I pictured this as a woman, for the record.

I don't think it's trolling.

Good work, writers.

[Cognoscente]

Holy shit. That's my brother.

And to clarify, he's both trolling, and he has a complete lack of empathy that makes him delight in the suffering of others, especially for perceived "faults." He's been a shitty troll for a long time now. This particular one is quite a bit worse than I'm used to seeing from him.

He graduated from BYU some time ago, so he has nothing to lose from the HCO himself. He doesn't really want money. He's absolutely not hard up for cash. He just wants the perverse thrill of calling someone out on what he thinks is hypocrisy. It's a power thing, and an ego thing. And I think a good deal of it is the spiteful pleasure of putting someone "in their place" when he has so many issues in his own life.

Kudos to the writers for their responses.

[Cognoscente]

Oh, and Alex, if you ever find this thread--if you ever think doxing and ruining someone's life is a hilarious, justifiable joke, if you ever do this kind of thing again, I'll give Mom and Dad your Reddit account. What, did you think that was a secret? You're ridiculously easy to find. Who the hell puts the year of their birth in their username anymore?

[Portia]

o_O o_O o_O

Cogs ... wat

[Integrating Editor]

All I can say is that I'm so sorry you have to deal with him, Cognoscente.

[Cognoscente]

yeah.