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I have had a number of private communications with J.D. before and after Nationals. It's a difficult situation. It's hard to know how much to share about it. Much has been made over the one video showing how he shuffled his deck. I sincerely believe that reasonable people of good conscience could interpret that video as either an intentional effort to gain an advantage or not. The judges on site reviewed it and made a decision and I stand by them. I sense no ill intent or conspiracy on the part of the judges. Situations at other tournaments prior to Nationals perhaps had them on alert and because of these, they may have been less inclined to give J.D. a pass. I have shared these other situations with J.D.Beyond the above, I believe things got to the point before and after Nationals where J.D.'s posts on the forums and elsewhere were bad for the community and the game. He is very passionate about the game and very intelligent. Without him our community is diminished. I initially tried a partial ban where he could not post but could still login to the boards. That didn't work. So, I put his account on a full ban. Since then I have tried to find common ground with him and work toward reconciliation. My exchanges with him have not gone well. He has been seemingly unwilling to concede even the possibility that anything he did at the regional tournament in TN or at Nationals could be wrong. Rather, he thinks certain elders are out to get him and that I am failing the game miserably by not launching a game app, spending sufficient advertising dollars, and doing other promotions to make the game what he believes it can be.Some of the players who are closer to him have also been talking to him to try to find a way ahead. My hope is that he can rejoin us on the boards at some point. But, we are not there yet.Keep praying. Prayers are never in vain. This prayer in particular could do much for all of us involved in this situationhttps://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/prayers/humility.htm
Some of the players who are closer to him have also been talking to him to try to find a way ahead. My hope is that he can rejoin us on the boards at some point. But, we are not there yet.
"If you don't X,Y,Z, then bye"... This is like the definition of Religion. Earning forgiveness is an oxymoron.
Pretty sure trust is a two-way street.
Quote from: TheHobbit on February 18, 2018, 12:07:19 AM"If you don't X,Y,Z, then bye"... This is like the definition of Religion. Earning forgiveness is an oxymoron.I think you have a misunderstanding of how forgiveness relates to reconciliation. God will forgive everyone freely, but not everyone will get to heaven. People can reject God's forgiveness if they choose. In order for there to be reconciliation, there must be repentance. The reconciliation of Nineveh is a good example.
I personally believe this issue stands where it should until JD is willing to reconsider his position on the "conspiracy" and to apologize to several members of the community privately. There should also be some form of public reconciliation since these events occurred publicly......Until then the issue probably needs to be left alone
Quote from: TheHobbit on February 18, 2018, 01:03:59 AMPretty sure trust is a two-way street.What exactly do you mean by this?It comes across that you are inferring that Justin, myself, the elder team and Rob are not trustworthy. If that is what you mean then vague, passive aggressive statements on a public forum are not the answer. A conversation with the people you have an issue with would be appropriate. That is the starting place for a path scripture suggests for conflict resolution.
Nineveh didn't ask to be forgiven initially, apparently they were not convinced of their error, yet they were forgiven.
Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. 6 When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes. 7 He issued a proclamation and it said, “In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. 8 But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. 9 Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish.”10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would [e]bring upon them. And He did not do it.
I mean I see no reason to trust prayer as a conflict management strategy, ...
Quote from: TheHobbit on February 18, 2018, 09:59:04 PMI mean I see no reason to trust prayer as a conflict management strategy, ...I trust God more than man. Prayer is more powerful than you realize.
It just depends what part of the story you look at. God sent Jonah to Nineveh before they were repentant.They didn't figure out their error on their own. Sounds forgiving to me.
But either way you have to show that forgiveness always comes after reconciliation to add anything relevant to the discussion.
.... but rather it feeds the "conspiracy" theory.
That's an elegant line, but probably belongs in a fortune cookie rather than a discussion were the idea is to justify our points of view.
And btw, the burden of proof is on you to show that prayer works with enough frequency to justify waiting around when there are other things that could be done.
I mean not by us peasants, ...
Quote from: TheHobbit on February 19, 2018, 02:35:58 PMIt just depends what part of the story you look at. God sent Jonah to Nineveh before they were repentant.They didn't figure out their error on their own. Sounds forgiving to me. It may sound that way, but it is not. Abraham pleaded on Sodom and Gomorrah's behalf, but they were not repentant and the cities were destroyed.
No, actually I don't. This thread is referring to one specific occurance, and so is Nineveh.
And btw, the burden of proof is on you to show that prayer works with enough frequency to justify waiting around when there are other things that could be done.No, it isn't. I will trust in God regardless of what men will say (Christian or non-Christian). The Bible is very specific about how to handle conflict resolution, and it is likely that the PTB have pursued that path. The end of that path, when there is no repentance, is to let the person go.
FTR, your disdain for Christian viewpoints is duly noted
I think at last we understand one another Frodo Baggins.
I trust that you understand this sentiment because of your experiences with cheating and subsequent crusade against it.
Everyone ought to question their beliefs at some point and ask themselves is this what Jesus taught or is this what men think he taught