shubzilla

I feel like I should explain my participation in this expose of bad behavior. I have known Megan to some degree for around four years and have been friendly, even distantly, professionally friends. She did what looked like very good work in 2022 on issues of Woke in Christianity, and I was impressed and grateful. Later, skipping ahead a bit, I met Megan in person, and at a dinner with five or six of us at the table, we got to know each other some. We were pretty quick friends. I'm trying to remember what year this was--2024, I think--and it was in West Palm Beach. In between, like several other associates of mine, I saw Megan being pulled into the recruitment of the very Christian Nationalists and New Right guys I was dedicated to warning about, upon which I have been strongly vindicated. I spent some time, but less than others, in long conversations with her (overwhelmingly by text/DM), trying to explain why I thought these guys were trouble and would lead her to playing into a deceptive dialectic. One such frustrating conversation was in early spring 2023 while I was in the St. Louis airport waiting for a flight. I spent much of that time, if you can believe me, trying to explain to her what the dialectic is, and my explanations were simply inadequate. Some of the spiral graphics you've seen me and others share about the dialectic were ones I created specifically for her to communicate what it is and how it works. I watched her drift further and further into this, more to the frustration of my Christian associates than my own, but I found it disappointing. Later, when I met her, I found her likable, despite the disagreement, which was not significant between us. Some time later, she shared with me that she considered me a friend but was "done" with the others at one point because of their attempts to talk to her about the issues, her colleagues, the path she was on, and problems in her book. I kept communication open, though it was always infrequent, like normal. Her accusation was always the same when it came up: these people, who were trying to steer her away from the path she was on with those colleagues, were trying to ruin her career, which is simply untrue and unfair. It might have been the case that the people who had made her would destroy her if she changed course (ask me how I know), but the intentions were never malicious or harmful like that. Later, however, she got further into this line of thinking than I could tolerate, but she had also fallen seriously sick. I had no intention of criticizing a friendly while she was dangerously ill, so I didn't. I was distantly supportive but made no particular efforts one way or the other. She said many things I normally would have said something about, but I left it out of respect, even though it kept getting beyond my own tolerance. Finally, though, the behavior documented in this thread, which has been a constant for many months and especially through the last month, crossed enough of a line where I said something. Thus, I became implicated. I tried to be firm but gentle and respectful, maintaining a solid boundary: no misrepresentation. That's it. The reason I stepped in was, in fact, that. She would frequently pile on smaller accounts, many who respected her, many others who had become critical but who are good people doing good work, and go full attack-dog. I abhor unfairness. It was extremely frustrating to watch, but I stayed out of it, trying to maintain friendship and peace. The moment I stepped in, which was in response to further vigorous misrepresentation of people she was arguing with online--again, mostly good people with small accounts--it was immediately my turn. The public record is available. I set the boundary in advance and asked her not to do it with me. She said something to the effect of "we're going to do this." Ok. Since then, I have been questioned many times, in person, on the phone, and my message, about why I "attacked" Megan, which means someone is telling that story because I most certainly did not attack her. Another misrepresentation. It's intolerable. When this thread appeared, I therefore shared every one of the posts and many of the posts by people who have chimed in. That's my story and my explanation. I tried to dissuade her from taking a bad path, but it failed. I made a friendship and kept it, and I tried to keep the peace for a long time, even after it crossed several red lines. The moment I said anything, I became the bad guy. Like I said, ok. So be it. That's my piece.