I’d like to expand on the previous post that I made. Justin and I had a back and forth e-mail discussion. MySpace came up in the discussion, and I informed him that I was…. let’s just say leery of MySpace, because it is owned by NewsCorp. Not only that, there has been censorship going on pertaining to certain… let’s just say “socially unacceptable topics.”
However, after that, he pointed out that there was going to always be things that he and I would disagree on with other people and groups. He suggested that I not shut others out, which is understandable. I see him getting shut out by those who do not understand the path that he has chosen to live, and I have a personal problem with people who are supposedly open minded doing the same garbage that other tyrannical religious groups in the past have done in order to force people into living their way. A dangerous precedent is being set in my view in which any form of Christianity is seen as the plague and must be purged from this planet. Since there was one bad experience or two or three, all Christians must therefore be bad and be destroyed. How is that any different than the Catholic Church telling women what they can and can not do with their lives? News Flash: It isn’t!
Now before anyone makes any assumptions about me and whatever faith I have, a misconception needs to be cleared up in advance: I’m not a Christian. Read that again. I am not a Christian. It was my choice earlier in my life, and it upsets me that there are others out there who want to stomp on people who make the choices to live as a Protestant, a Lutheran, a Catholic, a Jew, a Muslim, Wiccan, or any other faith not listed here. It’s the same reason why I don’t own any guns but I agree with the 2nd Amendment. You see, I made that choice, so what right do I have to take that choice away from others? I don’t. For those who are curious, I am a Discordian (and yes, I eat a hotdog every Friday). Look it up!
Being open and free is a two way street. That’s how it works. If one side is open minded, and the other side is only “open minded” (meaning that as long as it doesn’t involve one group… and it can apply to those who are not Christian per se or Jewish or Muslim for that matter). Look, I understand that there were those who were persecuted for their faith/spirituality not matching the majority community which just happened to be Christian. I get it. I feel that pain, but why must you turn around and persecute the ones who had nothing to do with contributing to your suffering in the first place? Why must you remain bitter for the rest of your life? Why? I’m not Christian, and I’m not bitter about it.
So for those who are promoting FOSS, there is one important lesson: Don’t shut others out, even if they do not always do things you agree with. It will only cause your movement and ideals to fail in the end. And fail miserably indeed. When I grew up in the 8th Grade in Leeton, I was scorned for declaring I was not a Christian. By my sophomore year in high school, everyone else figured out that I was no threat to their way of life and they left me alone.
Justin and I will be coming up with new methods of promotion for THE *NIXED REPORT and other things that we do. Get prepared everyone, for things are going to get interesting….