Voltaire's Child
Fool on the Hill
This is something I've been wanting to say for a while here.
I do not believe in denying anyone's right to comment adversely or negatively on the Freezone. I believe in freedom of speech.
However, some of the things that have been said here and elsewhere have not always been accurate or fair.
I've heard time and time again on OCMB and a.r.s.- people are leaving CofS (and Scn) and they don't need to hear about this stuff anymore, can't Freezoners just leave them alone?
Well, as an enthusiastic advocate of the Do Not Call list which we have in the US, I respect anyone's right not to be preached to.
But how does that affect discussion?
If someone calls you or emails you or comes up to you in person to sell you something you do not want, they are right there and the communication is there whether or not you want it. YOU have the burden of saying "No." This is something that I have never liked because it's a pain in the ass to have to field salesmen. I definitely sympathize there.
But if a topic or thread is entitled "hi, Lookie lookie, the Freezone is awesome, come join us", a person has the option of not reading the thread.
There's been much resentment expressed on OCMB, particularly, about happy FZ threads. I actually understand it because, although a person has the option of not clicking on the thread, if it's mixed in with the general group of topics and threads, it's kind of there whether you want it to be or not. Though I still think people overreact greatly to that. But I can still understand it, anyway.
However, on ESMB, there's a section called Freezone. You have to WANT to go there, you have to DELIBERATELY go there. The area with the success stories- which garnered some flak recently- is separately named Freezone success stories. It is VERY easy for anyone to just stay away from the FZ section of the board and even easier to stay away from having to see any "wins" or testimonials because of the set up. There's no imposition on anyone. There's no happy happy FZ thread on ESMB mixed in with threads praising Tory, Arnie Lerma, Xenu, or threads talking about the indentured servitude, slavery, coerced disconnection and abortions, child neglect in CofS, or threads about pricing, etc. And even on the forums where such does get mixed, well, it's easy enough not to click on the topic. Though I like the set up here, better, because it sets up sections of the board that are in accordance with people's interests.
I see a big difference between posting on a thread and expressing disagreements with the study and practice of Scn outside CofS and saying that someone should not post on a section of the board that was set up for that purpose.
I've bumped into the latter a lot. I have had several people tell me that, for example, just my saying that I have a continuing interest in Scn is the same thing as advertising it or promoting it. It's not, of course, but my posts saying that I like Scn and that I think it works would constitute promoting Scn. However, I don't write that stuff on any critical forum other than here or Beliefnet. But, unfortunately, some people do not recognize the difference.
The pro FZ posts do promote Scn. The posts saying that the writer happens to be an indie or FZ Scientologist and leaving it at that- do not promote or advertise Scn.
So I am left with an inescapable conclusion. Those who rail at people who say they are non CofS Scn'ists when there's no proselytizing taking place and those who rail at people for posting in a section specifically created to post FZ wins are advocating censorship and limitation of the rights of others to speak freely and worship/philosophize freely.
There's no getting around that.
I do not believe in denying anyone's right to comment adversely or negatively on the Freezone. I believe in freedom of speech.
However, some of the things that have been said here and elsewhere have not always been accurate or fair.
I've heard time and time again on OCMB and a.r.s.- people are leaving CofS (and Scn) and they don't need to hear about this stuff anymore, can't Freezoners just leave them alone?
Well, as an enthusiastic advocate of the Do Not Call list which we have in the US, I respect anyone's right not to be preached to.
But how does that affect discussion?
If someone calls you or emails you or comes up to you in person to sell you something you do not want, they are right there and the communication is there whether or not you want it. YOU have the burden of saying "No." This is something that I have never liked because it's a pain in the ass to have to field salesmen. I definitely sympathize there.
But if a topic or thread is entitled "hi, Lookie lookie, the Freezone is awesome, come join us", a person has the option of not reading the thread.
There's been much resentment expressed on OCMB, particularly, about happy FZ threads. I actually understand it because, although a person has the option of not clicking on the thread, if it's mixed in with the general group of topics and threads, it's kind of there whether you want it to be or not. Though I still think people overreact greatly to that. But I can still understand it, anyway.
However, on ESMB, there's a section called Freezone. You have to WANT to go there, you have to DELIBERATELY go there. The area with the success stories- which garnered some flak recently- is separately named Freezone success stories. It is VERY easy for anyone to just stay away from the FZ section of the board and even easier to stay away from having to see any "wins" or testimonials because of the set up. There's no imposition on anyone. There's no happy happy FZ thread on ESMB mixed in with threads praising Tory, Arnie Lerma, Xenu, or threads talking about the indentured servitude, slavery, coerced disconnection and abortions, child neglect in CofS, or threads about pricing, etc. And even on the forums where such does get mixed, well, it's easy enough not to click on the topic. Though I like the set up here, better, because it sets up sections of the board that are in accordance with people's interests.
I see a big difference between posting on a thread and expressing disagreements with the study and practice of Scn outside CofS and saying that someone should not post on a section of the board that was set up for that purpose.
I've bumped into the latter a lot. I have had several people tell me that, for example, just my saying that I have a continuing interest in Scn is the same thing as advertising it or promoting it. It's not, of course, but my posts saying that I like Scn and that I think it works would constitute promoting Scn. However, I don't write that stuff on any critical forum other than here or Beliefnet. But, unfortunately, some people do not recognize the difference.
The pro FZ posts do promote Scn. The posts saying that the writer happens to be an indie or FZ Scientologist and leaving it at that- do not promote or advertise Scn.
So I am left with an inescapable conclusion. Those who rail at people who say they are non CofS Scn'ists when there's no proselytizing taking place and those who rail at people for posting in a section specifically created to post FZ wins are advocating censorship and limitation of the rights of others to speak freely and worship/philosophize freely.
There's no getting around that.