Congress to Censor Hip Forums!!!

Skip,
In Cerridwen's defense, yes, she is as you know a Pagan, and she has struggled with fundamentalist issues that do affect her. But I think many of them are personal and family related, and from the point of view of a Pagan who has faced similar issues with attachment, cultural/family pressures, and conflicting values, I'm asking that we please respect her privacy in these matters. All of us have challenges to overcome and attachments to let go of, it's the human condition, but perhaps dragging other people's personal issues and family/cultural value struggles out onto the boards like this is counter-productive and harmful in the long run.

In regards to confornting the bullshit, I hold the belief that battles should be chosen wisely and carefully, and that effort should not be wasted on meaningless conflict. Megara may have been spouting the propaganda as he has assimilated it, and we do need a place on the web where our views are heard and respected. (I recall what happened to the Code Pink message boards around the time the war started - they were taken over completely by abusive and aggressive trolls pushing for violence and even advocating rape and other violence against women, because discretion was not exercised by the moderators regarding which posts were allowed to remain.) However, as agressive and annoying as he was, I think the majority of the people here realize that Megara is a powerless twit, and totally insignificant, which is precisely why he hides behind the pro-Bush drivel that he spouts.

Myself, I prefer to spend my anger and energy on those who deserve it, who are real threats to freedom, like the administration itself, and the corrupt system that feeds it.

 

... wow. Well, it's a good thing that you're as open minded as you are, Skip. Land of the Fascists indeed. Despite the good that I see in this site - for if I hated it, I wouldn't've stuck around for as long as I have - and despite how I do empathize and agree with your side of things, I do have my own opinion. And unlike some people (many folks) who post here, I don't get offended or bothered if others disagree. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and part of the whole freedom of speech thing allows us to express it.

I agree that it sucks that hipforums gets swallowed up with other forums as being negative and banned from schools. I'll give you credit for that. If you want me to empathise with your argument on that alone, then I'm totally there with you.

If you look at the world from the point of view of a parent, or someone who works with children, you see the world a bit differently than someone who doesn't. Being reduntant: I absolutely think it's stupid that schools and government steps in and controls our media, our access to information. BUT AT THE SAME TIME this wouldn't have to happen if there were those of us who spent a few extra minutes a day raising our kids.

Skip, I don't disagree with you. I very much share your opinion on this issue, but my feelings extend a bit further and it's not as black and white as yours. I don't think I ever said that you were wrong, and yet there's numerous times in this thread where you jump the gun a little bit too much on me.

If others are being treated by the other moderators in this way as well, it's no wonder that there are more of us loosing attention to the site. At this rate your only fanbase would be the 13 year olds you allow on this site, and there are fewer of them then us who'll pay to be here.

 

I keep reading in this thread in a very negative tone 'Xtian fundamentalist values'; is that to say that being Christian is somehow negative?

I'm not very religious although I do attend church. I am, though, fairly offended by the negative tone whenever this keeps being brought up.

Don't confuse wrongful censorship or other issues with Christianity. It isn't a church organization that's censoring the internet, it's the government and the school boards. The fact that this particular tone is being used in this thread is particularily offensive to me and I'm sure others who may come across it.

 

i actualy had to consider that option, bad steffan, bad

 

thanks for a bit of moral support, kitty fabulous - I do feel like I'm being jumped on a little. It's interesting that hippy.com's slogan is 'Speak your mind here without fear' and yet the one who runs this site targets me for having my own opinion. Sheesh. So much for that.

 

Unfortunately we still live in a flawed society. It'll be impossible to create one where EVERYONE is happy - although things are getting better. And granted, there wasn't the dramatic change that we wanted done but there did come a lot of change from the '60s, it wasn't complitely futile.

This thread is getting a little off topic.... shouldn't it have been closed by now?

 

Let's listen what America's hero Barry Goldwater said:
"Extremism for liberty is no vice, moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue."
"In the rush to cure all the ills to which humans are heir, liberty is too often an innocent bystander--and an accidental casualty."

 

I agree that there are a few bad apples who practice Christianity, but to say that society is wrong because of Christian fundamentalists is the equivalent of saying that Germans are evil because of Hitler and Nazis.

I really think it's deplorable that someone who runs a site that is supposedly based on acceptance despite what you practice or what your walk of life is, turns around and finds it acceptable to be this insulting is horrifying.

Initially I was happy to find a place like hipforums.com, but to see the attitude of the staff who run it is disgusting.

Yes, I am Christian, but despite that, I consider myself to be very open minded about the world around me. I, for one, have lost complete interest in this site and have lost complete respect for those who run it, and would no longer visit this site. I'm glad it's being censored.

 

The only christians values that stand in oposition to human values that i can see is that values do not apply when it comes there god or in spreading there religon.
the problem seems to be more the debate on how human values should be interpreted and the role of the goverment plays in our lives

 

I'm with you Skip, we need to take a stand for our rights, While I dont suport violence in any way, I sure as hell wont stand by and let the government stomp out my freedom too speak my mind. My first amendment rights mean alot too me and they should mean alot to everybody else too. Like I say I would never resort to violence of anykind, but I tell you one thing they wont shut my mouth or my mind. FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS ABSOLUTE!:sunglasse

 

I quoted Goldwater, b/c he was a rarity: a Conservative Republican leader who dared to stand up to protect individual liberties. He had opposed war on drugs too. If he's the head of Repubs now, the situation would be different, nobody would be censored.

 

I do agree with this, I may not be the best at following the laws of the bible, but I belive in God and his authority, his will will prevail regardless of what anybody on this site or earth thinks.

I agree totally.

 

um, didn't Gandhi say it first?

 

yes

 

i think that technocaly you have to call that a trueism, its been said in aot of way by alot of philosiphers