In Reply to: Please make this easier posted by Thinker on January 07, 2004 at 04:36:47:
There is a post below regarding "Support and recovery in the exer community" if you read that, then the comments that follow and what those turn into, it might be more clear to you. I am not being *cryptic* here. I was speaking generally about some common factors in the exer on-line communities. There is a lot of what feels like to me *harshness* towards each other. It was followed with comments about how the family was all nicey nicey and fake and so now people need to vent. (Bear with me, I am surely leaving plenty out because I do not want to repost every thing or repeat everything.) I have certainly vented and that is certainly valid. But I am not talking about quenching a "need to vent"
The posts I wrote were general observations, the comments largely very defensive.
In this last post you are asking about, I do not view the family as having been "nicey-nicey" within or without except for those situations where *PR* was used. In fact, the family was quite harsh within. Leaders held meetings frequently and discussed the ranks. Often belittling different people. Sometimes it doesn't seem much different at exer sites. This is not to say that it is always this way. BTW, if MOST EVERYBODY is venting at the same time at each other no one really benefits much from the "venting".
It seemed to me that the point was missed even though responses went the same direction- hypercritical between exers. I have been. That happens sometimes for pretty much everyone. I started different posts because I was basically, myself, kinda wishing there was a place that people could post and as a whole be LARGELY supportive of each other as exers regardless of differences of opinions.
Already there are, as one example, two people battling it out and instead of doing that with each other and then comments from others there are alot more attacks and *evaluations* of the posts.
So what if Alan is a *fundamentalist* and Eva is a seeker with no fine-tuned definition of truth. And someone is a professor that analyzes everything and puts a stamp of approval or disapproval on what is said. LOL! And so what if I am agnostic and don't give a flying fuck if Jesus ever even existed.
What we have in common is a very sick group/'family' background. And that 'family' goes on infecting the world with it's hurtful and damaging doctrines. People die as a result of 'family' fallout. It doesn't mean we can't disagree. But I do get uncomfortable when I see anyone on the board get what seems to be categorized by the board's most popular few. And no. I won't name names, because that changes. Because as soon as one of the "popular" says something that is not widely accepted, then there is a pull towards shunning them or *reproving* them. And uncannily LIKE the Family, there is a herd instinct. Now, I am going to go and pour me a tall cool one and sit back and relax. Life is too short. In any case, how the hell are you doing in this stage of your recovery? (asked a bit sassily but sincerely.)