Rosher.Net

Fundamentalism and Honour… From todays example, plainly these are the most unhappy bedfellows.

This morning I came across this story of religious intolerance, on the Pagan news blog The Wild Hunt:

‘…Rita Moran, the [pagan] Chair of the Kennebec County Democratic Committee in Maine, who is being singled out by the local Christian Civil League for what looks like a campaign of harassment and intimidation.’

Reading the actual story it referred to, at The Christian Civil League Record, I was moved to comment on the article thus:

‘What a wonderful article. If only you replaced the word ‘disturbing’ with ‘inspirational’ it would be a marvellous tribute to Rita Moran and Pagans in Public Service across the lands’. and signed it bish.

Being open and honourable I included my URL in the posting form. Within an hour my comment had been subverted – actually an example of Identity Theft – and now read thus:

‘What a wonderful article. It would be a marvellous tribute to Rita Moran and Pagans in Public Service across the lands.’ It was now signed Mark Rosher, Charfield, England along with said URL, from whence the information of course came. It also included my email address, although the WordPress based blog site stated email addresses (though required) would not be published.

Perhaps the blog site owner felt I might be afraid of being outted as a Pagan! LOL! It wasn’t just my own comment that was thus altered. Several folk, at least one of whom I know, had their full names, their work and home email and postal addresses, even their home telephone numbers added to the altered posts. This was a spiteful attack on free speech in the ‘land of the free’.

Sadly, it only goes to show that there are folk out there who truly believe religion to be a subject for warfare. Intolerance is what will destroy this world, and all folk of any belief and of none will be as dead as each other. The spiritual journey this particular part of the ‘verse is on will come to an abrupt end, and deity will have learnt a new part of the puzzle… and perhaps the gods will weep.

To the site owner of the Christian Civil League Record. Deliberately editting comment posts on your site in order to change the tone and direction of the comment is misrepresentation. Deliberately adding email addresses (going to seek them out even, and then publishing them) when your own software package promises this will not happen is dishonourable. Publishing personal details you have had to seek out, in order to intimidate posters with opinions in opposition to your own is harrassment. Now, I’m English, but I’m fairly sure you’re in breach of several US laws. I’m also fairly sure that your charitable status, or whatever it is called in the US, is in jeopardy thorugh your ill thought through and un-Christian actions. Shame be upon you.

Technorati: Christian Fundamentalism Fundie Rita Moran Maine Pagan Tolerance