Excellent question squinney - about why all the vitriol toward Arella. If she was the kind of unrepentant, in your face bible thumping evangelist I'd think she was if I never had any personal exchanges with her (by personal I just mean back and forth within these discussions), I might have problems with her, as well. I don't like things jammed down my throat. But she hasn't ever seemed to me as deserving of the kind of jumping up and down that some seem to heap on her. She says things that some find misinformed and just plain wrong (as do we all), but rather than just state where they disagree, they seem to ascribe a kind of sinister ulterior to her that I just ain't seein.
Someone brought her posts from the other site.
She never accepted responsibility for what she did. She either lied, or wiggled or made excuses or gave half-hearted apologies that ended up being defenses.
So, it was never settled.
That whole episode was pivotal in my reconsideration of my personal religious thinking.
A certain e-mail comes to mind.
Actually, I would be equally vitriolic toward anyone espousing an American Christian theocracy. Her actual position was stated as first America, then the world.
ehBeth wrote:That whole episode was pivotal in my reconsideration of my personal religious thinking.
Beth, would you feel able to expand on this?
That is very interesting.
I can expand. I've mentioned it somewhere else here on A2K in a vague way. But I can't expand right now. Not until the morning when the two glasses of pinot noir have warn off. Maybe Beth will have responded by then.
(yawn)
G'Nite.
Let's say you're all absolutely right about the worst possible interpretation of what Arella did. She actually tried to get other Christians to come here to A2K and try to convince other people about christianity.
Then let's say that you're all right that she lied about it. Okay. Now what?
Do we want a detailed, bolded apology addressed to all who were offended, denouncing her actions and begging forgiveness? I think this would satisfy only some of you. Is her offense patently just so bad that she has to pay for it into perpetuity? How can she pay for her acts? I don't think she can, for some of you.
There is one of you, and we all know to whom I refer, that has made a lot of trying to nail down and drive home over and over what she evidently sees as huge and virtually unforgivable offenses of Arella. I recognize her work, becasue she has tried, several times, and lately, to do the same thing to me.
This is a sordid exercise, IMO ardently pursued only to the detriment of us all.
I have said things on A2K I have later thought better of, and so have all of us that will be honest.
If Arella has or does express regret for what she said, I think we should all have serious doubts about the motives of any who pursue it further.
snood wrote:....Is her offense patently just so bad that she has to pay for it into perpetuity? How can she pay for her acts? I don't think she can, for some of you.
Yes she can, snood.
She can play it straight from here on. Say what she means & mean what she says. No more manipulation, no more sneaky agendas (that anyone can see through!). No more pleading that she's some sort of special case who deserves special consideration. I could live with that!
msolga wrote:snood wrote:....Is her offense patently just so bad that she has to pay for it into perpetuity? How can she pay for her acts? I don't think she can, for some of you.
Yes she can, snood.
She can play it straight from here on. Say what she means & mean what she says. No more manipulation, no more sneaky agendas (that anyone can see through!). No more pleading that she's some sort of special case who deserves special consideration. I could live with that!
Can you (msolga) clearly tell me what one of her sneaky agendas is, or has been in the past?
Well, snood, like the thread I was just talking to you on: confusing the notion of "freedom" with US troops having to act at the behest of their government's (misguided) motives in Iraq. Then trying to make folk who are (understandably) hostile to this agenda feel bad because the person who (apparently) motivated her to start this thread in the first place is inconsolable because of a recent loss of a loved one in Iraq. Something you are told only after she appears to have lost support for her argument.
Msolga,
I offered you proof. I would be more than happy to provide it to you though I highly doubt it would make a bit of difference. But, I am going to PM you the proof Msolga. You can then decide for yourself whether it is true or not.
Msolga, I would like to know what you think of Arella's 'proof'.
If you read the links on the previous page, you can ably see that she said things, including, "I said I was sorry, but I didn't do anything."
She never honestly took responsibility for what she did. So, it was never settled. She equivocated, lied, wiggled and made excuses. Had she admitted it straightforwardly, I would likely only bring it up when I see her preaching to other people---who should be told she's not Bible teacher material.
I communicate with you, snood, based on what you write. If you can't tolerate disagreement, you should rethink what you write.
What did you think of our proof?
Snood,
Let me give you the short version of what happened.
1. I was accused of recruiting other Christians to this forum and also for using A2K to recruit others for my organization. I denied it at the time because it was not true.
2. A few weeks later, yes, I did strongly encourage other Christians to come to A2K and said I would like to see A2K glorify God instead of mocking him, etc. Not exact words but you can read the exact words in those previous links. I did not, however, use A2K to recruit anyone to my organization. I did post a thread once about helping victims of Hurricane Katrina without reading the TOS about it and it was pulled and I was suspended for a short period of time. Since then, I have taken great pains to not mention my site's name or address in the open forums. Others; however, did post my site address and even a link to a picture of me and my husband. It was immediate taken out of the post.
3. I did not tell anyone that I had psted in that Christian site. Someone discovered it on their own and brought my posts and posts from others on that Christian site over to A2K and posted them.
4. So, yes. I did it. I've always said I did it. I posted the timeline, etc. to prove that I had done it long after I was originally accused of it but have never once denied that I actually did do it.
I apologized for hurting anyone. I apologized for the whole stupid mess. Now, I'm done with it. If certain people can't let it go. Fine, let the resentment eat them alive. It's their choice. I'm done with it.
And Snood, if you would like, I would be more than happy to send you the exact proof that I sent to Msolga. I am so sorry that you and others are being drawn back into this mess.
As for me, I'm done with this issue. If others bring it up, I'm no longer responding to it. It's done.
