Theos-Talk Archives (April 1996 Message tl01411)

I would like to challenge anyone who is interested to go back over the files
and see when the words "heresy" and "blasphemy" first entered this list.

I can guarantee you that they were not uttered by me, or Eldon, or Daniel, or
JHE, or Bee, or Jerry S., or anyone else discussing a serious topic on a
thread.

The words first entered the list when several of the "Gang of Four/Five"
began imagining that what they were saying was really blowing the lid off a
few readers.  (I can't speak for others, but I sat calmly and thought to
myself, "This is silly.")

The words "heresy" and "blasphemy" were used as jokes, really, as "Gang"
members tried to defend themselves from "fundamentalists" whom they imagined
were trying to stop others from speaking.

Things were said like "Wow, this will get me accused of heresy !! <grin>"
 This, from people whose self-avowed purpose was "irritation" and signed, for
example, "Troublemaker."  (Well, we got irritation and trouble, which I guess
was the goal....?)

Once the words entered in JEST, they began to circulate and take on a life of
their own, until people began to IMAGINE that someone had actually *CALLED*
them "heretic" and "blasphemer."

I assure you, this has never happened, and I am psyched the files are all
there to back me up.  No one, on either side of the great "Abyss" has ever
called anyone on this list a heretic or a blasphemer, although now a few
believe they were called these names.

And of course, once this has been imagined, it is easy to feel persecuted and
pushed out.

It would also be interested to look at when OTHER names first appeared on the
list -- the first blow I think was "fundamentalist" which was NOT said in
jest, and WAS aimed directly at individuals.

There is no retort to "fundamentalist," because how would you categorize
those who aren't fundamentalists?  Free thinkers, perhaps?  That's no insult.

Some began to categorize themselves as a "Gang."  That was self-chosen and no
insult.  You see my point.  It has been rather one-sided for a long, long
time.

But perhaps everyone is willing to drop the personal attacks.  Good.  I am
happy to go along.  But I agree with Daniel that we should look at where it
began, and say to participants, IF YOU DISH IT OUT, LEARN TO TAKE IT.