After the initial shock from reading Simon's announcement wore off, I re-read it again for the first time.
Here is something that really stood out:
The ex-JW community has certainly changed over the years.
People have and always will have disagreements but in the past there was a certain level of mutual respect, even if you vehemently disagreed with someone, and a line that people would not cross. Now it seems that the slightest disagreement is taken to extremes and escalated beyond all proportion with a level of vitriol seen in very few online communities. Some people even hold grudges about things that have happened literally 5 or 6 years ago! How sad and pathetic is that?
It seems that too many people don't want a civil place and for some reason don’t want to see other people have one either.
I think the silent majority have always appreciated what we do and continue to support us but there is a sizeable minority that is either easily swayed or too lazy or stupid to see what is happening or just plain don’t care and even think its all fun to watch and it becomes a game – maybe they have nothing better to do with their lives?
Others seem to have a problem with any sort of authority and refuse to cooperate with the simplest request. Time and again we see simple requests or announcements turned into major battles and campaigns.
Can we all see a little or a lot of ourselves in the above? I hope so, and I hope we all resolve to change our attitudes. If we don't, it doesn't matter which online community we may decide to join, we'll just foul up the new place with our ugliness.
Just a thought.
Sylvia