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From: Fran Baker <fran@gershwin.dgii.com> Subject: Re: Baha'i & Scientology Date: Friday, August 07, 1998 2:53 PM byrd@acm.org (Jim Byrd) writes: >On Fri, 7 Aug 1998 08:37:11 -0400, "FG" ><FG@hotmail.com> wrote: >>The first attempt was defeated 157 to 691, a massive onslaught >>of Bahai voted NO in outrage and intolerance at the notion that >>anyone might say something that had cleared an official Bahai >>censor.... Mark Towfiq, a member of the Bahai Computer and >>Communication Association (BCCA), posted a message >>soliciting NO votes to three Bahai-only mailing lists working >>behind the scenes to crush the legitimate desires of 157 >>Bahais and non-Bahais who tired of censorship on >>soc.religion.bahai.... >Interesting. It's not my quarrel (I'm not Baha'i, my wife is), but >Mark Towfiq is a friend of my family. I'll have to ask him about this >the next time he comes over to my house. >I really find it hard to see what you're so upset about here. You lost >a vote to form a usenet group. Big deal. Hi Jim, The problems with what Mark Towfiq did, in my opinion, are (1) he campaigned for a NO vote, which seems against the spirit of the Baha'i policy on voting (confirmed by the UHJ's statement on the vote) and (2) he urged people to vote NO by playing on their fears of free discussion and of possibly seeing CB material, which are supersitious and self-destructive fears. As I said, this is my opinion. Even though, like you, I am not a Baha'i but my spouse is, I do see it as "my quarrel" because I believe strongly that it is best for the world (including the Baha'is) not to be afraid of ideas and free discussion. I have experienced having my polite and relevant (I think) postings turned away on grounds that are clearly applied arbitrarily by the SRB moderators. TRB would be healthy for the Baha'i community and for people interested in this religion. No one is forced to use it. Personally, I would like to see the spam weeded out, but that's the price you pay for this degree of freedom, and some of us think it's worth it. Sincerely, Fran "We are born innocent. Believe me, Adia, we are still innocent." --Sarah McLaughlin Homepage |