Originally posted by Arm Of Geddon
My personal motto to not get too involved with "groups" seems to pay off. My God. After reading some of the stuff by these Ufers I suddenly feel extremely sane.
I know the feeling.
I'm a formally diagnosed bipolar, used to be a witch (a sorceror, to be precise), have regular contact in my meditations with what I consider to probably be other spirits (if not my own imagination) and am a recently-discredited self-described prophet.
Yet, amid all this, I feel surprisingly well-grounded.
And that's saying a lot.
I've never been big on the “UFO community” because well, just look at it. I don't want to seem like I'm knocking anyone in particular, I'm just saying that the UFO community seems to be more of a dysfunctional extended family than anything coherent.
There are some brilliant people who study UFOs and the question of extraterrestrial life, but they are the glaring exception to the rule.
The problem seems to be that so few “UFOlogists” seem to be willing to insist on truth. They just “want to believe”.
In the absence of skepticism, entrepreneurs and hucksters thrive, and the truth disappears through neglect and disinterest.
Suspending Belief
I'm a professing skeptic who considers it likely that not only does extraterrestrial life exist, but that it's abundant and that intelligent ET's might very well be active in the affairs of this planet. This notion is based on a generalized assessment of all that I know, but none of what I know could be considered proof.
Knowing this, I leave open the very real possibility that I could be absolutely dead wrong.
And at its heart, that's what true skepticism is: acceptance of the fact that we can all be wrong.
Those who dismiss that possibility suffer the consequences: a long, miserable downward spiral into deeper self-deception, all the result of refusing to simply accept the truth of their own fallibility.
The squabbling, finger-pointing, paranoia and social cannibalism that runs rampant in the “UFO community” is what results, and the only thing I can be sure of is that such distractions lead away from, not toward, the truth about UFOs.
Wisdom From Serpo
I see the Serpo saga as a cautionary tale of what can happen when we are not careful to diligently apply skepticism in cases of extraordinary claims.
My hope, however, is that those who may find experiences like these to be frustrating and discouraging will be inspired to adopt the alternative approach of skepticism instead.
It costs nothing other than the willingness to set aside ego in exchange for enlightenment, and if it doesn't satisfy, you can always give it up later.
And that's my opportunistic religious pitch in a nutshell.
Initiation into the “cult of skepticism” is easy.
All you need to do is question everything, and you're in.
Speaking Of Opportunism
Originally posted by waffleprime
so, what wen just went down anyway? I kinda got lost and missed the behind the scenes fun! someone should lay it all down! so the ignorant arn't left stranded on serpo.
Writing up summaries on such a fast-moving thread can be exhausting, so I'm experimenting with podcasts as a way of commenting on stories like this one. After all, I love to talk, and members can listen to my babbling while surfing other threads if they like.
It's sort of like talk radio, and no iPod is required. A computer that can play MP3's will do fine.
Of course, my comments are just my opinions, and my summaries are a bit loose, but if you don't feeling like reading several pages of text, you may want to give them a try:
ATS.X: Project Serpo: Revelation Or Hoax? (Beginning) | (Starting tonight) | (Latest podcast)
This is also a great way to help share Serpo with the blind – although I must question how grateful they would be for that.
