reply to post by Mr Green
I understand your grievance, and sympathise with the frustration you feel. I know that my ignoring
religion's thread was, in itsself, a
retroactice act. Threads shouldn't be started, only to be disregarded by those who have relevant opinions. My bad. ATS isn't just a read-only
site.
However, your objection to the way he was treated is justified, as we are all entitled to a fair hearing but, in my opinion, is slightly wide of the
target. Let me explain...
Let's assume for this arguement that
religion is hoaxing. If this is the case, then he made a mistake in that he made no real effort to
convince. This in itsself is a critical oversight, as this site encourages free thinking, unfortunately in all of its manifestations. There have been
countless fake claims made on these boards, some of them ongoing and really quite convincing. To simply state that he had contacted Greys, had been
offered a placing off-world and was awaiting his ride does
nothing to persuade ATS's predominatley cynical membership. Sometimes less is more,
but not in this case.
Look at the John Titor phenomena. He spoke prosaically and apparently without the need to eloborate beyond what he wanted to tell. He drew in
countless amounts of believers with a unpretentious approach to delivering cleverly concocted detail. And it was this lack of detail in
religion's post alone roused suspicion and the inevitable backlash, and he should have known that. I have no sympathy for hoaxers when their
lies are uncovered through their own failings.
If we then view another possibility that he is suffering under a delusion, and completely believed his claims to be true, then his treatment was
unfair. But not to be unexpected. This is difficult to explain in terms that don't seem unkind but, in simple, no nonsense terms, we are not here to
listen to the misconceptions of psychological confusion and emotional frailty.
This is not a self-help site. It's a conspiracy site.
The majority of members will have immense sympathy for other ATSers who are suffering under similar problems. Many members openly state that they have
experienced emotional problems; I've done it myself. But many will not be able, or be willing to pass up the opportunity to rubbish outlandish
declarations no matter what the poster's provenance. Such is the human condition. Some folks like easy targets as they can't cope with hardened
ones.
The last option is that
religion was telling the truth. My main reservation with this hypothesis is this: if you were a suitable candidate for
solar emigration, you would be of a certain type of person. You would at least have to be capable, self-sufficient, hardy and fiercely intelligent and
acomplished in communicating your needs, hopes and beliefs. Hopefully, exploration, or the craving for exploration, would be the driving force in your
life.
Your need to know answers to the most immense questions would compel a continued urge to step beyond the boundaries of everything you formely felt to
be safe and secure to find those answers.
When the call came, it would be a life-fullfilling event. You would gladly,
fervently, leave your home with a heart swelling with pride and
energized anticipation. That's what I think, anyway. That's the kind of person who I would want to represent my species in space. Did
religion's post sound like that kind of person? At all? Even a hint?
I realise it's near impossible to fathom the minds and reasoning of creatures that were not only not born on this planet, but whose cultures would be
unrecognisable to us, but isn't it realistic to assume that they wouldn't take someone who may be incapable or unable to adapt to an environment and
lifestyle that is beyond foreign? Why would
they want to nanny their guest?
If
religion was telling the truth, then I sincerely hope he can forgive all those who doubted. But we can't be blamed.
Ask yourself this: if you were in the same position, and as a member of ATS who would have known how certain subjects are treated on these boards,
would you not have endeavoured to make your last post before leaving this Earth the singular best piece of work you were capabe of? I'm not saying
that you would try and emulate great writers, but that you would pour your heart out onto the screen.
That's simply not what I got from the post.