I have amended the forum creed to make crystal-clear how things work with respect to that one flame-broiled topic.
It saddens me, frankly, that I'm forced to do this. But it's become clear that what I thought of as gentle moral suasion on the question hasn't been clear enough.
Let me clarify where I am coming from. I was raised by a Jewish father and a Protestant mother. I basically grew up without any formal religious beliefs or practices. In 1986 I began playing with Mr. Satan and listened to many, many sermons about the evils of God's people, especially money-grubbing ministers. I had no particular feelings either way. After a mild heart attack in 2000--while playing harmonica onstage with Jason Ricci, of all things--I began to reassess. I began to use the word "God" on a fairly regular basis. I began to read A COURSE IN MIRACLES. I began attending the Interfaith Fellowship church in Manhattan.
Since moving to Mississippi, I no longer actively attend any church service. I married a nice Christian woman, but she no longer attends church. We get along just fine. I'm currently writing a book on the devil and the blues tradition. It has 6 planned chapters and has me thinking about the blues, God, the devil, ministers, all that stuff, much of the time.
I would like NOTHING more than to be able to have intelligent, searching, adult conversations on this website about such topics.
But it has become extremely clear that the members of this forum are unable to conduct themselves in a respectful manner when the subject of religion, in ANY form, raises its head.
Does anybody remember MichaelAndrewLo? I believe he vacated the forum when I first modified the creed so as gently to try and say, "Guys, it would be a really good idea if y'all just left religion alone." I can't blame him for being antinomian--somebody who hates laws, and lawmakers. I'm the same way. And I truly hate being forced to make the sort of law I've just been forced to make.
But I was also just forced to excommunicate a longtime forum member who went rattlebrain nuts on a thread devoted to the Catholic Church's praise for THE BLUES BROTHERS. How that particular thread led to the posting of brief biographies of 73 Catholic priests defrocked for pedophilia is beyond me, but there it was.
Please read the modified forum creed. Needless to say, I'm asking for your help here. Don't bust my chops. Talk about the blues and the harmonica and all relevant associated topics to your heart's content, but until further notice, please don't start thread with titles like "Are the blues a religion?" That is, indeed, an invitation to disaster at this particular moment.
I don't think that is why Andrew (MichaelAndrewLo) vacated. It was Congoran who left because of religion.
Andrew lives in Portland, as I do, and we have been working on harmonica duets together, although right now he is in Paris. I am really enjoying working with Andrew on the duets.
Congoran WAS (and is) very upset about the religion topic. I traded some email with him recently.
I think both of them got tired of the bickering. I regularly ask myself why I am still here. I get some valuable things from time to time (I met Andrew through the forum) and I find some tips and some music but the bickering and arguing is a real turn off. ----------
Tin Lizzie
Last Edited by on Jun 22, 2010 10:32 AM
great statement adam read you loud and clear joined the forum to learn from the many seasoned veterans about blowin harp religion has no place here and was taught by my father to accept all once when I refused to play with a young neighbor my age my dad asked why? I said he was a jew not knowing what a jew was my father asked if jesus came to our neigborhood would I talk to him? when I said yes he said well,son jesus was/is a jew dad did his job well
Adam, when it comes to religion as well as politics, it's best to leave these things off the forum because it only opens the worst can of worms possible because even tho I consider myself a moderate, but when you have hard line conservative or very far left leaning, neither of them can get to the middle and discuss anything intelligently without getting into fighting words and it's always gonna be the "my way or the highway" attitude.
Though I didn't give my 2 cents about it, when I saw the the religous and political topics here, I knew that was gonna happen and it's best that that is kept off and too many people get ridiculously unreasonable and impossible to deal with. The closest to that kind of discussion on the harmonica level is the discussion of overblows and that's timid compared to religion and politics, so PLEASE don't allow that stuff in at all.
There are a lot of people who've contacted me off list who shall remain nameless who have felt that this forum was turning out to be too much like Harp-L in its worst days of the non stop pissing contest (Sorry for the language, but unfortunately, it hits the nail on the head) and it REALLY turns people off big time. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Guess it's too late to convert everyone to Pastafarianism and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Damn! And they even have a beer volcano and stripper factory in heaven.
BBQ, I like to think I can get to the middle for a good discussion, and I've met people from the other end of the spectrum who are willing to have good discussions but I know what you mean. It only takes one person, no matter which side they are on, to start throwing stones, and the whole thread blows up.
This is not the forum to discuss religion - I concurr. Given that, I'd offer that we give each other the same respect we more naturally would if we were speaking face to face. I've stopped reading several threads because I didn't want to subject myself to the negative input they were generating. I only have so many synaptic events available on any given day and I try to subjugate those events to the positive. Peace and harmonica happiness to everyone.
good move Adam! If you want to keep your forum attractive to fairly balanced folks, tighting the rules is the way to go. Making this a strictly harmonica based forum will drive away the loose screws. I know you don't want that, but anything short will result in ongoing episodes as this one. A loosely organized forum attracts too many people that need conflict in their lives. By conflict, I mean unbalanced personalities that thrive in a lawless world. Their lack of power in their real lives is expressed in extreme kind of things we have seen here in order to feel powerful. Hiding behind a keyboard, thousands of miles from who they attack, is a set up for unbalanced personalities to thrive. I don't know how you put up with it all. I never could run a forum. Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year. " life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
I don't understand why anything is posted on this board that is not in some way linked to the harmonica, blues, it's players. equipment, instruction, etc..etc..
To me...OT or off topic would be like when I posted something about Stevie Ray Vaughan.
I'm sure you can find forums on the net to discuss anything you like....don't ruin this one by bringing up stuff that has no business here......of course you will always have people that get their jollys by trying to stir shit.
Last Edited by on Jun 22, 2010 11:48 AM
I noticed the word God used also but only in vain like we are supposed to be impressed by the tough guy demeanor.While your on the voyage to find the answers to life(and folks it aint at the mythic crossroads, even though the Delta could sure use your money)lets also eliminate the political posturing. I learned a hell of a long time ago most not all but most problems people have TODAY are brought on by themselves.Weve got enough conspiracy theorists who are looking in vain for answers. This is a fallen world. Theres good and bad in all but the vast majority of ministers especially in Mississippi are walking with the King. Now im through.
I think MAL has taken his leave of absence BECAUSE of the added stipulation. Honestly, I didn't like it either, as I thought it was very pertinent to the conversation. That's where a chat room would have come in handy for us. I'm not one to buck the rules tho, as I enjoy coming here, even for the OT conversations. ---------- Kyzer's Travels Kyzer's Artwork
Ah, TinLizzie, you and I agree at last! I can't stand the bickering either. But then again, we are blues harmonica players, and I've never met a large group of people drawn to blues who were able to conduct a rational on-line conversation.
In person it's a whole different thing, of course. One thing that made Hill Country Harmonica special was that were were a community of like-minded crazies and saw ourselves as that. The vibe was palpable.
As for the people who've left this forum: no hard feelings on my end. People keep beating down my door asking to be let in; I'm registering about one a day, on average. Fresh blood is good for forums. So is the wisdom that comes from long experience. The only thing that's not good for forums is the cynicism that sometimes accumulates in people who have stayed too long. Each of us makes a private decision about when "too long" is--unless we go nuts and force the reluctant moderator's hand--and that's as it should be.
As suggested by Mrverylongusername, I'm going to lock this thread, since it's achieved its purpose.
Last Edited by on Jun 22, 2010 4:01 PM
