Some time back I faced something of an ethical
dilemma in my capacity as manager of the Ex-Christian Webring. Without going
into specifics, I had an applicant for the ring who had left the fold
for another faith which has a bad reputation as being cult-like. (I
won't even mention the name of this religion for fear of litigation.)
What I knew and understood of this religion left me with no
interest in learning more. And now here I was being asked to add this
site, which promoted a religion with which I could not agree, to the
ring I manage.
Ultimately, I added the site. What basis would I have had to do
otherwise? The site offered an alternative to Christianity, which is
the sole requirement for membership in the Ex-Christian Ring. The
fact that I might personally disagree with the tenets and tactics of
this alternative is immaterial.
It's an Ex-Christian Ring. Not a Sites Endorsed By Jason R.
Tippitt Ring. As a Unitarian Universalist, I belong to a religion
that considers all persons worthy, no matter what his/her beliefs on
God/dess or the lack thereof. As long as a person's heart is set on
helping one's fellow human beings, my religion affirms that choice,
no matter what religious trappings may veil it.
Do I agree with all religions? No. In fact, you can wipe out most
major religions right off the bat because I'm an atheist; very few
religions (Buddhism, Taoism, Unitarian Universalism, the Church of
Satan, some branches of Hinduism, and perhaps Scientology) list the
word "optional" out by the box marked "deity."
But I respect anyone's right to choose his or her own beliefs. I
may not respect some practices -- anything that infringes one iota on
anyone else -- but I at least acknowledge that the person is still a
living, breathing human being. And although this applicant's religion
was one I have a bad impression of, I respect the site owner's right
to adhere to his or her chosen faith.
Yes, I added this site. And one day I might receive an
application from, say, a militant Muslim who's deconverted from
Christianity and believes that the practitioners of all other
religions are infidels. As long as the site presents arguments, not
insults, I would feel honor-bound to accept it into the ring.
There are many Christian sites which will not acknowledge points
of view which differ from the official party line. The newsletter of
the Internet Infidels
occasionally makes reference to cases in which the Secular Web posts
a rebuttal to, say, a book on apologetics, and links to the
apologetics' publisher's site. But the publisher will not give a
reciprocal link. That's business, but it also smacks of brainwashing.
I take the middle road. The sole criteria for acceptance into
this ring is that the owner of a given site be an ex-Christian.
Although I discourage having this turn into Son of the Blasphemy
Ring, I've yet to reject a single applicant. (I have booted some out
for not having their ring fragment visible, and failing to add it
after being given plenty of advance notice. But I haven't turned
anyone away outright due to content.) And I don't wish to start.
Of course, if some well-meaning Christians were to come along and
try to join the ring, I would have to say no. They would do the same
at their rings if a well-meaning Temple of Set member came
a-knocking. There is such a thing as sacred space, even for those of
us who are thoroughly secular, and I won't have static created like
that.
But the one thing I do believe in is intellectual and spiritual
freedom. That's why this site runs the gamut from atheist to Jew to
Pagan to Unitarian Universalist, and I know I left a few out. The
religious affiliation of this ring is ABC (Anything But
Christianity), and some of the UUs probably even have a little bit of
that left in them. But not enough to be the sort we cringe at. The
political philosophies range, I daresay, from reactionary to
communist, and the worldviews from nihilistic to downright
touchy-feely.
Despite our differences, we all have something in common; we have
all shed a religion that, at least for us, was not a proper fit. So
be it.
Jason R. Tippitt
Camden, TN
November 13, 1998
God Is Dead -- Now What?