More than words – The Voice of There

Editor's Notes: This editorial was written August 25, 2004 in preparation for the Voice's launch. At the time there was a certain individual in game mainly in forums who used his interpretation of religion to put members down. I did not publish this editorial at the time because of the writer's references to god had offended some staff members. I respected that and it was never published. It's a year later now and I thought it was important to be able to look back and see the turmoil that was upon us only one year ago, and how things have change. I think things have changed for the better, what a difference a year makes....

Never Wear White Shoes After Labor Day...

An Editorial by Kitteee

This editorial was written in response to the recent griefing of There's Gay Community

I was approached by two people that are very dear to me and asked if I would be interested in commenting on the recent rash (yes, it is a rash) of harassment against the gay and lesbians in There. Since I have many friends in both groups, I was honored that they would come to me. People that know me, know that I hold strong opinions on many things, and am not afraid to voice them at any time or place, regardless of the audience. I believe that others have just as much right to have and voice their opinions, no exceptions.

I have seen religion used as a battering ram against people that don’t “conform”. It is the reply for every question, or so it seems. You can’t be this, because god says it’s wrong. You can’t do this, for the same reason. Its funny, but not too many years ago, the same reasoning was used to keep women under the foot of their “lords”. Funny because without women, there would be no men, and visa versa. No one person is any better or worse than the next. It is my belief that anything written by a man, for other men, is flawed by default.

I have read that the People believe that a homosexual is a special person, they believe that person holds the spirit of two inside their body, instead of just one, making them powerful and revered. But what do we know, we are after all, in the eyes of god and his followers, savages. And that’s really the point of it all. Believe what we believe, or you are the one in the wrong. Think how and what we think, or you are a sinner. Live the way we live, or you can’t live. My understanding is that your god supposedly created us all, and yet you say he screwed up? Made mistakes? Astonishing. But you have an answer for that as well, he just made us, it’s our job to fix what he messed up. Great thinking. How convenient.

As you may have guessed already, I am not really impressed with the whole notion of god or religion. I don’t agree with people that think that just because you follow a mystical being in the sky, that you are somehow above everyone else. This god is supposedly loving and forgiving, how nice for all of us. I of course don’t care if floaty man up there loves OR forgives me. I didn’t ask, and I wont. I refuse to hide behind another persons words and use them to harass and beat down an entire group. Gays, lesbians, blacks, whites, jews, I don’t care. Time after time, god and religion has been used to take from others the basic right to BE. To live as they see fit, to worship a rock if they want.

You are attacking a person. With hopes, feelings, thoughts, dreams, desires and needs, just like yourself. You are trying to force people to try to hide a part of themselves just because you don’t like it. You may even be pushing them over the edge and into taking their own life. You don’t have that right.

You are belittling a person for what he or she does in the bedroom, which is none of your concern. You will say you are only carrying the word of your god, when in reality, which is just an excuse to hide your own shortcomings and faults. And quite possibly, your own desires. You are trying to force people to deny something as much a part of them as the color of their hair, or their height. They didn’t choose those and they didn’t choose to be homosexual. No matter what anyone says.

I will happily use your own teachings against you and do what others have done for centuries, pick the parts out of your book and twist them to suit myself. Judge not, lest ye be judged. Love thy neighbor. And never wear white shoes after Labor Day…that’s was in the bible right?

The views expressed in this editorial are solely that of the writer and not representative of the views of The Voice of There and it's staff.