Respect....
I've decided to lay off posts regarding any moral paradoxes or anything of the sort, and to focus my attention to the lighter...perhaps more important things in life...at least for the time being. No matter how interesting and fascinating the topic is to me, to understand the myriad issues surrounding the human experience, and how lively discussions on it can be, it is unavoidable that such a controversial topic would tend to, unintentionally, inflame passions, maybe bruise egos, or offend sensibilities. You can never please everyone...and I have no intention nor desire to.
On another aspect, it was an exploration my limits as a writer. I was taught that good writers are capable of eliciting an emotional response from the reader, and that I got, in spades. Some praised my post, some hated it...some could relate, and some dismissed it altogether. The comments visible on the blog do not tell the whole story, as I got a whole slew of email that I didn't expect from people who didn't want to comment publicly, or from people who posted replies on their own blogs, all to mixed reactions. In short, it hardly ever seems likely that any issue I touched would be resolved collectively. If it would be, it would be individually, in our own individual hearts and minds. And perhaps that is the way it should be. I've learned a lot about myself and my failings in making that post, and I learned a lot as well from other people through all the feedback I got. In the end...I got what I wanted.
More than anything...the crux of the matter is respect. Respect for our fellow men, respect for other beliefs no matter if we agree with them or not. I will not apologize for my own beliefs, and neither should anyone else. But I apologize if I unintentionally offended anyone. Let us just continue to learn....
"A belief is not merely an idea the mind possesses; it is an idea that possesses the mind."
- Robert Oxton Bolt
"Where there is an open mind, there will always be a frontier."
- Charles Franklin Kettering
"I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend, to the death, your right to say it."
- Voltaire
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