The other day I got an email from a girl in Victoria who read my testimony. The email was really interesting, and she made many good points. One thing I felt stood out was the way she saw this website. This lady didn’t feel comfortable writing a comment on my website so she sent me her honest thoughts via email. Her view was simply this, “…you give the impression of being a closed, tight-knit group…”
The reason I found this interesting was because it was written from the perspective of someone who openly admitted to not believing in God. Granted, there are a great percentage of those who comment regularly here that also do not believe (it’s roughly half-half), but this didn’t sway the impression this lady got from our discussions.
I like to think of this site as being a place where anyone, believer or not, can throw in their two cents without feeling intimidated by the fact that there are believers who comment here. The outside perspective though seems that we come across as a Christian clique, the very type of dynamic I have come to hate. The validity of this statement isn’t really the issue here. It’s the fact that a person got this impression that concerns me.
Most of the email, at the admission of it’s author, was written with a negative slant. I personally did not take it this way though, as it’s the first time anyone has privately written to me during this site’s existance, that didn’t have a screw loose, who has given usable feedback. This was the candid thoughts of a bright intelligent person, one who would have possibly contributed positively to our discussions here, but now most likely wont based on the impression she received from us.
This makes me a little sad to say the least. The last thing I want is for this website to become like the 50 thousand other websites out there which have a Christian theme, websites which only ever seem to hear from spiritually like-minded people. I want myself and the other believers who read this to be challenged in what we believe. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we will accept what you say without reason or response, but we will always appreciate listening to your perspective.
So, if you happen to be a person who believes differently to what I do, don’t let this deter you from sharing your thoughts. Even those of us who do believe in Jesus are more than happy to hear what you have to say and have you share in our discussion. It’s only by the input from others who believe differently that any of us can hope to grow and learn.
Perhaps the tight-nit group perspective is a fair comment. You are close friends with a number of the people who comment on the site. Tight-nit doesn’t mean necessarily mean exclusive. I think you’ve done a great job of making this site very inclusive of one and all.
Posted by Dan L on May 4th, 2005 at 4:35 pm“Tight-nit doesn’t mean necessarily mean exclusive.” … Closed does though.
Thanks for the compliment 
Hmmm….very interesting. Personally I would have loved to read what the victorian girl had to say. I have my beliefs and opinions, but I want to see things from as many perspectives as possible. My brain is not the only brain in the world, and it is arrogant of me to think that the way I see things is necessarily the only, or best way to see things. It has taken me some time to figure this out, but I have done so, and I like to hear from everyone. All that girl needs to know is that yes, lots of people who comment here are your close personal friends. But then, what else do you expect? Close friends do that sort of thing…be supportive of your electronic publishing. She is as welcome here as anyone, and if she feels like pooping and out and having her say, I hope she does. I’m happy to listen.
Posted by Dan B on May 5th, 2005 at 5:59 pmWhoops, that should read “popping out and having her say”, not “poopig and out and having her say”. What an incredibly silly spelling mistake to make! Josh, can yo fix it for me?
Posted by Dan B on May 5th, 2005 at 6:02 pmoh no please don’t, it’s WAY funnier that way
Pooping out is good too I guess, it’s just not a group activity… well, not one I’d like to be involved in, anyway 
I have very different beliefs to you and I don’t feel excluded here. I think it’s because you aren’t one of those mad people (of any religion) who refuses to accept any other point of view than your own. If you were, I wouldn’t read, because I really dislike it when people are like that.
I know you asked me about my religious beliefs over on my Xanga, and I promise I will write that post when I finish uni, okay?
Hope the new job is going well x
Posted by Rebecca on May 5th, 2005 at 9:15 pmI would have fixed it Dan but Erica and Melly have already made amusing replies 
I’m not of the Christian belief, but the main reason I generally don’t post comments is because I’m lazy.
Sometimes it is difficult for someone with different beliefs to participate in particular websites, mainly because some people are too pig headed to accept that different people believe different things. These pig headed people are the most likely to start an arguement because they believe everyone should believe what they believe. Which is never going to happen.
I believe that everyone believes what is right for them. And if you believe differently… well. Thats not for me to say really is it?
It is actually nice to read the things here, knowing that I’m not being judged for what I do or don’t believe in.
Oh, and congrats on the new job. Melly told me you started when I was talking to her last night.
Posted by Norm on May 9th, 2005 at 5:23 pmHey Josh…this is off topic, but I just thought I’d write a quick note to say hello. Hope you’re well mate. I’m missing you down here man. God bless and have a nice day. Talk to you soon.
Posted by Dan B on May 18th, 2005 at 2:24 pm
aaaaaargh worst nightmares becoming a reality… man, i’m gutted that we seem like that. the very christian cliques i hate so much… and i’ve become part of one…
i don’t know, i guess some of us could seem particularly ‘bonded’ because we are existing friends and not random comment-ers on the site… but i am genuinely sorry to anyone who’s read this site and thought their comments wouldn’t be welcome because of the way we conduct ourselves in the comments sections… i do think it’s obvious though that we love to think about things, maybe too much (!) so we’re always up for new and different viewpoints… i can say with almost complete certainty that new comment-ers, whether they believe the same things as us or not, would be welcomed and not treated in a judgemental or hostile manner…?
anywho, thanks for the reality check. it really is something we need to be aware of.
loves to all
Posted by erica on May 4th, 2005 at 12:34 amez