Misrepresentation

Question answered by FreeZone in Scientology

tenspan asked this question on 9/14/2000:

This is an open request for all experts:

As far as I can see, I am one of only two Scientologists in this panel. Most experts here are ex-Scientologists or anti-scientology in some way or another...though it is their right to assert their opinions if they feel it's wrong, they misrepresent themselves as educated experts in it, since they do not have active involvement with it. From reading profiles, few claim to have even studied its teachings outside of repeating public propaganda. (Just to clarify things, it isn't always true just because it was on TV.) Answers to questions posed this group have sometimes been purposefully steered toward non-representative biases. Yes, I'm biased toward Scientology, being a member of the church, and I have a right, this is the Scientology Board, not the Ex- or Anti-Scientology board.

There is a debate category, among others, that promotes the healthy scramble of opposing ideas, and there is also the potential of creating sub-categories, though I haven't seen any specific anti-religious sub-categories yet on the religion page, which is good, because in my view THEY DO NOT BELONG HERE. Allowed or not, they are not true areas of expertise on the subject, they are contending factions. For preservation of your freedom of speech, I'd rather you found a place that fit you than remained in this one. I can't demand that, but I do ask that you consider it seriously.

Again, feel free to answer any open questions, but only in your true area of expertise-politics, philosophy, what have you. Reevaluate yourselves for the sake of giving me an equal chance in this arena. I and my peer are outnumbered by dissent, and that is unfair. I do not want to have to defend my answers or counter statements that oftentimes claim the exact opposite that I do, or make unrelated claims (not of religious nature.) Please, I don't expect you to convert, goodness no, I just ask that you represent yourselves in a different list more centered on your views.

A panel completely supporting anti-abortion can't represent abortion, Christian-scientists can't support all Christianity (nor can Satanists, for that matter), and elephant-trainers can't really call themselves experts in wildlife. Please, for the people curious, if you intend on having information on this religion, let them make their own decisions on it and just provide truth and experience. If there are indeed bad experiences, so be it, but represent them as such, for they are not in the majority. It is rare that I have read an unbiased response to any of the open board questions. If I wanted to learn about Scientology, this site would have completely soured my curiosity, which I believe is the intention of some here, rather than the pursuit of education. To call it a cult, a scam, or any other derogatory word is asserting opinion only, for it does not consider itself that, nor do its followers. I am personally and intellectually insulted that any religion of today is so openly and confidently jeered over as such. Be professionals, that is what inquirers are expecting. Pointing fingers is not what we do here.

For those to whom this letter does not apply, I apologize if it is too general. Answers to this request will of course be appreciated, but I will not debate nor defend myself against counter-questions resulting from it. I do not mind being privately contacted on this matter; my email address is Tenspan@yahoo.com. Again, I mean no offense, and I am not interested in making a public uproar on this subject. I will not use the board again in this manner, as I feel it is not the purpose of Askme.com to support experts' opinion-wars. Experts should not pose their own self-serving "questions" to further promote their ideas, we should be paitent for true inquiries. And so I will conclude this, and wait to be asked in the future.

I sincerely apologize for any upset caused by my, or anyone else's opinions getting in the way on this topic, or if you feel I have misused this site in making this request.

FreeZone gave this response on 9/16/2000:

I represent myself as an expert here for the simple reason that I know an enormous amount about Scientology, the Church of Scientology, and various related subjects and controversies. I am a Scientologist, but that fact is not necessarily relevant to my expertise, nor is the fact that I am not a Miscavigist and have no desire to be involved with the RTC and its subsidiaries.

There is no reason to apologize for stating your beliefs. This site and the vast majority of its users support free speech, and will uphold your right to do so. But I intend to stay here and express my own as well. Mine are certainly closer to the majority views here than yours, but I don't agree that that gives me any advantage over you. The real advantage goes to those who can formulate their ideas clearly and back them with supporting evidence.

tenspan rated this answer:

Too right, good call.

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