October 1st, this board is switching to a subscription model. I had intended to subscribe, but now I have made the decision to leave on September 30th.
I will share my reasons for those who care.
It isn't the money. It is the way this forum is evolving. These are my opinions on my observations - take them for what they're worth to you.
This started out as a GREAT idea. Build a forum where users could interact with 'whistleblowers', discuss topics of mutual interest, plan for the creation of communities etc.
Well, the whistleblowers are gone. The only ones left are Michael St. Clair and Duncan O'Finioan. Michael isn't exactly a whistleblower - he's an astrologer who has made a nice living warning the wealthy about world events. He's not really privy to any inside information - he's interpreting planetary alignments.
Duncan O'Finioan is a whistleblower. Although his story is heartwrenching, it is severely limited in scope. Although interesting, it doesn't give us a glimpse into the big picture. Best of luck to you Duncan.
The other whistleblowers were run off. Henry Deacon in particular. Henry was the real deal. Since his posts have been removed, I will tell you the reason he left. His identity was revealed here. It wasn't in an obvious manner as in "Henry Deacon's real name is XXXX XXXXX". It was made to be imminently discoverable. I discovered it and tried to warn the Admin but no action was taken. I'm no great investigator. If I could find it, certainly any agency curious about him now knows exactly who "Henry Deacon" was.
This is the lack of protection Henry was speaking of. He was brought here with the promise of protection of the founders and they didn't fulfill their responsibility. I prefer to give the founders the benefit of the doubt and believe that they were too busy or victims of a communication breakdown. Nonetheless, the value of this forum dropped significantly with the departures of Henry Deacon and John Lear.
The members here are good people. Most of you are well intentioned, loving, intelligent and lost. Lost isn't a bad thing. It is a state of being. It just is.
There are so many people running around here who believe that sending love out into the cosmos is the cure for every problem and the answer to every question. That's OK for you to believe that if you want. The problem is that your numbers are growing. You all are having such an impact on the other members that it is spreading. It is becoming like a Hari Krishna convention here.
You can celebrate that if you like. But just as the perfect slave is the one who thinks he is free, the best way to keep someone lost is to make them believe that they know where they are.
We are all confused about what is happening and we're all trying to find answers. Over the past 6,000 years of recorded human history there have been lots of sects that popped up professing that love is the answer. Unfortunately they have all failed. The Truth is not that simple.
Listening to what this channeler has to say, what that phsycic saw in a vision, or what some contactee claims to know may be worthwhile. But, like this forum, the real truths are mixed in with huge helpings of lies. So many here spout off new-age wisdom and platitudes in the same manner as fundamentalist Christians repeat a few bible verses. A phrase here, a thought there. As though all the wisdom of mankind could be found in that utterance. Beware.
Don't believe things just because you want to believe them. Believe only those things that are True. This is more difficult than it seems because we are our own greatest deceivers. Remember, there are a lot of Truths that we don't like.
The fear on this board is palatable. It is a peculiar type of fear though. I don't see people afraid for their lives - I see a lot of people who are deathly afraid of ideas that contradict their own neatly kept beliefs. The first step to learning is admitting that you don't know.
My advice? Don't be deceived. Don't conform. Find wisdom and share it. Don't be afraid of different ideas - after all, it is that open mind that brought you to the state that you are in. Don't close it now when you are so close to the finish. If you truly want to ascend, keep searching. You may be close but you are not there yet. Find some ideas that you don't like and explore them with your mind open.
We are facing the most profound questions and problems mankind has encountered in the last 26,000 years. Don't mistake wisdom for Truth.
My primary reason for leaving is this dynamic which is manifesting in front of my eyes. This does frighten me - I worry that with enough repetition I'll be like the subject in the video. After all, I am only human.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qlJqR4GmKw
For the record, I am neither in service to myself or to others. (Yes, there is a third option.) I am in service to myself second. If I can help others along the way - I will do so. I would stay and try to help you all but you don't really want my help and I am running out of time.
I came here to find the answer to one succinct question. I did not get a direct answer - but I did find some clues to continue in my quest. I also discovered two more questions that I need answered. Thank you all for that.