reality=check wrote: One could look at it as a case of naming and shaming Ben. There is another worthy and very compelling point that everyone is overlooking.
Thanks for for looking into it. However we will have to Agree to Disagree on the above. And what I say is not particular to the Heather material, but is my general approach. We don't have agree, it is OK with me if we don't. We are all entitled to have our views.
However saying that I do think this is a worthy topic to discuss in a bit more depth.
Here is where I am coming from:
In cases of this kind there could be many possibilities, things are rarely black or white.
Many things need to be considered, of course the validation process one applies is crucial and without going into this one in great detail, we would probably never resolve this debate one way or another, but even if we did, there is always going to be the probability, that we may be lacking in either relevant context, information, or openness to truly evaluate some concepts, or information.
We also need to remember that in many occasions the people who are coming forward, are far from perfect, in fact in many cases if they have been subjected to various programs, chance are they will display credibility issues. I would say, it is a given.
But lets take an example of a definite hoax, I should think we will find 2 main cats:
1. Deliberate attempt to subvert people's perception
2. Attention seeking coming from some unbalanced individuals
In both cases I would be inclined to not give it any energy! Doing so would play right into their aim - publicity and more people talking about it, etc.
I would either put the information in the public domain, state my reservations, if I had any, and let each person come to their own conclusion. Or not publish it, put it to bed and forget all about it.
I still don't see the point in the naming and shaming approach, as there is always a chance that 1. the validation process was not adequate, or that the person bring it forth is unbalanced and here compassion is probably more appropriate then vindication.
But that is me. Does not mean I am right and you are wrong. I just thought it is worth considering.
I think in the case of the Heather material, it was prematurely dismissed, named and shamed, (There was a lot more that happened, which was not expressed in any forum posts.) to actually really determined if there was value in it or not. But I guess there was too much bad blood so we will never know for sure. And that is a shame in my view. It is interesting to read Barry King stand on this...
Also when you take the approach of prematurely naming and shaming, you deter other less confident WB or experiencers coming forward. They had enough bad stories anyway... So if they see that the prospect of coming forward also means being subjected to more abuse, would they feel it is worth it?
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