What are your views on witchcraft?

Jeni, It's really sweet of you to want to know my name but trust me, you wouldn't want to know me.I'm not capable of contributing anything to anyone that they would value.I am very firm in my beliefs but the only thing they ever succeed in where other people are concerned is offending people.If my beliefs and intentions were truly understood by others, they would know how loving they are towards everyone including the people who live the lifestyles of which I am opposed to. but I am a failure in communication.The only thing I'm good for is keeping to myself because if I open my mouth my words are not taken as they were intended.If I offend you at least you will be offended by only a nameless stranger.Believe me Jeni, it's better this way.

There you go assuming things and speaking for me--you don't know whether I'd want to know you or not. :-) As long as we're having a mature discussion and not flinging mud at each other like playground rivals (and we seem to have pretty much erradicated the latter in favour of the former), then I rather enjoy our discussions and I'd most definitely like to know with whom I am having them.

You seem to have a rather low opinion of yourself indeed to say some of the things you've said, but I don't share that opinion of you. Your words can be of great value to others. Yes, you may sometimes have a problem properly communicating what you mean (but we all have that problem, really), but that doesn't mean you can't work on your communication to make it more effective in explaining your message. You and I have come a long way from the nasty mud-slinging in our first few posts, so I think we're both learning how better to communicate. That's the wonderful thing about having discussions like these with people--you improve your own communication while also helping the other person do the same. That's one reason why I enjoy having debates and discussions like this--it fascilitates personal improvement and helps round off the rough edges of one's weaker aspects.

I really have to disagree with this particular thing you said:

"If I offend you at least you will be offended by only a nameless stranger."

To me, it hurts far more to be offended by an anonymous stranger than it does to be offended by a named friend. With the stranger, it seems so cold and unwarrented, and my first reaction if\s one of hurt anger to say something like, "What the Hell do you know--you don't know me!" With the friend, though, I know that that person is only looking out for me and is only saying what they say because they care. Asside from the stranger versus friend issue, names are also important; names make us human. Until something has a name, it is very hard for most people to identify with it or to even see it as human, but the moment a thing has been named, it becomes personal and human--even if it is an animal or a tree or a cloud. Names make things real. Without a name, it's hard for me to identify with you, to realize you're actually a real person. Even a screen name would work; many people online know me only by my internet handle, WhiteFantom. You don't have to give me your real name, but some sort of name would definitely be better than "Somebody." Besides, it sounds silly to refer to you in conversation that way, don't you think, Somebody? (See how silly that sounded?:-)

:-)

--Jeni

========== In Reply To ========== Jeni, It's really sweet of you to want to know my name but trust me, you wouldn't want to know me.I'm not capable of contributing anything to anyone that they would value.I am very firm in my beliefs but the only thing they ever succeed in where other people are concerned is offending people.If my beliefs and intentions were truly understood by others, they would know how loving they are towards everyone including the people who live the lifestyles of which I am opposed to. but I am a failure in communication.The only thing I'm good for is keeping to myself because if I open my mouth my words are not taken as they were intended.If I offend you at least you will be offended by only a nameless stranger.Believe me Jeni, it's better this way.