There is one subject that I have not covered here about The Place because it bothers me to even think about it. The Members of The Place vote on whether to accept new people as Members. Sometimes the Members can display prejudice in this vote.
One of these times is when three Catholic Priests are up for Membership. All three are retired and are applying as individuals. This happens after a big scandal has occurred within the Catholic Church. I have not Seen exactly what the scandal was about, but it is a very big one and has done a lot to break up the Catholic Church and make many non-Catholics regard that Church with suspicion and distaste. This can include individual catholics and especially Catholic clergy.
One of the three priests may be a bishop, or have been a bishop. I do not know whether any or all of the three priests separated from the Catholic Church. Many clergy did separate as a result of the scandal.
The Members of The Place mostly want to vote to not accept the three Catholic Priests as Members. There is an unusual amount of controversy and even angry conversations over this matter. It may be the worst controversy experienced up to that time between Members.
I experience emotions that belong in the time of the controversy, that do not belong to me now. I am very upset with other Members for being so prejudiced against the three Catholic Priests and for not wanting to let them become Members due to the prejudice.
One of the most important rules since the start of The Place is that prejudice is not allowed for religion or race, culture, etc. A saying that is used sometimes on The Place is that one is not only allowed to have freedom of religion, but also freedom from religion. There are other sayings of that sort used by Members, but this is the only one I have Seen that I remember.
Many Members would not have picked other Members because there are Members who would not ordinarily get along somewhere else.
A rule on The Place is that you cannot talk to another Member about Religion unless they ask you to. Evangelizing among members is limited to living your religion in such an exemplary manner that it will cause them to want you to tell them about it and then they will ask you to.
I have seen bits of incidents where Members who belong to some religions experience difficulty keeping this rule, but manage to do so anyway. Other bits are about Members striking up friendships that would be very unlikely elsewhere, and behaving in very inspirational ways.
The incident with the three Catholic priests may be three separate incidents that I just lumped together. I know that I find it necessary to threaten to leave The Place three times over some sort of controversy and it could be sort of the same reason. The third time, I do leave and stay away. It seems as if I go to a place in the country that someone has left for me in case of just such an incident.
It bothers me the most to say that The Place is run by some kind of Foundation that I establish. I pay for the land at least to start The Place, and maybe even all of it. I have no idea where I would get such a sum of money. Some kind of legal magic makes this Foundation to be legally, me, so that I technically will own The Place even after I die. This seems to have to do with the protection The Place enjoys even from things like earthquakes. I do not understand it and thought I must have gotten it wrong for years, but apparently not.
I rent the land that The Place exists on, to the Members for something like a dollar a year. I think it is in the form of a long term lease. It seems like 99 or 100 years, perhaps longer. The Foundation handles it after the beginning.
This arrangement is recognized internationally, and The Place is also recognized as a sovereign nation. I can't imagine a country liking something like that within their borders, but it does not seem to be a big problem. It does involve an unusual amount of international agreement to make it happen.
There is something about different nations agreeing to defend The Place from aggressors. Some of the nations that agree to this do not like each other.
There is more connected with this subject to write, but not now.
One of these times is when three Catholic Priests are up for Membership. All three are retired and are applying as individuals. This happens after a big scandal has occurred within the Catholic Church. I have not Seen exactly what the scandal was about, but it is a very big one and has done a lot to break up the Catholic Church and make many non-Catholics regard that Church with suspicion and distaste. This can include individual catholics and especially Catholic clergy.
One of the three priests may be a bishop, or have been a bishop. I do not know whether any or all of the three priests separated from the Catholic Church. Many clergy did separate as a result of the scandal.
The Members of The Place mostly want to vote to not accept the three Catholic Priests as Members. There is an unusual amount of controversy and even angry conversations over this matter. It may be the worst controversy experienced up to that time between Members.
I experience emotions that belong in the time of the controversy, that do not belong to me now. I am very upset with other Members for being so prejudiced against the three Catholic Priests and for not wanting to let them become Members due to the prejudice.
One of the most important rules since the start of The Place is that prejudice is not allowed for religion or race, culture, etc. A saying that is used sometimes on The Place is that one is not only allowed to have freedom of religion, but also freedom from religion. There are other sayings of that sort used by Members, but this is the only one I have Seen that I remember.
Many Members would not have picked other Members because there are Members who would not ordinarily get along somewhere else.
A rule on The Place is that you cannot talk to another Member about Religion unless they ask you to. Evangelizing among members is limited to living your religion in such an exemplary manner that it will cause them to want you to tell them about it and then they will ask you to.
I have seen bits of incidents where Members who belong to some religions experience difficulty keeping this rule, but manage to do so anyway. Other bits are about Members striking up friendships that would be very unlikely elsewhere, and behaving in very inspirational ways.
The incident with the three Catholic priests may be three separate incidents that I just lumped together. I know that I find it necessary to threaten to leave The Place three times over some sort of controversy and it could be sort of the same reason. The third time, I do leave and stay away. It seems as if I go to a place in the country that someone has left for me in case of just such an incident.
It bothers me the most to say that The Place is run by some kind of Foundation that I establish. I pay for the land at least to start The Place, and maybe even all of it. I have no idea where I would get such a sum of money. Some kind of legal magic makes this Foundation to be legally, me, so that I technically will own The Place even after I die. This seems to have to do with the protection The Place enjoys even from things like earthquakes. I do not understand it and thought I must have gotten it wrong for years, but apparently not.
I rent the land that The Place exists on, to the Members for something like a dollar a year. I think it is in the form of a long term lease. It seems like 99 or 100 years, perhaps longer. The Foundation handles it after the beginning.
This arrangement is recognized internationally, and The Place is also recognized as a sovereign nation. I can't imagine a country liking something like that within their borders, but it does not seem to be a big problem. It does involve an unusual amount of international agreement to make it happen.
There is something about different nations agreeing to defend The Place from aggressors. Some of the nations that agree to this do not like each other.
There is more connected with this subject to write, but not now.
