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| My name is Patrick Wilson. I am a family man and keen music composer from England. I am now 49. | My name is Patrick Wilson. I am a family man and keen music composer from England. I am now 49. | ||
| My initial motive for editing on Misplaced Pages was to help provide balance within an article on ] For 32 years I've enjoyed practicing the meditation he taught and continue to do so. | My initial motive for editing on Misplaced Pages was to help provide balance within an article on ]. For 32 years I've enjoyed practicing the meditation he taught and continue to do so. | ||
| However, unlike many current students of Prem Rawat, I have some criticisms and questions I'd like him to answer. I was disturbed to see that long-time students of Prem Rawat like myself who voice criticism are lumped altogether without fair distinction and dismissed on Misplaced Pages and elsewhere, as a ] I feel this description is grossly misleading, based on fear and against the spirit of Misplaced Pages. My initial observation on the article about Prem Rawat was that it had become a place where over-zealous students of Rawat subtely promoted their simplistic demonisation of critics whilst heavily promoting Prem Rawat. I felt enough conscientious objection to this to devote some time to edit the article to give it a more neutral tone. I felt that as critic who actually embraces some of Rawat's teachings I would possibly be a more neutral voice amongst the editors of more polarised views, who tend to be the ones, in practice, motivated to fight these editorial battles. Also I aspire to fairness and neutrality and this seems a pretty good place to exercise those virtues. | However, unlike many current students of Prem Rawat, I have some criticisms and questions I'd like him to answer. I was disturbed to see that long-time students of Prem Rawat like myself who voice criticism are lumped altogether without fair distinction and dismissed on Misplaced Pages and elsewhere, as a "]." I feel this description is grossly misleading, based on fear and against the spirit of Misplaced Pages. My initial observation on the article about Prem Rawat was that it had become a place where over-zealous students of Rawat subtely promoted their simplistic demonisation of critics whilst heavily promoting Prem Rawat. I felt enough conscientious objection to this to devote some time to edit the article to give it a more neutral tone. I felt that as critic who actually embraces some of Rawat's teachings I would possibly be a more neutral voice amongst the editors of more polarised views, who tend to be the ones, in practice, motivated to fight these editorial battles. Also I aspire to fairness and neutrality and this seems a pretty good place to exercise those virtues. | ||
| At this time I would like to help convey that the former student critics of Rawat are not so much a 'hate group' but more a 'hurt group' (I think this is actually the grass-roots opinion of many 'moderate' current students of Prem Rawat) and that Prem Rawat has some moral obligation to engage in healing dialogue with these people, especially those who in some cases dedicated their lives to him and his work and felt abused. I am aware that there are indeed some people who harbour hatred towards Prem Rawat but my impression is that even they are mostly former 'devotees' of Prem Rawat who feel 'jilted lovers'. Their extreme anger and frustration could be considerably reduced if their questions were properly answered. I have been very inspired by Desmond Tutu's ] and it's healing principle of having a neutral 'area' to communicate where forgiveness can occur. If only more religions and organisations would open themselves to this ideal the world would be a better place. | At this time I would like to help convey that the former student critics of Rawat are not so much a 'hate group' but more a 'hurt group' (I think this is actually the grass-roots opinion of many 'moderate' current students of Prem Rawat) and that Prem Rawat has some moral obligation to engage in healing dialogue with these people, especially those who in some cases dedicated their lives to him and his work and felt abused. I am aware that there are indeed some people who harbour hatred towards Prem Rawat but my impression is that even they are mostly former 'devotees' of Prem Rawat who feel 'jilted lovers'. Their extreme anger and frustration could be considerably reduced if their questions were properly answered. I have been very inspired by Desmond Tutu's ] and it's healing principle of having a neutral 'area' to communicate where forgiveness can occur. If only more religions and organisations would open themselves to this ideal the world would be a better place. | ||
Revision as of 15:18, 13 April 2006
My name is Patrick Wilson. I am a family man and keen music composer from England. I am now 49.
My initial motive for editing on Misplaced Pages was to help provide balance within an article on Prem Rawat. For 32 years I've enjoyed practicing the meditation he taught and continue to do so. However, unlike many current students of Prem Rawat, I have some criticisms and questions I'd like him to answer. I was disturbed to see that long-time students of Prem Rawat like myself who voice criticism are lumped altogether without fair distinction and dismissed on Misplaced Pages and elsewhere, as a "hate group." I feel this description is grossly misleading, based on fear and against the spirit of Misplaced Pages. My initial observation on the article about Prem Rawat was that it had become a place where over-zealous students of Rawat subtely promoted their simplistic demonisation of critics whilst heavily promoting Prem Rawat. I felt enough conscientious objection to this to devote some time to edit the article to give it a more neutral tone. I felt that as critic who actually embraces some of Rawat's teachings I would possibly be a more neutral voice amongst the editors of more polarised views, who tend to be the ones, in practice, motivated to fight these editorial battles. Also I aspire to fairness and neutrality and this seems a pretty good place to exercise those virtues.
At this time I would like to help convey that the former student critics of Rawat are not so much a 'hate group' but more a 'hurt group' (I think this is actually the grass-roots opinion of many 'moderate' current students of Prem Rawat) and that Prem Rawat has some moral obligation to engage in healing dialogue with these people, especially those who in some cases dedicated their lives to him and his work and felt abused. I am aware that there are indeed some people who harbour hatred towards Prem Rawat but my impression is that even they are mostly former 'devotees' of Prem Rawat who feel 'jilted lovers'. Their extreme anger and frustration could be considerably reduced if their questions were properly answered. I have been very inspired by Desmond Tutu's Truth and Reconciliation Commission and it's healing principle of having a neutral 'area' to communicate where forgiveness can occur. If only more religions and organisations would open themselves to this ideal the world would be a better place.
Patrick Wilson (April 2006)