Hi all,
I have always been the kind of person that speaks first and thinks about what I have said later and all too often it is too late by then! This is a bad bad way to be!! With the advent of the internet you would think that actually having to type the words would slow down my mouth a little and make me less opinionated and more gracious. Not at all!! Somehow the ease with which I can blast off a post makes it harder to stop and think about what I am saying and how my words may affect other people.

I passionately believe that everyone is entitled to have and express their own opinions and not be ridiculed because of the beliefs they hold.

However when I get around people who hold firm convictions or who are autocratic in how they express themselves I get this irresistable urge to say and think the exact opposite of what they are extolling (whatever that may be).

In my enthusiasm to give an alternative point of view I end up being just as autocratic myself and usually give an entirely wrong impression of who I am. I have done this countless times on this forum, and to many people most of whom did not deserve it at all. I know only too well how quick I am to take the moral high ground and more often than not I have no right to assume such a position.

I really hate to think that my words or actions may have hurt or offended another human being. I know that it sounds soft and wimpy but it really gets to me and always has done. Even more so when I think that I could actually offend or hurt someone I have never even met.

What I often think of as funny or witty others could easily find vicious and biting and that is really not who I am.

Most recently I had a go at B2 for nothing but expressing his religious convictions. I want to say here that it really was nothing personal B2. More a generalisation of how religion is often extolled on this forum. Why I got so het up about it this time rather than any other I will never know. What I do know is that I have felt terrible ever since and should have kept my big mouth firmly shut.

In truth my 'spiritual' inclinations are probably not that different from many here. I am not particularly religious but do believe in God. I don't go to church...(I used to but they did not want me for obvious reasons). I try to live my life by doing anything I can to help others whatever or whoever they may be and try not to purposefully harm anyone by my words or actions. I hate being judged and so try not to judge anyone else....(that is the bit I am really really bad at!)

The whole point of this post is really to say that if my words have offended any of you or hurt anyone in anyway then I am sorry and it probably was not intentional.

My own failings aside (and they are many ) I do believe that what makes this place special more than anything else is that our combined love of, and passion for music trancsends all our other differences.

The best way I could think of therefore to extend the hand of friendship to B2 and to anyone else I may have irked with my recent post was through music.

Unfortunately I intended this song to be far better than it turned out. Still the intent is still there and the intent was to show that in many ways we are all heading the same way......just sometimes by different paths!

I wanted this recording to sound like a jam session but it all ended up a little bit muddled. It sounds better through headphones (doesn't it always ), not quite as mixed up! Still I hope you take it in the way it is meant. Please ignore my attempts at old lady style piano playing and the subsequent duff notes

Mansion over the Hilltop

Very best wishes to all, whoever, whatever or however you may be!
Tony



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www.tonywmusic.co.uk

Well said, well done.
I wish the vocal track was louder, because it's hard to understand the words without straining.
DonM

I've had similar feelings Tony. We all say things we wish we hadn't sometimes. As for a church shunning you ... that's THEIR problem, not yours. Stupid move by stupid people. You are welcome in my church anytime.

Tony,

You have my personal permission to say whatever you want. At the same time, I will say whatever I want.

I am christian and I have no problem at all with any person criticizing christianity. The moment we stop sharing, evangelizing and criticizing religions, we have lost the freedom of religion.

I think this board is cool- people actually become 'friends', visit each other, meet up at NAMM, eating crawfish together. Wish I could do it too.

Yeah- this thread is about music, but I also look at it pretty much as a common bond between each other.

Good friendship is always a good thing

(just curious UD which church you go to).

Rule #1 Whenever you are part of a large group of people you don't know...........you need to tiptoe when bringing up sex, religion, and politics. I remember having somebody here with good intentions talking about "saving my soul" and I jumped all over him. At the time I felt "correct" in telling him to "mind his own business" even though he was just trying to offer some help. Anyway........the whole thing snowballed into a "flaming" topic with everyone screaming at each other. I regret my aweful participation in it now............but if rule #1 was followed by ALL this nasty event would not have occurred here.
Rule #2 As with email...........Read what you have just written BEFORE hitting the send button. Sometimes when replying in haste, things are said that are regretted later. I have found that just by writing an inflamatory letter blasting everything and everyone, then NOT sending it, gets rid of my pent up anger even if I feel justified in my reply. If you still feel that you MUST reply..........Wait until tomorrow. A lot can happen in 24 hours!
Best wishes all! - charley

Tony,
Nice 50's light R&R cut. Great lyrics as always.

I understand your position and respect your ability to post your thoughts openly. While I fully agree and have as well posted words in haste that perhaps may have been better off not said.

On the other side of that though the real problem I have with others pitching their religion to me I find personally insulting and here is why.

I take that as them saying what I believe is totally wrong and if I want to get to the promised land, I need to believe what they believe....that to me is ludicrious and insulting.

While you may have been a bit aggressive with your opinion to B2 (BTW I have not read the thread so just conjecture on my part) I think those that wish to further their religious beliefs, need to also think before they speak, not all want to hear what they have to say and for some like myself, again I take it as an insult to my religious beliefs. If I wanted to partake in their religion I would seek them out.
Terry

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jam on,
Terry http://imjazzed.homestead.com/Index.html

TONY!!!! Being involved with 30 fighter pilots on a daily basis creates unbelievable thick skin...I wholeheartedly believe in letting it fly when you are inspired to do so. no hard feelings here....I welcome opinions and opposing viewpoints...that's what we fight for every day in my unit...we all have that luxury in this country..Terry...belief does not equal truth...think about it....

Hi all,
B2 glad there are no hard feelings. I,m on a new leaf however in that I am biting my tongue (or taping my fingers together) until I have had to time to think things out properly in future! We shall see how long it lasts

Terry,
I get the impression you think the lyric to mansion is my own work? I would love to claim it as such but unfortunately I can't. I think it is an old American hymn? Someone may be able to enlighten me but I heard Elvis sing this a couple of times and a good friend of mine who is Elvis mad lent me a CD 'Elvis sings Gospel' and this was / is one of the tracks. I don't have the CD now so I can't look who wrote it.

I understand what you mean about people pitching religion (or anything else for that matter) to me as fact. Like I said I get an irresistable urge to argue the other way I am determined to cut this out as

a)...there are enough meaningless arguments in the world without me adding to them and

b) shortly after posting the initial response to B2 I recieved an email from someone who having read my post took what I was saying in entirely the wrong way. The upsetting thing was that they had me down as a radical bigot (AND WERE AGREEING WITH ME).

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am neither radical or a bigot. More importantly though it served to remind me how easy it is to write something and then it be taken entirely the wrong way. Basically that it what promted this thread.

Rattley,
ROFL.... I am definately going to take on board your advice with regard writing inflamitory letters never to be sent. Knowing my luck though I would press the send button by mistake....then I would have some explaining to do.

KN_Fan,
I think this board is cool too BTW I thought I heard tell a while ago that you were going to change your name?? Still can't let go of the Technics bug eh I was contemplating a new technics digi piano the other day but really want a Tyros so I have to choose between the two

SK880user,
Thankyou for granting your permission I am not too sure that I wholeheartedly agree with your other point but it is my new policy to give it some thought before I go charging in with my opinion

UD,
I wish that everyone could show your tolerance and understanding. I cannot help but be who I am (I know that some argue that it is a choice and I wish it were because a thousand times I would have chosen something else.) Still I don't want to get into all that here (I have just deleted a whole ream of explanation ) It is good enough for me that most people tend to get on ok with me and just ignore the parts of me they have trouble with....I think to some extent we all do that with everyone we meet anyway.

Don,
I pulled the volume of the vocal down (you know what I am like about hearing my own voice!!) I am going to have to learn to leave that mixer bar alone and just belt em out (About as likely as me headlining at the Grand Ole Oprey [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/biggrin.gif[/img])

Thanks to all for your comments
Very best wishes
Tony

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www.tonywmusic.co.uk

I am a newcommer on this forum. It's a good one. I am part of the Technics forum. I have a KN 7000, and I just purchased a Tyros.

I am a devout Christen, I live my life according to the Bible and my deep belief in Jesus Christ. I will tell anybody about my beleifs-----but only if they wish to hear about them.
I live by a principle---Our creator gave us a fantastic gift, that is the ability to decided what to believe in, and to select our own direction in life.---I have no right to tear at someone's beliefs --- I can live my life on my hands and knees, but I do not have the right to tell you that you are wrong, and that you will go to hell, UNLESS ASKED!!
I only wish that we could all speak of our beliefs without fear, and the ones who listen, do not fear being controlled or manipulated.

Well I gave my opinion,
Everybody have a great day, John C.