A post whose meaning was lost on those who read it...
The focus of that initial post was to be on the complete turning on its head of what has been normal and sane throughout history and which is now considered weird or crazy.
Now I am considered judgmental.
I have now caused offense.
When, originally, the post was about others judging ME...
Am I now to apologize and grovel at the threat of losing "friends" who viewed my words through a completely different lens than was intended?
I care about others. I fall in my own attempts towards improvement. I judge myself more harshly than anyone else ever could or would.
Do I have opinions? Yes. Do I know people who have continued behavior that is killing them? Yes. (Hell, I have continued behavior that is detrimental to my own well-being!)
Are people free to make their own decisions? Yes, of course. The law is there to protect if those decisions infringe on another person.
Are the choices of others any of my business? No, provided they do not impact me, my family, my community, my country, or our freedoms.
At the risk of offense, am I to stand by, silent, with potential saving knowledge, saying nothing while those I care about continue behavior that is killing them or severely lessening their quality of life?
If someone possess knowledge which would benefit me, improve my life, or potentially save me, and they silently withhold that information because they did not want to offend or appear judgmental towards me...? I would be angry!
The truth sets free! But first it will piss you off.
The truth is so often offensive. It typically does NOT feel good to hear, particularly if a person believes something in error.
I would so much rather be offended by the truth than comforted by silence... or a lie.
I would so much rather be offered information which offends me, and be given the opportunity to choose, to learn, to grow... to change. Than to be kept in ignorance or in darkness, and potentially in pain.
However, with knowledge comes responsibility.
Once a person knows, there is no excuse. They cannot rail and say "But I never knew! You never told me! I had no choice!"
If people are so quick in their rush to judge my motivations or intent, can they truly be called "friend?" (Could their offense potentially indicate conviction? Hmmmm...?) Even if I attempted to clarify, what difference would it make? If they have already made up their minds as to my guilt...?
Am I judgmental? Yes. I judge my eating too much and gaining weight, when I know better. I judge my stuffing my face with chocolate and justifying it by thinking I will fast the next week in repentance, because I know better. I judge my weakness, lack of diligence, and will power, because I KNOW BETTER! When I see others eating themselves into disease, do I judge that behavior as harmful? Yes! When I hear others judging my attempts at health as "crazy," and then justifying their own radical choices, it doesn't make sense to me. However, do I judge that person as a loser or "less than" me? No.
Do I need to apologize or repent of my original post because others misinterpreted it?
No.
Will anyone apologize for offending me? Absolutely not. And I do not need them to.
Will I clarify?
Yea, probably. And in some very diplomatic way... Yea.
Because I am responsible for me. Imperfect and fallible, yes.
I am responsible for what I know.
And that's just how I roll...
