Dammit all. I won't regret doing this because when I see long and drawn out discussions born from misunderstandings and opposed hyper-sensitive ideologies, I can't help but be the guy who sees both sides, and thinks they're both wrong. Not that they're both totally wrong, and in some ways one side might be more so than the other...but the problem is, neither side seems to have anybody on it willing to point out the faults of their own friends. Well, I'll take up that friggin cape then, because as much as I cherish friendship and good people, I also cherish truth and rationality.
So here we go.

There was an unfortunately over dramatic conversation that ended up taking place between someone I like a lot, SirPaahdin[link] This kid is a fantastic artist, with a great comic about intolerance, and basically I think he's uber talented, and I love his Swedish little head off. Been a fan of his for a while now. No big.
The second party, was somebody whom, prior to Paahdin's journal about their conversations, I'd never heard of before: Nayzak. I looked through his gallery, and being a big ol' Jap, like his anime style, and the clear and present message about religious tolerance. What can I say? I'm a sucker for people who put up the good fight for everyone to shut the hell up and just accept one another. So long as acceptance doesn't mean I have to accept stupid people. I will always be a bigot against an idiot. It's a fault...I know this.

Anywho...

Nayzak [link] held a contest with the purpose of spotlighting religious tolerance AND ONLY religious tolerance involving at least one Muslim subject. He has it posted in his journal. Check it out. READ THE BLOODY RULES, and enter if you so feel inclined. Please do not exacerbate what problems have already been cropping up. Namely, SirPaahdin wanted to enter the contest because he's just a big ol' mo for the sujbect of tolerance... [link]
The picture, if you're too lazy to go look, and favorite or comment on it...because it's sweet. Depicts a caucasian female wearing a crucifix, probably denoting one of Catholic or Christian beliefs (or just bad taste in jewelry) kissing a woman whom one may assume to be Muslim, on the cheek.  Nothing particularly inappropriate going on (unless there's ass grabbing going on behind the Muslim woman's back).

Now, due to events that had transpired spiraling out of control from the start, their original series of comments back and forth is lost to time...or the webmaster who runs DeviantArt to laugh about as he's looking at it. Regardless, SirPaahdin felt that Nayzak was coming off as a big ol' homophobe and general d-bag, and Nayzak's own feelings towards him didn't seem particularly great either. Now...this is where I will start to point things out that I observed myself in following this thing...because I have nothing better to do...and that is really quite sad in itself. Pity me

Point one: Nayzak is right in that on his page, he is the almighty dictator of content on his page. DA's own guidelines don't prevent or even frown upon such autocratical practices. When SirPaahdin continued to puruse an argument with him when he had already given hint that he wanted it to end (to what degree doesn't matter at the moment) and had stated in his own disclaimer that people he viewed as rude and generally unsavory on his page, would be blocked, he facilitated his own end.
To this, Paahdin has stated that Nayzak's rules are bollocks...and that may be true...but rules are rules, and when not followed, one should always be willing and accepting of whatever consequences come therein. Asinine rules or not, they were Nayzak's to make, and Paahdin's fault in breaking them (after whatever line of "polite" conversation may have transpired).

Point two: In the contest rules it states that anything depicting any form of romantic love between subjects, was off limits. As explanation, it was stated that such love would in some manner contradict in what he wanted to be the most pure of displays of political acceptance due to a pre-established emotional bond or something to that effect. It's a foregone conclusion that the romantic feelings one may hold for another is what would facilitate one's political or religious acceptance of that individual, whether they agree with them or not.
So, it may seem (and it does) odd, for a contest about tolerance to only be tolerant of a somewhat strict set of depictions of tolerance, but it is his contest all the same. Whether it makes sense or not doesn't change the fact that it is what it is. It has been pointed out that what had barred that picture from acceptance (since it isn't depicting anything that would be necessarily indicative of a romantic or sexual relationship) was that it was stated as such by SirPaahdin. After a self labeling of it being a piece about lesbians who were also different religious affiliations, it negated itself from being allowed. Again, this is odd...extremely, and also kind of a shame that a contest promoting tolerance would be so intolerant, but regardless, those were the guidelines.

Now, things escalated and became a question about personalities at some point. Why? Who the hell knows. The thing is, things were said and implied and due to miscommunication (as well as simple theological dispute) they continued getting worse.

I will say flat out that I do not believe Nayzak to be a bad person. I will say though, that if his being a devout Muslim is what leads to a belief that homosexuality is in any way evil or wrong (or choice, for that matter) then that is both saddening and ignorant. When one said that they thought Paahdin should burn in hell, Nayzak did in fact say that they didn't think that the proper response. While those on Paahdin's side may see this as nothing more than semantics...I don't think it is. I do believe that while Nayzak may disagree with homosexuality, he does not wish harm or hate these individuals. It's merely misunderstanding. In the end, if you're looking for Big Foot in the woods, any fat man with body hair will do. You will see exactly what you wish to see easier than the thing you are not even searching after. Truth and reason.

The instant block (or blocks, as I do not know the case) could easily be due to the fact that the massive following that Paahdin has who care a great deal not only about him, but also potentially what his argument could embody, have been approaching Nayzak en masse on the topic, and little more. At some point, when all you have is a bunch of assholes standing in your flower bed trying to get a picture of you half naked while telling you your're the devil and waiting for you to make a mistake...you close the bloody blinds. Or shoot them in the face. There was no reason for this situation to get the attention of so many people, possibly even with the break down in dialogue between the first two parties.

It is unfortunate, and perhaps even more to his own detriment, that Nayzak actually deleted the page with the original messages. I think it could have had the balance that may have been necessary to keep so many from instantaneous rage. People want to call cover up, and perhaps it is, but then...perhaps it isn't. I don't know if all the rules as they read now were as they had been previously, or if some were added and altered after this incident. The more important issue is whether or not they were added and altered DUE to the incident. Just because something happens chronologically after a given event, does not necessarily mean or even indicate that event is what gave causality to the change.

I do believe that Nayzak was in the wrong with some terminology perhaps, but this is something he admitted to having little knowledge of. It would obviously be better if he were more aware of these things prior to them happening, but who the hell could have foreseen this turn of events?

What this all boils down to in my eyes is a well meant contest with confusing and perhaps even misguided rules, and somebody who simply couldn't come to terms with how odd they were. Miscommunication and differeing ideologies (and obviously, some emotion) came square against one another, and things fell apart.

SirPaahdin...while I will never have a full blown idea of how much bullshit you have to deal with every day due to little more than who you love and whom you're attracted to, I know that it can't be easy, and I know that kind of crap can lead you to have a short fuse on the subject. I think that while the things he says don't make much sense, and I fully admit that there is always possibility for his civility to be a veil for bigotry, I do not think that you should be so quick to call foul. Ignorance, while horrible, is not so inexcusable as hatred and animosity accompanying it. Despite how difficult or painful it may be, try and understand what mindset one might have if raised a particular way with no particular contact with people to contradict a set of beliefs.

Nayzak, I don't know you well enough to know if you're on the level, or just another hate-monger in disguise. I'd like to give you the benefit of the doubt. If you know nothing about homosexuals, maybe you could do as you appear to believe is a centrifugal component to acceptance and tolerance. Learn. Educate yourself and understand. Also, if you find that many of the issues cropping up comes about due to your word choice, then be more careful with those you use. The moment you say something that somebody disagrees with, it becomes harder for an individual to listen to and accept anything else you're saying or even give it any merit beyond that first comment.

If either of you want to continue a discussion and come to terms, or just argue some more, then go for it. You can use this space since I rarely do.

Oh, and if this entry offended anybody. Good. Unlike some people, I will rarely make any attempts to apologize to people who are so fucking sensitive that their first instinct is outcry. Go ahead and cry. I like the taste of tears. Not that most people will bother reading all of this, what with illiteracy rates and ADD....god damn ADD.

Anyways, that's my bit. Live long, and use logic. (And yes, I know I suck at making those links particularly flavorful)