So, as of this moment, STOP CALLING ME!
It seems as though Fuhs is working with Gafni to assemble a defense to present to Ken Wilber, who apparently has cut all ties with Gafni. One can only hope Wilber uses good judgment in this matter.
For now, I will not repost the original abusive guru post, but I will leave last night's post as is. I do not want to play along in this drama. And I wonder if Shmarya Rosenberg at Failed Messiah is getting phone calls about his post on Gafni -- after all, he is at least part of the Jewish community and carries more weight than I do.
I was open to a dialogue on this issue, and there may well be information I do not have that might change my perspective. But the inherent lack of appropriate boundaries exhibited so far suggests to me a narcissism that I want nothing to do with -- and that is unlikely to be changed by anything I say or do.
My girlfriend has worked with sexual abusers (both average guys and public figures) -- she sees all the red flags of someone who is still active in his pathology in the events of the past 24 hours, not to mention the denials of the original confession (a common pattern in sex offenders based on what I know).
If anyone in support of Gafni has something to say, post a comment on my blog, but DO NOT call me at home ever again.
Tags:
at least you know
ReplyDeleteyou have some committed
readers William...
:-)
dem.
Hi, Bill. You write: "All this in response to a post that only presents information already widely available on the web. My little blog has a handful of readers and poses no threat."
ReplyDeleteMost of what's available on the web isn't "information", but data. And in this case, especially, any such "information" must be treated with extreme caution, instead of being "only presented", as you say. Your blog may be little, but size is irrelevant when you link to pieces using qualifications such as "serial sex abuser" as proven facts. I understand your arguments and sensitivity when it comes to private boundaries, but this blog also crosses some boundaries by definition, and you seem to have shown much more tolerance and bona fide trust to professional defamers, by quoting their "information" without them ever knocking on your door.
I'm not writing this "in support of Gafni" but as your colleague who found it quite challenging to comment on this matter, both two years ago and now.
Hi Hokai,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I took down the abusive guru post from July 4th, and my most recent post references only Gafni's own words, and those of his one-time close friend, Ken Wilber, to whom he apparently "confessed."
His own words and behavior speak volumes, without any need to bring in declarations of being a supposed serial sexual abuser.
Peace,
Bill
I was disturbed to read that people called you at home to try to change your mind -- whether or not Gafni abused women, this speaks to a cultism that seems unhealthy and overwrought regardless of the issues involved.
ReplyDeleteI never saw your original post, but am disappointed that you took it down in deference to his followers. If Gafni is so filled with love and light, and is completely innocent of the charges made against him, what exactly does he have to fear from a blog post?
As far as hearsay on the internet, such is the world as it is. But it is also the slippery nature of sexual abuse cases, where intent and inner experience of the parties can never be truly known -- only guessed at based on patterns.
Gafni is desperate because your blog is coming up second when his name is Googled, and he'll continue to hound you (or coerce his brainwashed minions to do so) in the deluded hope that only positive links will eventually show up on the first page of Google, and the world will conveniently forget about his sleazy reputation, and he'll finally be able to claim the glory he feels he deserves.
ReplyDeleteI know that Ken Wilber has spoken at length with many of the women directly involved with Gafni, as well as with numerous others who've worked closely with him -- and the first-hand evidence he heard was compelling and disturbing enough to convince him to cut all ties. It's hard to believe that any "defense" Gafni is pulling together (including calculatingly-selected and edited emails from some of the women, and bogus evaluations by "professionals" who've only heard his side of the story) would be enough to sway a smart guy like Wilber.
Let's hope not anyway. Based on his lifelong history, it's not a matter of if Gafni will abuse again but when, and anyone who would hire or help promote him given all the information now available is being just as irresponsible as he is, in my opinion. I'm just sorry you've gotten caught up in this mess, and hope it ends soon!
Thanks Evan,
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I don't think Ken will get sucked in, and it's disturbing that his staff are involved.
The post that set him off is down, but I still show up pretty high on the list, although the Awareness Center, which seems a little sketchy to me, still comes up number one, and they have ALL the accusations in one place.
Peace,
Bill
Hokai posted that your blog crosses some boundaries as well. I am not sure I agree, but find this an interesting topic. Just the other day on NPR they were talking about the fact that individuals used to be more information savvy than they are now just because there is so much info on the web. I think it is the responsibility of the reader to understand when something is fact and when something is opinion. Blogs are, for the most part, opinion, or at least I treat them as such. I research on my own to determine if something is fact. Because we are allowed freedom of speech, we can say what we will. However, I agree with Hokai's idea of responsibility towards others, however, bloggers don't have the same responsibility as reporters do. From a spiritual perspective I would hope people do consider others in their posts. Unfortunately, people read opinions and information and take them as fact. I could spin round and round on this, but i think i am going to go watch the Tour (again) instead :)
ReplyDeletejami