| Original Message |
Bill Samuel (Login BillSamuel)
Posted Oct 24, 2005 5:28 AM
Freedom of speech does not mean that publications have to publish anything sent in. It means anyone is free to publish, regardless of content (with only very limited restrictions). Licia is free to publish her prophecy and has done so, and she has not indicated that any Friends group or publication tried to prevent publication of the book. No publication that decides not to publish her prophecy is violating free speech. Whether or not their decisions are sound, each publication has the right to publish what it chooses. For publications like religious publications, normally there are limitations even on paid ads. Again their decisions may not always be sound, but it's their choice. Any legal suit for refusing to publish Licia's prophecy would be laughed out of court. The courts can not tell religious publication what they may or may not publish.
No major Friends publication of which I am aware has ever had a policy of publishing anything sent in by a Friend. And while Licia self-identifies with Quakers and has provided much in the way of resouces for Quakers, my understanding is that she is not a member of any Friends meeting. But nothing I've seen her write about her experiences with Quaker publications indicates her membership status was a factor in their decisions about publishing what she has written.
By the way, the Quaker Life article was not published with a paid ad banner, which could have confused some readers, although at the bottom it clearly identified who was responsible for its content, and it was in a very different typeface from editorial content. Apparently some readers objected to its publication, and the editor subsequently published an apology for printing the ad - a very brief one which did not really make clear to me the reason for her regrets. (Personally I would think it appropriate to publish it as a clearly labeled paid ad.)
It is hard to think of any other specific event or prophesied event, past or future, which has been the subject of more posts in Quaker online forums than Licia's Farmington prophecy. I think she has been successful in communicating it to many Quakers, and I know from limited experience that this sometimes results in people on these forums talking it about with other Quakers at gatherings, so it does spread wider. For example, one Friend (not me) raised it at a Bible study I attend, which resulted in several Friends hearing of it for the first time.
I do find a blanket policy of not publishing prophecies strange, and I believe I recall Quaker Life noting a prophecy uttered at a Triennial some time back. I do think there are many Friends who are not very open to prophecies at all, and I think that is sad. But I also think that many Friends who don't view this particular prophecy as given by Christ do not reject prophecy per se.
I'll admit I've never understood why Licia is so concerned with getting out her prophecy so widely before 6/6/06. From what I've heard of it, there really would be no need to be in Farmington on that date. Coming some time after would gain someone all the benefits of what Licia believes Christ will do in Farmington, from everything I've read from Licia on it. She has noted that word of what is happening there will receive much attention from the mass media if the prophecy comes to fruition. Then Friends and others can respond. If the prophecy turns out to be mistaken, people can avoid an unnecessary trip and disruption to their lives by deferring any decision to go to Farmington until after the 6/6/06 date.
Bill Samuel, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Internet Ministries Coordinator, Friends in Christ, http://www.friendsinchrist.net/
Webservant, QuakerInfo.com, http://www.quakerinfo.com/ |
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