2014: Disagreement, censorship and shaming in APOSL

Yesterday, Afiq posted this and some APOSLs voiced their distaste:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/aposlmy/permalink/1002040719839473/?comment_id=1002330653143813&ref=notif&notif_t=group_comment_follow

APOSL will be 4 years old this year. I remember starting this club with the target of getting 100 members. Today there are over 900 members in our Facebook group!

Our goal is to propagate science and we have done as much as we could over the last four years. We have held monthly meetings, invited speakers to give talks, done street surveys, produced science videos, visited science museums, supported projects and connected with other science-based bodies.

There are two areas we do not touch: politics and religion. Both are touchy subjects. Both bring out the worst of people at times. Now, there is little connection between politics and science, however, I know APOSL will have to face religion and science sometime, sooner or later.

The comments on Afiq's post were interesting to me because a few APOSL members countered him with facts and evidence. I have met Afiq before and I am sure he is not a bigot nor xenophobic. I guess he could have framed his concerns better in his post but I get the gist of what he is trying to say. I must say, I have learned new things by his post and the responses posted.

I feel shaming and censorship should only be left as the last option, for the extreme, dog-headed, die-die-cannot-be-wrong, won't-change-his-mind, loud-mouth person.

Opinions by members are just opinions, they do not represent the club. We should respond to genuine concerns and questions. If we shame and censor people, who will ask any more questions or open new discussions? Instead, we should continue to respond in a civilised manner and be nice.

I do not think APOSL will accept posts that belittle religion (see example below) but we should open ourselves to genuine questions and concerns that may step in the area of religion

Not something to post on APSOL's FB group.

 APSOLs could respond to questions like:

• Age of the Earth
• Origin of the universe
• Origin of life
• Angels and demons 

2016, we can do it!