Bill Roache & John Bird, an Unnecessary Stooshie.

I am a little disappointed by the response of some people to Bill Roache's remarks in his interview on New Zealand television. It is obvious, that Roaches's grasp of reincarnation and karma is flawed  but the reactions of people like Annie Brown in the Daily Record and of Dr John Bird  of NAPAC  who called the belief in reincarnation "hippy, dippy" could almost be considered racist. Reincarnation and karma have been central to Indian belief for several thousand years. For people like John Bird to ridicule a belief that was old before Abraham was born is, frankly, insulting. John Bird may think he has the right to speak for people abused during childhood, but I certainly never agreed that he could speak for me, and when he abuses my beliefs he abuses me. It is good that there are organisations helping adult abuse survivors more, but I, for one, would never consider turning to NAPAC, based on the attitudes of its leadership.

I always find it amusing how readily people reject reincarnation while accepting the belief that one man's death could buy all of humanity absolution for all their sins,  honestly,  which is the more implausible? Under the law of karma we are each responsible for our own actions and thoughts. Each of us brings about the circumstances of our birth, from which point we start creating new karma in a new life. We come with lessons to learn, but there is no predetermination of how we must learn those lessons, nothing is inevitable. Under the law of karma we are each responsible for our actions  and that includes abusers, there are no excuses and noone else to blame. I am in no way to blame for some of the things that happened to me, however I am, as an adult, entirely responsible for how I relate to my past.

The biggest problem with karma and reincarnation are people like Bill Roache who pontificate from their half formed understanding and allow others equally lacking in understanding, like Bird, to retaliate. Don't get me wrong, John Bird is right to stand up for the abused, but he should check his facts and think before speaking, as it is I see little to choose between his stupidity and Bill Roaches's, two silly men who think their opinions matter. Bill Roaches's opinions are easily dismissed, after all what is he? Just an actor in a soap opera, but John Bird is apparently a teacher, his opinions are far more dangerous.

One thing Bill Roache got almost right was the need to forgive abusers, however the only person who can forgive an abuser is the one they abused. It is the "Sunflower" dilemma, the one who was abused cannot forgive another's abuser, nor can society forgive an abuser. Only the victim of abuse has the right to forgive and until they can forgive they will continue to be a victim. We forgive not to exonerate abusers, but to liberate ourselves!