Ha ha! I saw a funny thing in a forum this week.

Someone posted a question asking about a design feature of another site. There was then a link to that site and the gist of the question was “Hey, would you guys take a look and tell me what you think about XYZ-feature?”

One person responded thus…

I was okay for the first 10 seconds, then saw a Playboy Ad….won’t be going back…sorry

I felt like adding the comment:

Well, sweetheart, while you’re at it, you’d better not go into the newsagency anymore either, eh.

For the record, the site being referred to was NOT a porn site. Had nothing to do with porn. Nothing even close. (I didn’t get served a Playboy ad when I visited, but I’m guessing that the ads are geo-targetted in some way because I get some ads in Japanese, for example.)

Now, I don’t want to get into the porn debate here because that’s actually NOT the point of this post. The point here is this:

* How religious folks love to take that moral high ground and then think they have a right to overtly interject their moral position wherever they like

“Whoa! Hang on, boy!” I can already hear some people saying to their computer screen “How do you know she’s religious?”

Well, actually, I don’t. That’s, therefore, a fair criticism.

But would be willing to bet just about ANYTHING that she is.

“Why? Just because she objects to porn? That’s rubbish… I’m not religious and I object to porn too!”

Sure. But you probably don’t make comments like that on public forums when there is absolutely NO relevance to the discussion. Simply to assert your moral position.

Everyone has a right to their opinion, of course. But people do NOT have a right to assert their moral opinion in a public forum, the topic of which has zero to do with philosophy or morality or ethics, etc.

Somehow, though, strongly religious folks seem to think that they not only have the right to do this, but a duty to do so.

Well, get the fuck outta my face with your religion. I’ve had enough!

For cryin’ out loud, go… and… read… The God Delusion, the most prescient account of not only why religion has got it so astoundingly wrong, but why it’s so dangerous, too. Really, if you haven’t read it, do so. Particularly if you’re religious. T’would be a terrible shame if this book were just a case of preaching to the choir (irony intended).

This blog, for example, is NOT a public forum. Yes, it’s a public place. But it is my blog where I talk about whatever is on my mind.

You can contribute to the discussion, by all means. In fact, please do.

You can disagree with me (as previous commenters have).

That’s okay. No problem.

It often turns out (strangely enough! ) that I’m not right about everything, y’know! Even though I (like everyone else) like to think I am (right, that is) at the time of opening my big mouth or bashing out something on this keyboard.

(And I’m truly grateful when someone puts me straight on something I thought I was right about and which it turns out I was not.)

BUT… very important… you have a choice to come back to this blog or not. This is not a public discussion board or a membership site dealing with nothing even remotely connected to philosophy.

Look, I apologise if on your first visit you come here and find stuff that you think is offensive or grossly at odds with your worldview… No, actually, I don’t “apologise” for that at all… because–generally–I don’t think I am particularly offensive.

Aaaannd… in stark contrast to most people who disagree with me on religious and metaphysical points of view, I have actually given my convictions a great deal of rigorous analysis.

Interestingly, though, the nature of this blog being “publicly accessible” makes my argument here about not having the right to publicly spout your moral position slightly wobbly (because essentially that’s what I do with every post!). And ayone can come here out of the blue and find stuff that they don’t like or don’t agree with.

But it’s not quite the same. This is a blog. People know that blogs are opinionated places; generally the domain of a single writer. And I’m not just interjecting my morals in a discussion I’m having with you about something else entirely, such as websites. I’m starting the discussions here!

Some conversations I start–on the Net or in “real life”–are all about moral issues and are therefore framed to deal with people’s opinions, thoughts, and moral positions. In that case, hit me widdem! That’s a clear invitation.

But a question about a design feature on a website?

Say, my creepy Orwellian computer system (actually, just a simple WordPress plug-in and nothing to worry about. Honest!) is displaying this message automatically because it wants to help you get the latest updates to this somewhat irregular blog delivered to you direct, hot off the press via RSS! Huh? Via...WHAT??? Don't worry, it's just a fancy email thing without the spam. Easy. Painless. Safe. Click here to subscribe via RSS..

Thanks for visiting & I hope you find some good stuff here! Leslie