Let's Clear The Air

Let's clear the air, here…the air around attaching blame to religious belief systems and how those systems are regularly twisted and bastardized.

Dr. R. Albert Mohler - president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary - writes about the infamous Fred Phelps, leader of the Westboro Baptist Church.  Mohler says,"He brought great discredit to the Gospel of Christ because his message was undiluted hatred packaged as the beliefs of a church.  Phelps knew exactly what he was doing.  As The Washington Post reported, he found comfort in being a pariah.  'If I had nobody mad at me, what right would I have to claim that I was preaching the gospel?'

Blogger Pastor Brian Tubbs writes,"There's simply no place in the Bible for the offensive rhetoric of tactics employed by Phelps.  No place for someone cherry-picking a particular sin and going after it with obsessive, ruthless hatred.  There's no place for hatred in general in the Christian community."

Columnist Mark Tooley writes,"Ideally, Phelps and Westoboro would have been ignored as irrelevant and unserious, representing almost no one.  But they were too useful as props in our current culture wars.  To be fair, conservative Christians sometimes highlighted Phelps to burnish their own credentials."

So, it wasn't bad enough that Phelps sowed hatred and discord in the name of religion, but other political hucksters attempted to co-opt Phelps, trying to steal a little of the spotlight for their own agendas.

Theologically speaking, the Gospel of Christ is one of forgiveness, not hatred.  Phelps wasn't just a fraudulent Christian, he was a thug with a personal agenda.

I personally had contact with another "preacher" similar to Phelps; a guy from Wisconsin who had his own little "Christian" cult that made a hobby out of harassing naturists for legally using a small stretch of river for sunbathing and skinny-dipping, suggesting that their motives were all sexually-based.  Like Phelps, this guy basked in the attention of local media cameras, until those media finally decided to quit making him a legitimate news item.  Eventually, the "preacher" took his little traveling hate show elsewhere, to a larger city instead of out in the middle of nowhere; where he could be more visible.

It wasn't about sin; it was all about being hateful and getting media attention.

The Muslim world has clearly and repeatedly denounced ISIS.  The Organization of Islamic Cooperation - representing 1.4 billion Muslims in 57 countries - said ISIS,"…has nothing to do with Islam and its principles that call for justice, kindness, fairness, freedom of faith and coexistence."  The Muslim Council of Great Britain said,"Violence has no place in religion. Violence has no religion."

Craig Hicks, the Chapel Hill murderer of three people, was profoundly anti-religion.  Does that mean that we should blame his crime on atheism?  Absolutely not.

M. Scott Peck, who served as Neurology Consultant to the Surgeon General of the Army, calls fundamentalism an "immature stage of spiritual development."  In other words, it's not a matter of whose team you're on, it's whether you're mature enough to evolve past the violent thousands-year-old worldview and act peacefully.

Is there a person alive who has not known and experienced various kinds of drunks?  There's the happy drunk, the angry drunk and (like me), the sleepy drunk.  Remember actor Mel Gibson's anti-Semitic tirade when he was arrested for drunken driving?  The one where he claimed "f*g Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world?"  Then later, he tried to pass it off on the alcohol.  The public didn't buy it.  We knew his anti-Semitic feelings were inside him all along.  The alcohol didn't create them.

Those of us old enough to remember comedian Flip Wilson recall how millions of Americans would gather round the TV set to watch him do his character, Geraldine, whose excuse for any bad behavior was,"The Devil made me do it."
I find that so hilariously ironic in view of all the blame people try to heap on religion.  The Devil never "made anybody" do anything, and most rational people would never grant anyone a pass or an acquittal based on the Devil's influence, but many seem perfectly willing to ascribe same to religion.

Atheistic anti-religious rants are no different than fundamentalist "believers" wanting to impose their hateful anti-gay beliefs on an entire state or ISIS members wanting to create a caliphate.  As Dana Carvey used to say when he did his impression of George Bush Sr. on SNL,"Na gaa happen."

Let's cut the crap and put the blame where it belongs - on the various thugs of this world doing their impressions of devout believers.  They represent neither the Muslims nor the Christians of the world, and their theologies are not the cause of their crimes, but their own personal hatreds and lusts for power.  

"The Slippery Slope"

The "Slippery Slope" fallacy is: If we allow A to happen, then Z will eventually happen, too.  Therefore, A should not happen."

Throughout history, there have been various attempts by "do-gooders" to warn the general public against things that they insisted would lead to addiction, sexual deviance, crime, violence and the downfall of civilization as we know it.  And of course, it wasn't enough for these people to just warn us; in every instance, there were always "movements" to villainize, criminalize, boycott or ban a thing or an action.

The early 1800's saw the beginning of the temperance movement, warning that alcohol was a "slippery slope" to domestic abuse, child abandonment, moral degradation and crime.  It eventually led to Prohibition in 1920, and as we're all aware, the 18th Amendment only succeeded in creating MORE crime, due to simple supply and demand.  Regular, everyday people were unable to purchase alcoholic beverages legally, so organized crime stepped in to fill the need and profited from it.  Some states actually banned possession of alcohol, making the consumer a criminal and subject to arrest.  Even worse, a lot of the illegally produced alcohol was of poor quality.  Many stills used lead coils or lead soldering, which gave off acetate of lead - a dangerous poison.  Some bootleggers used recipes that included iodine, creosote or even embalming fluid.  Amazingly, Prohibition lasted 13 years before it was finally repealed, but contrary to the early temperance warnings, the country did not slip into chaos.

In the late 30's, "reefer madness" was the next "slippery slope," warning that the evil weed would lead children into narcotic use, sexual deviance and prostitution.  And just like Prohibition, the "War on Drugs" led to the imprisonment of otherwise innocent users for mere possession of small amounts of marijuana.  Between 2001 and 2010, there were 8.2 million arrests for possession.  This obsession with criminalizing marijuana cost American taxpayers $3.6 billion annually.  And fast-forwarding to the present, 23 states now have legalized either medical or recreational marijuana use/cultivation.  Civilization still intact.

Homophobic and anti-gay people have resisted same-sex couples and unions for decades.  Their bizarre "slippery slope" argument usually goes something like,"If we allow same-sex couples to marry, then the next thing we know we'll be allowing people to marry their parents, their cars, and even monkeys."   Again, they suggest - mostly through religious objections - that the very fabric of society will be torn asunder if we do not live our lives according to their rigid, conservative world view.  Anita Bryant organized "Save Our Children," a major campaign to oppose gay rights, suggesting that gay people were interested in "recruiting or molesting" children.  Again, fast forward to the present day, and we now have 37 states where gay marriage is legal.

The wheels of justice turn slowly, but they do turn.

The movement to villainize or ban adult media is another common "slippery slope" group that has flourished for decades.  When Henry Miller's "Tropic of Cancer" was published back in 1934, a Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice wrote that the novel was,"…not a book.  It is a cesspool, an open sewer, a pit of putrefaction, a slimy gathering of all that is rotten in the debris of human depravity."  Copies of "Lady Chatterly's Lover" were regularly confiscated by the Post Office until a 1959 court decision, after which the book promptly sold 6 million copies.

President Reagan went after adult media in the 80's, telling Attorney General Ed Meese to focus on "gay sex, anal sex, and black-white couples."  Bush's DOJ Porno Task Force told the prosecutors to go after X-rated entertainment companies who produced videos and magazines.

Interesting that to this day, it is illegal to sell sex toys in Alabama.  But then, we also realize that Alabama ranks near the bottom of the list in quality of public education; surpassed only by Mississippi and (surprise!) the District of Columbia.

I don't have any current statistics on the adult "industry," but as of 2002, Comcast pulled in $50 million from adult programming, and all the nation's top cable operators - from Time-Warner to Cablevision - distributed explicit video to their subscribers.  Hilton, Marriot, Hyatt, Sheraton and Holiday Inn all offer adult programming in pay-per-view, and they are purchased by 50% of their guests, accounting for 70% of their in-room profits.  Adult DVD sales hit $3.6 billion in 2003.  Current estimates are at $10 billion.

The latest "slippery slope" paranoia seems to revolve around the book,"50 Shades of Grey," a story involving BDSM.  Within a year of its publication, libraries in a Florida country began removing it from their shelves, but that action was reversed due to public demand.

Opponents of the novel insist that it "glorifies" abuse and violence and that it will lead to misunderstanding by younger readers and abuse within relationships.

Novels and movies often cover the fringe, the bad and the ugly, but just because they cover it does not constitute condoning same.  That is where the critics of "50 Shades" go too far.  It is safe to say that author, E.L. James is not encouraging rape, since there is a "safe word" in the book.  Further, James's inclusion of Christian's behavior in the novel does not mean James supports this behavior.  She is merely telling a story.

We don't expect that crime thrillers be 100% faithful to the reality of detective work, or that romances heed the complex nature of real relationships, so WHY should an erotic novel be held to some higher standard??

It's just prejudicial and "slippery slop-ish" to suggest that this book has the power to increase violence against women.  100 million copies sold testifies to the fantasy of some women to be dominated.  Fantasy.  Are we to also boycott women's fantasies?  To tell them that these fantasies are "dangerous" and possibly responsible for domestic violence?

The bottom line to all this "slippery slope" mania is that none of the above activities or objects have led to the general degradation of society, but that will not stop people from trying to villainize objects or ideas.  It's just easier to hate something if you can pin some kind of blame on it, while the rest of society seems to move along just fine in spite of all the warnings and dog whistle blowing.

Do some people have a serious problem with substance abuse?  Yes.  Some people have a Crispy Creme doughnut abuse problem, too.  The rest of us seem capable of moderated consumption without any risk of tobogganing into alcoholism or obesity.

Look…if you don't like alcohol or cannabis, then don't consume them.  If you don't like same-sex couples, then stay hetero.  If you don't like adult sex-based media, then don't watch or read it.  But for crying out loud, stop suggesting that any of it is in-and-of-itself evil.  If you're a parent, then do your damned job and talk to your kids about whatever you're concerned about.  But also realize that eventually, they are going to want to know what all the fuss is about and make their own decisions about all the verboten.

The horse is dead.  Your club is bloody.  Put it down and walk away.  Goodness knows, before too long, there will be some new thing to worry about that will potentially plunge us all into chaos.

If It Can Be Done, It Can Be Overdone

In the wake of all the controversy surrounding the book, 50 Shades of Grey, I think this morning's blog about excess is totally appropriate.  Simply put, there is hardly any human activity that people have not felt the need to take to the extreme; including, of course, sex kink.  But I just want to dwell on the notion of excess, because it seems to be a human condition.

I and other internet bloggers have talked about balance frequently; about the prudence of moderation.  I would have to admit that I'm about as good a poster boy for hedonism as one could find.  I enjoy exciting the senses as much as anyone; good cuisine, wine, spirits, creating music, writing, reading, wilderness exploration and the other sundry pleasures of the flesh.  And it just seems that I find these various forms of stimulation more pleasurable if there's some element of hiatus in between; a refractory period, if you will, so that the exquisite does not become the mundane.

I love prime rib, but I'm certain that if I ate it ever day, or even every 2 or 3 days, it would lose some of its appeal for me.  There's something to be said for hunger and anticipation.

No doubt, this blog will seem rather redundant for some; no great revelations, here.  But it will never cease to amaze me how some people are just not satisfied with moderation.  There's little or no sense of enough is enough.  If it's worth doing, apparently it's worth overdoing.

And to come back 360º to the beginning, 50 Shades of Grey is just one of the most recent examples of excess.  I think many of you reading this would be surprised (if not shocked) by the actual popularity of light bondage.  "Normal" everyday people just wanting a little taste of naughty, of kink, of the forbidden.  They usually just use things like silk scarves (because they don't chafe) and fun items like blindfolds or furry toy handcuffs.  Nothing much to get your undies in a knot over.  Just a little harmless fun.  But there is that small percentage of individuals at both ends of the bell curve, isn't there?  One one end you have the prudish and on the other the really heavy kink addicts.  Because you know, if a little is fun, a LOT must be better.  Sigh….

So, with that said, please enjoy the collection of excess images, because as the saying goes,"a picture is worth a thousand words."  Except, with these pictures, it's more like only one or two words; like wow or good grief!  And yes, that is a gold-plated Lamborghini.

I find the word obscene both misused and overused, but the last image surely qualifies.

50 Shades - Much Ado About Nothing

Speaking as a literature scholar, a writer, and reader of adult fiction, 50 Shades of Grey is a rather poorly-written fictional account of an erotic minority love story.  Journalist Colette Bennett describes it,”...like the 'Twilight' craze all over again, but with less supernatural creatures and more bondage gear."

As a genre, erotica has been alive and throbbing since the days of Ancient Greece and Rome, when someone scrawled those first steamy, toga-ripping words on a piece of papyrus. 

D.H. Lawrence published "Lady Chatterley's Lover" in 1928, and the United States Post Office regularly confiscated copies. On July 2, 1959 a court told the prudes at the Post Office to mind their own business, and by the following year, the book had sold 6 million copies.

The Adult Media Market Today

The latest estimates are that Americans now spend somewhere around $10 billion a year on adult entertainment, which is as much as they spend attending professional sporting events, buying music or going out to the movies.  Hilton, Marriot, Hyatt, Sheraton and Holiday Inn all offer adult films on in-room pay-per-view television systems. And they are purchased by a whopping 50 percent of their guests, accounting for nearly 70 percent of their in-room profits. One hotel owner said, "We have to have it. Our guests demand it.”

Nothing New

50 Shades may have been a hit with a lot of women, but previous to it, "Interview With A Vampire" sold over 8 million copies and spawned 10 sequels.  So, except for the leather and whips, 50 Shades wasn’t the first popular “dark” erotic novel.  Romance fiction in general became the largest share of the consumer book market by 2007 with $1.375 billion in estimated revenue, overtaking the religion/inspirational category.

If 50 Shades deserves any of the criticism leveled at it from book reviews, the most significant thing is that it misrepresents the BDSM lifestyle/community.  Bondage per se is not about pain.  It’s all about role playing with a reversal of power, and the subject (or sub) always has a “safe word” that will end the play session immediately.  Also, responsible adults engaging in bondage do not use dangerous restraint items like zip ties.  

Strictly as a piece of  adult fiction, I wasn’t that impressed by it.  If others are, fine.  Sexuality and arousal/attraction can be a very specific thing.  One person’s “turn-on” can be someone else’s “turn-off.”  But if I’m going to commit to reading a 500 page novel, the author had better grab me by the ears and pull me into the story within the first few pages.  And that just didn’t happen for me.

I’m actually more a fan of the short story, which - if you know anything about it - is usually way more challenging, more demanding for the writer, because now he has less time and space to muck about.  He has to quickly develop a setting, at least one main character, a plot or “conflict,” and then “resolve” that conflict in anywhere from 10 to 30 pages. 

That is why, for fans of adult fiction, I recommend any of the anthologies from the “Best American Erotica” series (15 books from 1993 - 2008).  I’ve read most of them, and they provide one of the most varied sexual buffets I’ve ever seen.  There’s literally something for everyone, from the mundane to the downright weird.  It’s called creativity, folks.

I just didn’t find 50 Shades that “creative.”

As clinical sexologist Dr. Hernando Chaves said,”If it (50 Shades) opens doors to new arousal templates for you, great.  Just know that BDSM is not rooted in abuse.” 

To that, I would add that 50 Shades is not what I would recommend for teenage readers, at least not without a brief discussion of BDSM and the areas of the book that are simply not representative of the lifestyle.  I firmly disagree with any who suggest that 50 Shades “promotes” or “leads one” toward abusive relationships. 

50 Shades is to the romantic novel what James Bond movies are to great cinema.  They're light entertainment; nothing more.

If BDSM or leather isn’t your cup of tea, don’t waste $9 on the paperback or the movie, but don’t make it out to be something it isn’t - a great story, arousing, or dangerous.