Who Would Jesus Do?

I believe!

And you had to crop the photo? Why?

I’ve been a subscriber to Playboy for several years now (for the articles, of course), and every time I notice a religious tattoo or see the girl bearing a cross on her necklace, I immediately find her less attractive. I saw this in the newest issue and was wondering if it would be mentioned here. The fish tattoo goes a little beyond just wearing some jewelry.

It’s worth checking this article on the possible pagan origins of the fish symbol:

http://www.atheists.org/christianity/fish.html

Apparently, the fish symbol was used by earlier religious movements as a symbol of the goddess, fertility, and sexuality.

I like naked chicks and all but I don’t think she is very attractive. Her breasts are so small that she looks way to young to be in nude photos. Her athletic body is nice enough but her face isn’t all that special. My wife has a prettier face. Oh well, I guess she just doesn’t do it for me.

Hemant, I’m not sure you realise how often you post gratuitous shots of attractive women (a lot more often than you post gratuitous shots of attractive men, that’s for sure), often with not-so-subtle acknowledgements of their hotness, but when the comments degenerate into “discussion” and critique of the woman’s looks, it can be extremely off-putting for your female readers. I come here to read about atheism and religion, not feel like I’m in a bar surrounded by drooling pigs.

Gabriel, I’m SO glad to know you find your wife hotter than a random tennis player. I’m sure she’s glad to know you have to insult other women’s looks (I sure hope FA doesn’t have any smaller-chested female readers) in order to praise hers. The double-reassurance that you’re straight as you’re dissing Ms. Harkleroad’s looks is even nicer. “No, I totally love naked chicks, but this particular one ‘isn’t all that special’. If only she were hotter, I would join in on the ribbing and hooting with you other dudes!”

Hey, guys! Sometimes, when a woman participates in certain sports from a young age, it can result in a smaller bust than she may otherwise have wound up with. Even ignoring the inherent ridiculousness of judging a person’s beauty or worth by their bust size, it seems nothing short of repulsive to suggest a woman shouldn’t pursue athletics because it’ll make her less attractive in your estimation. Ugh.

@Wes

I don’t think Finn was trying to attack or insult anyone. She was trying to point out that it’s possible that some members of Hemant’s female readership might be made uncomfortable by the overt language, which being in print, doesn’t have the benefit of tone or context to alleviate some of the awkwardness.

It’s impossible for anyone to judge what someone else will find insulting or offensive. We can’t know each other’s histories.

IMO, when women in this country (US) asked for equality, what we got was equal opportunity exploitation – Playgirl for your Playboy. The ability to objectify men as well as women leaves both genders exposed.

I’ve always hated tattoos. The fact that she chose to explain that she’d had it done when she was younger is proof enough for me that she wouldn’t do it today. Tattoos aren’t meant to rub out though so she’s stuck with it unless she adds legs to it or something.

Leaving aside the fact that a man’s heterosexuality is in no way compromised by posting photos of attractive men on his blog (the Bad Astronomer, for one, makes no bones about his “mancrush” on David Tennant, among others, and I’ve not seen a single aspersion cast on his heterosexuality), maybe some of the female readers were just hoping that men who tended towards non-traditional thinking (atheism) were also the sort who exercised that sort of thinking when it comes to gender politics.

I do agree that a woman who poses for Playboy or the like is a viable target for appearance-related comments, but I also agree it gets a little old hearing about tits and ass all the time when all you need to to see the aforementioned bits is look in the mirror. So when this happens I just go read another blog. Anyone ever noticed that Phil Plait is kind of hot? 😉

Is it weird that Gabriel is comparing “naked chicks” in magazines to his wife? Just asking.

Wow,
There is a lot more thought given to my post than I gave to it when I wrote it. If someone poses nude or clothed in a magazine that is about fashion or beauty it is appropriate to comment on the looks and body. This wasn’t in Sky and Telescope. It was in Playboy. She didn’t have to pose. She apparently has a successful career as a professional athlete. She did this because she wanted to. I never suggested that women don’t participate in athletics. I think the most attractive people in the world, women and men, are athletic. Breast size has nothing to do with attractiveness. I didn’t use the word “tits” in my orignal post. My point on her breasts was that their size made her look too young to pose nude. One of the things that bothers me about the sex related industry is the way that they try to make so many women look like children. That gives me the willies. I don’t want children to be sexualized and I don’t think it is erotic to make adults seem like children. I only compared the young woman’s face to my wife’s face. By that point I had moved beyond the nudity in my mind. Okay I hope I have addressed everything.

We can all take a lesson from this one, I think. Looks like you’re not even a little bit sleazy, judging from these last two posts. But your first one really made it seem that way. Moral of the story: word choice is key in text-based conversations.

Gab is correct.

Taking up where Ron may or may not have left off, Finn, don’t get all ideological on us. Be mature about human nature: men and women are driven by physiological urges that are quite normal and natural, and without which none of this would be possible. As atheists, we do not fear the truth, as base and crude as genteel breeding might have it seem. We carry our civilized demeanor only so far–to the bedroom door to be precise (for some not that far). I was raised in a sexually-repressed religious culture, so I react, from the gut, with mild disgust at the way some men talk amongst themselves, but that’s my problem.

Gabriel has it right: if a woman presents herself for public inspection, she will be critiqued. I’m old-fashioned enough to frown down on such a spectacle, as I would if it was my daughter, but this young lady has every right to parade her paltry paps in Playboy so long as she doesn’t have to see all the young boys pounding their penises to the outlines of her see-though panties.