Indeed I was; I just neglected to put a caret in first.
One of the things that is being discussed here is "moral compass." I've always had a problem with that phrase when it is used by people whose morals I don't understand. You used the word "acceptable," saying that other people doing something doesn't make it acceptable -- a statement with which I agree -- but it begs the question "what
does make something acceptable?" And to whom is it made acceptable? You? Me? The individuals involved? Society at large?
There's a lot of blather I hear about "moral relativism," which is generally used by moral absolutists who cannot actually defend or explain their morality, they chalk it up to tradition and writ; but it does raise the question of what makes an action moral or immoral, what relative factors are involved.
For example, killing is immoral, that's an absolute; but what about in war? What about in self defense? What about in defense of the defenseless? Is it still wrong? If not, then the morality of killing is relative to the situation.
And so with sexuality: you cannot say that having sex is wrong, so you start creating rules about when it's wrong and when it isn't. But not everyone agrees on those rules. So what is an acceptable sexual behavior? How much sex is okay and how much is slutty? Is it by how many partners you have? What kinds of relationships you have with those partners? And how are you to judge? And then, finally, what
right have you to judge?
The OP mentioned this moral compass and prefaced it by calling himself a Christian; that makes me wonder where his compass came from, on what it is based, and whether it is an actual compass or just a prejudice. And you mentioned things being "acceptable" and I have to wonder, from other things of yours I've read, what makes something acceptable to you.
For me it's that it does no harm. If I'm not hurting you, or someone you think you need to protect, then it's none of your business what I do; the same goes for you... so long as you don't harm me or mine, or anybody else whose plight appeals to my sense of fairness, whatever you do is none of my concern.
Other people's sexual behavior, so long as they're not hurting anyone other than those who choose to be in the relationship with them, I can't imagine caring how many people you sleep with. If you're raping people, or damaging them maliciously, I have a problem; but if you're cheating on your spouse or fucking five thousand men a year, none of my concern.
Your thoughts?
