The Power of the Dark Side.
Of all the things I cannot abide it's hypocrisy which gets under my skin the most. However, it does perform a useful role. It highlights areas where default assumptions are incorrect and hopefully leads to a better understanding and an adjustment of values. When it comes to evolving morality I can't currently think of a better tool. I'm not sure how, yet, but I think there is a point I want to make. About morality. As ever there is no real starting point for my thoughts.
Critical mass was achieved when I came across a story over on BBC News. It was about the British Navy recognising its first registered Satanist. My initial reaction was similar to that of Anne Widdecombe - itself a startling realisation. But the article went on to describe Satanism and one line in particular bothered me: "Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification".
Whereas I don't believe in most of the junk which religions wrap themselves up in, I do believe some things are right and some things are wrong. So rather than sin, I may talk about wrongness. Instead of referring to the seven deadly sins I may refer to negative emotions. Semantics aside, I suppose you could say that in broad terms I have a sense of morality which most would recognise in being Christian. Hence my problem with Satanism.
However. Consider the world of Advertising, and how the so-called sins are used to create the desire to buy something you don't need because you will experience a physical, mental, or emotional gratification. I've seen an advert for a television which basically said, "Buy this TV and people will envy you". Then there is an add for a car which says "Be ashamed of driving anything else". And lets not forget the Magnum "Seven Deadly Sins" marketing campaign.
Some would claim such advertising is merely postmodern irony. Perhaps it is, only very few people seem to know the meaning of the word "irony", and fewer still understand "postmodern". So until the world actually understand what "postmodern irony" is, and what it means, and how to spot it, I'll refuse to accept it as any sort of excuse and take things on face value. So I'll happily equate those who work in Advertising with members of the Church of Satan. Which is where hypocrisy comes into the argument. Either we condemn Satanism as wrong, and along with it the tactics of advertising. Or we accept both. To do otherwise would be hypocracy.