.KEYWORD religion
.FLYINGHEAD READERS SPEAK OUT
.TITLE That old time religion
.OTHER
.SUMMARY Back on July 10, our news team ran a one-paragraph news item about a site that can download adult stories to Palm devices. We got letters. So, last month in our Letters to the Editor column we ran those letters. Well, wouldn’t you know it, we got more letters! Somehow, in a publication dedicated to technical information on Palm devices, we managed to spark a discussion on free speech, the Internet, morality, and much more. Although a morality discussion is quite far afield for PalmPower, we’ve decided to reprint those letters here for you to think about and enjoy.
.AUTHOR David Gewirtz
Generally, I like my job. But there are times I truly love it. This is one of those times. Way back on July 10, our news team ran a one-paragraph news item about a site that can download adult stories to Palm devices. We got letters. So, last month in the August 2000 issue, pages deep in our Letters to the Editor column called "Health, religion, and installers…Oh my!" at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200008/pplte0800001.html, we ran those letters under the heading "PalmPower’s morality questioned." I, of course, responded with my take on the whole issue.
Well, wouldn’t ya know it, but we got more letters! The cool thing is (and this is really, truly what makes me love my job) is that, regardless of which side of the issue they were on, each letter was well-written, well-considered, and polite. Somehow, in a publication dedicated to technical information on Palm devices, we managed to spark a discussion on free speech, the Internet, morality, and much more.
It does fascinate me that we can reach people like this. And it thrills me that we’ve got such a good, intelligent, decent audience that when we do spark discussion, we get back reasoned thoughts. The Internet can definitely be a wonderful communications vehicle and a way to bring people together to address some tough issues.
PalmPower will continue to cover whatever we feel is newsworthy and reasonable for our readers, but always with consideration of what’s appropriate for the mission of the publication. Although a morality discussion is quite far afield for PalmPower, we’ve decided to reprint those letters here. They’re from real people who took the time out to share real concerns and do it with decency and thought.
One final note: Please limit all further discussion on this topic to the PowerBoards. There’s a link at the end of this article that’ll get you there. We are, after all, a technical publication. — David Gewirtz
And now…here are the letters…
.H1 Adding more fuel to the fire
David, I’ve been a Piloteer from the start, ever since I bought my Pilot 5000 in May 1996. The news item that Mr. McConnell wishes to censor is nothing new.
For example, the now-defunct PEZ (at http://www.fidalgo.net/~ram/) was established in December of 1996. L0pht Heavy Industries’ venerable "HairyPalm" (dowloadable directly from http://www.l0pht.com/~kingpin/HairyPalm.zip) has been around since October, 1997. There are others, but I think this proves my point.
Perhaps Mr. McConnell has not heard about the hot news item I like to call the First Amendment. According to http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/first.html, "The Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on December 15, 1791."
I do not condone pornography, nor do I condone religious fanaticism. Voltaire said it best: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
I’ll see you on the houseboat. As Fred Schneider and the Shake Society sing, "It’s always summer in Hell!" Pass the tanning butter…
.H1 PalmPower not a pawn of Satan
First, just to get it out of the way, I am a Christian who is opposed to pornography.
Second, I recognize PalmPower’s constitutional right to report news. I have a journalism degree and work in public relations. I recognize the arrival (no matter how unfortunate) of porn to handhelds as a newsworthy event. In our broken world, it was sadly inevitable. I think the news item was neutral in its presentation and did not show any evidence of an agenda on PalmPower’s part. In no way do I believe that PalmPower is a pawn of Satan, no more than other news outlets when they report on the porn industry. In fact, I’m glad that PalmPower has warned me of this development.
However, if PalmPower magazine continues to notify its subscribers of new developments in handheld porn and provide serious reviews of porn software, my personal religious convictions will certainly lead me to unsubscribe to this otherwise fine and helpful e-newsletter. That’s a personal decision that I will have to make.
Otherwise, keep up the good work!
Tom McCool
.H1 Where sex and religion merge
I just wanted to send a quick note to comment on a few things:
First, I really enjoy PalmPower and generally read it on my Palm IIIxe itself!
I loved the review of Beggars in Spain ("Beggars in Spain, the perfect ebook for sleepless nights" at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200008/ppbookmonth0800001.html) and the thought occurred to me when I read the other mini-book-reviews toward the end of the article that this harkens to the days when you could purchase paperbacks for less than a couple dollars and savor them on a budget. (I still have many such books!) Anyway, since I enjoy reading on my Palm, I think I’ll look at these new commercial outlets for some of my reading material…
Speaking of reading material, I really enjoy reading my New International Version of the Bible via Laridian’s MyBible program. It’s great for conducting word-studies and casual reading (though as a software developer, I can see room for improvement).
Speaking of the Bible, I want to support your stance in the exchange in "Health, religion, and installers…Oh my!" You are very right about judging, and wherever you stand spiritually, you were correct to rebuke Mr. McConnell. There are circumstances under which Mr. McConnell might have been justified, but PalmPower magazine is not about morality, and its content is well within the moral norms of our pluralistic society. You, me, Mr. McConnell may exist anywhere along this continuum, and it is not PalmPower’s mission to favor one point over the other (even though we each have our points of principle). And, as you wrote, PalmPower was simply reporting the news…
Now I might (or might not) take issue with SinPalm.com. Certainly as a follower of Jesus Christ, the very name sends chills up my spine; yet I understand clearly the attraction of pornography. (Among other things) we are sexual beings. God made us that way, God made that a GOOD part of us that was meant for our enjoyment as well as procreation (and an unbiased reading of the Bible indicates this). (Interestingly, sex is held in such high regard by God, that God puts protective boundaries around it.) So where is the line between nude artistic studies, erotica, and pornography? Perhaps it is in the concept of dignity and respect for ourselves and others. (Even so, sex can be enormously funny, and God clearly has a sense of humor, another way in which we reflect the divine image!). There is great beauty and dignity in human sexuality; as I have written elsewhere: …Sexual intimacy to me is like a holy communion: incredibly fun, inexpressibly special, humbling, exalting, funny, serious, a blending into oneness, unity, sad, tender, giving, receiving, warmth, messy, mysterious, sacred, earthy–human in likeness of divine.
So, the Palm device is as good a tool to explore these areas as any book, and I would be less than a normal human to say that I am not interested in the subject! I am a committed Christian (one who takes Jesus seriously) who enjoys the sexuality and sensuality I have been given, and I am not ashamed to say that I read about the subject, and yes, enjoy the eroticism of reading about the subject–even on my Palm device. I enjoy the beauty of the human form both from an aesthetic and erotic point of view. Both my NIV Bible and PocketSutra (Kama Sutra translation) have a place in my heart and on my Palm device! I am confident that God would let my sensitive spirit know if this was a problem in our relationship together.
Anyway, your observation about porn vis-
