Sex Talk

I had an idea - and I'm just wanting to see if there is any interest:

Sex/sexuality is a topic a lot of philosophies and religions don't really like to touch on (a product of our culture, I suppose), but I believe that it's a vitally important part of our human education (and thus, to a Jedi's understanding of humanity)

And people seem interested in discussing topics relating to sex/sexuality.

Maybe we ("we" being TotJO) can start a "Dear Abby" style running thread where people can send questions/concerns to a particular person (I assume a member of the Clergy/Council) who will anonymously publish the question. It would allow open discussion about issues of sex/sexuality, without having to be embarrassed about asking.

Would this kind of thread appeal to anyone?

What kind of question do you envisage here?

I find this idea very interesting. I think having a way to post such questions anonymously is a good idea, but that we should also encourage people to be up front and honest about things like that and to post things for themselves. Maybe after a few anonymous ones people will do so.

It reminds me a bit of the first chapter of The Book by Alan Watt. The opening premise is that his book is similar in nature to a Japanese custom where families would give young adults a book talking about sexuality and such things so that they could avoid the awkwardness of having "the talk." At least I think it was Japanese, I don't have my copy of The Book near me.

I don't think there would be a lot of use for such a thread, but having a system like that in place couldn't hurt. I'm in favor.

Goken wrote: I think having a way to post such questions anonymously is a good idea, but that we should also encourage people to be up front and honest about things like that and to post things for themselves. Maybe after a few anonymous ones people will do so.

I agree that openness and honesty is ideal, but since sex is still very much taboo, a lot of people aren't quite there yet where they are comfortable bringing up their concerns publicly. Especially if it's a personal issue.

Hence the idea for an anonymous "Dear Abby"- type thread, so long as there is someone willing to be "Abby". I'd volunteer if I wasn't a wee Novice

I don't know if that is actually quite the same thing, Goken -- the Japanese "Pillow Book" was sort of a way to avoid the shame of having those 'conversations'. What our purposes here would be would be overcoming the shame ...

Sex is probably one of the most productive breeding grounds for shame we have. There is certainly a need for this sort of thing, but I'm not so sure of the practicality of it in an open forum. Whereas vulnerability is a the seat of creativity and liberation, it may be a big vulnerability risk too, if someone "trolls" it. And "trolling" sometimes even (sadly) happens within our ranks -- not just passers-by who like to have a go at us ...

I'm in favour of the idea of it. I'm not so sure how well it would work out in practice. Or who could get hurt ... That could be a mine-field. :dry:

Edan wrote: What kind of question do you envisage here?

Maybe not limit it to sex related stuff, just anything people are too embarrassed or uncomfortable to ask for themselves. It could just be labeled "Uncomfortable topics" or something.

Mild side funny. This topic made me think of this scene from Friends.

Alexandre Orion wrote: Sex is probably one of the most productive breeding grounds for shame we have. There is certainly a need for this sort of thing, but I'm not so sure of the practicality of it in an open forum. Whereas vulnerability is a the seat of creativity and liberation, it may be a big vulnerability risk too, if someone "trolls" it. And "trolling" sometimes even (sadly) happens within our ranks -- not just passers-by who like to have a go at us ...

My ideal would be to make it like a journal - the anonymous question would be addressed by "Abby" and perhaps member of the Council/Clergy/Knighthood if they want to put their two cents in, but not an open forum.

Though if someone was to make a particular topic related to the entry into a thread in the public forum, they can do so.

I'm not sure that we should have someone anonymous answering questions...
If we are doing this, I think it should be a subforum somewhere, people can ask one knight to post their question, then everyone else can post their thoughts.

If we have someone anonymous you run the risk of someone thinking that the person answering has some kind of qualification in therapy etc.

I also think it should be trialed..

I don't think the person answering would be anonymous, just the person who originally asked since they'd ask through another person who would create the actual post.

i dont know why, but i think "envisage" is a sexy word lol

my thought on OP is that the easiest way to do it would be to open a "awkward questions" thread and if someone was ok with asking their question in that thread, great, but if they felt more comfortable asking someone via PM that would be fine too, it could be PM'd but addressed in the thread so everyone could benefit

i dont know a way to have such a thread actually be open to the whole community without it,, well being open to the whole community lol