Seri,
To me this is along the lines of a liberal christian who because they believe I am under their god's grace, whether I want it or not, will call me christian and consider it a compliment with no regards to my own feelings on the issue or how the religion may have been used as a weapon against me, and therefore is personally distasteful.
I appreciate that you would never call me Kajira. And while to you it would be the highest compliment, to me it would be an insult. Just like being called a christian would be personally insulting to me. I am an individual human being with my own internal moral code which may or may not agree with someone else's which is fine.
I do not have a need for others to "agree with my view" or "follow my way." I merely insist that no one insist that I must just not "get it" or else I would see the wondrous beauty of it.
I have not made any statements against specific practitioners of the Gorean Lifestyle, only my personal assertion that the books are misogynistic. Considering that it is a work of fiction there can be no "true interpretation."
I have my opinion and you have yours.
Because all interpretations are necessarily interpretations. But they are twisted books from my perspective. I'm creating a separate free webpage, not on this site, to get some of my thoughts on the Gor series out and why these books irk me so much.
I personally believe the bible is a barbaric/tribalistic/amoral book, BUT this does not mean I believe Christians are this way. There are plenty of christians who are good people. But I don't think it's "because of" the bible.
I have similar feelings toward the Gor novels. Also, as a writer, I find them to be bad even by pulp fiction standards. If the books were not pedantic and preachy, the misogyny might be slightly less obvious and irksome.
Nevertheless, whether or not it's "fantasy" I find the ideas very harmful to women as a gender. But as I said, that is my opinion. I have not claimed my view to be holy writ.
I have not once attacked "your way." I don't recall personally saying anything negative about any human being who follows a Gorean Lifestyle. What I have done instead, is express my personal views on a work of FICTION.
And why it is difficult for me to reconcile books which I find offensive, with decent people who follow a lifestyle in some way based around said books. But this is not the first time I have come against this. I have a muslim friend who is the kindest girl I know in the world, yet I feel she follows an insane and barbaric book.
I know many kind and wonderful christians, who nevertheless follow a book I find insane and barbaric. The Gor novels are just yet another extension of this for me.
Tolerance means that I do not seek to convert others to my way, nor do I try to stop others in any way from practicing what is in their hearts. Tolerance does not mean i cannot have my own individual views and feelings on what constitutes misogyny.
Respectfully,
littlepet