psychoceramics: Can you be a skeptic AND a kook?

[Moira Breen <breen @ kuentos.guam.net>]

The following is an excerpt of an exchange between a poster to the soc.* 
groups and one Robert Sheaffer.  Some of you may be familiar with 
Sheaffer, possibly without realizing it; he's written review articles for 
_Scientific American_, for instance.  As such, he invariably comes across 
as an extremely level-headed, reasonable person, concordant with his role 
in "skeptics" groups, etc.  As this excerpt demonstrates, however, if you 
get Mr. Sheaffer on certain topics -- feminism and/or homosexuality, say 
-- he tends to go off the deep end.  (He appears to write these in all 
seriousness.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 <A person who shall remain nameless> wrote:
>    I am a 24 year old male virgin who falls apart at the slightest 
>intimate moment with a women. I can't even look at a women who is wearing 
>a bikini without feeling disgusting or evil from being aroused. I am 
>positive I am completely heterosexual but I am so scared of becoming 
>intimate with a women that I feel I may never be able to experience the 
>great joys of a relationship. My social knowledge is way off and often 
>act acidently act inappropriate around women without meaning to hurt 
>there feelings. Sex scares me to death because for one I don't want the 
>girl to be hurt because first I have heard it hurts the girl the first 
>time she has sex and secondly an experienced women would frighten me. I 
>don't know what to do and to be frank I have a feeling I am incapable of 
>showing affection to a women of any kind because every time I do it comes 
>out wrong. Or offensive in some fashion.

(--To which the subject of our inquiry wrote:)

Let me guess: you are a **strong** supporter of "womens rights" and
"woman-as-victim"? You seem to be pathologically terrified of 'hurting'
or 'offending' women in some way.

Seriously, I think that appears to be your problem.

Basically, there are three possible options:

1. Research the subject, and convince yourself that contemporary
   feminism really is a "con". You have to not merely tell yourself
   this, but actually realize it to be true. (Visit my web page
   for some good evidence on this). Then you'll realize that women
   actually LIKE to have a guy come on strong, assuming they're the
   least bit interested in him. You can then become a man.

2. If you are terminally feminist, teach yourself to become turned on by men.
   As you possibly already know, gay men are the **strongest** supporters
   of feminism of all the male sex. They start out feeling like you do, and
   sooner or later the hormones win: they go to an 'anti-sexist mens
   meeting' or whatever, and end up boffing each other.

3. Continue to be celibate.

Them's the choices!
-- 
        Robert Sheaffer - r--@p--.com - Skeptical to the Max!
         Visit my new Home Page - http://www.patriarchy.com/~sheaffer
          Skeptical Resources Debunking All Manner of Bogus Claims
               Also: Opera / Astronomy / Mens Issues / more

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(... Mr. Sheaffer sort of reminds me, in his way, of the roommate I had 
in college who did outstandingly in all his science courses but was a 
firm believer in Velikovsky.)

David Fleck (d--@u--.edu), posting via Moira Breen's account.