Anyway.
Imagine my dismay when, upon realising that our AdSense account is now operational so we could potentially be making money off of advertising (which only works if you click on the links! so if you see an advertisement for something even remotely interesting, you know what to do... Google thinks you'll like it!) and viewing the blog in full to see what ads we were getting picked for us...
I found a Mormon ad.
Aaaah **HEADDESK**!
Now let me be perfectly clear, I have nothing against Mormonism as a religion. I'm not even all that irritated about their ads, which aren't terribly pushy, especially compared to the postcards I get in the mail.
No, what I have something against is when religious organisations of any nature blatantly advertise that you ought to join their religion, without having any way of knowing your previous religious affiliation, if any. What I have something against is when religious organisations push the idea that their religion is so obviously superior that they don't even care what religion you practice or don't practice, they will still believe you ought to convert. What I have something against is when religious organisations insist in response to the previous accusation that all they want is for everyone to be saved, i.e., blatantly stating that their religion is so superior and their deity/ies are so judgemental that all others are condemned to some sort of (generally eternal) punishment (generally in the afterlife) for their beliefs.
It's not that I think nobody should ever be allowed to speak about their religion in a positive light, inviting others to join in their belief.
It's just that I believe they ought to be advertising only to people who actually want to know.
Not the entire Internet.
Headbashingly yours,
IBI
EDIT 25/4: If you're freaking out now, or worried I've gone mental, I recommend that you read the addendum in the comment section. Might clear up where I'm coming from a little more.
The Mormon ads on YouTube are really annoying. It's irritating that they think that anyone would actually care enough to give a crap about the ad.
ReplyDeleteUhm, rude much? It's not like they're chaining you to a chair and forcing you to read it... if you aren't interested, just don't click it. simple as that.
ReplyDeleteStop complaining about everything! If you aren't interested in that religion, disregard it! What is the BIG deal if you get a letter in the mail about religion? Don't read it if you don't want to. Other people might want to read it.
ReplyDelete-Fly on the Wall
Actually reading more blog posts, y'all don't complain about everything. BUT STILL.
ReplyDelete-Fly on the Wall
Morman ads? I've been looking for a Morman.
ReplyDeleteNot to be defending a blog post to an audience that probably won't be reading it, but I'm about to defend a blog post to an audience that probably won't read it.
ReplyDeleteIt's not the one advertisement on the blog that bothers me, I can avoid clicking or refresh YouTube or disable ads on the blog. It's not a couple fliers in the mail, I read over them and recycle them. It's the fact that people are pushing something very sensitive--religion--on a large audience blindly, without putting much thought into it. Same for ads on television, and people handing out Bibles at middle schools, and really, same for a church protesting outside of a soldier's funeral.
Big audience. Big message. Very few people who will benefit, vast number of people who will be irritated, and a few people who will be genuinely upset.
It's legal, in most cases it's not terribly abusive, and it's generally not that big of a deal.
At the same time, I believe that it's wrong to blindly advertise such a touchy subject. It's too easy to hurt people with religion--more than just irritating them.
Not that religions should all curl up under a rock--I get Christianity's idea of saving people. But I believe they ought to be dealing with this sort of thing more carefully.
--IBI