• Zozano@aussie.zone
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    16 days ago

    Collective Shout claim it’s about harm reduction, but then push an agenda that functionally amounts to moral panic.

    Their approach is identical in logic to the “GTA causes school shootings” hysteria: loud, pearl-clutching, and utterly unmoored from data.

    If Collective Shout want to argue these games cause harm, then show us the harm. Not correlation. Not outrage. Not hypothetical downstream consequences. Show causation. Peer-reviewed. Reproducible.

    Otherwise, they’re just moralizing bullies using the banking system as a cudgel.

    On top of this, they might actually be harming their own cause. The catharsis hypothesis poses that sexual fantasy enactment might reduce risk of real world harm.

    The logic is simple: suppressing a compulsion doesn’t eliminate it. It just bottles up until it explodes. Redirect it into a safe outlet, and it becomes manageable.

    The only reason this research isn’t cited more often is because it’s politically radioactive. Nobody wants to admit that it’s better to let a gooners jerk off, than to escalate under repression.

    The burden of proof SHOULD be on Collective Shout to provide a reasonable argument which supports their claim that censorship will reduce real world harm.

    Current working theory in psychology: it doesn’t. Emerging theory suggests: they’re shooting themselves (and potential rape victims) in the foot.

    The real solution to real-world harm involves empathy, autonomy and education.

    • Zozano@aussie.zone
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      16 days ago

      Furthermore…

      Their decision to target the payment processors - not the developers, or itch.io, or steam, is some of the most cowardly and authoritarian things I’ve ever seen in the gaming space.

      It’s economic coercion; a playbook used by religious bigots and authoritarians for decades. Financial censorship by proxy. IMO: they should fuck off.

        • redwattlebird@lemmings.world
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          15 days ago

          I believe they’re a religious group under the guise of feminism and child protection. If you look at their affiliate page, they list quite a few religious groups.

          • QueenHawlSera@sh.itjust.works
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            15 days ago

            In what way is Feminism a religion? Do feminists pray to Lilith? Is there a Woman Church? Is International Women’s Day the Christmas of this religion?

            Think before you say silly things.

            • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
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              15 days ago

              Feminism increasingly displays an in-group out-group dynamic characteristic of religions.

              They’re increasingly dogmatic with their teachings, a feminist will spout party lines without thinking about them precisely the way a christian will.

              A god hasn’t emerged yet afaik but a canon of saints is emerging, to include Marie Curie and Amelia Earhart.

              Unironically yes, who else has any use for International Women’s Day.

              They’ve even got unhinged extremists, like these assholes in Australia.

    • aceshigh@lemmy.world
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      16 days ago

      We have examples today of the real harm of this, like in Afghanistan. It’s interesting that western societies are overall less religious as ever, yet religion keeps getting shoved down our throats… and winning.

  • tacosanonymous@mander.xyz
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    15 days ago

    That is so dumb. How would such a small group have that much pull? It seems like gooners would vastly outnumber them.

    • Wispy2891@lemmy.world
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      15 days ago

      In the 90s, in my country, a single person made a webpage stating that Microsoft minesweeper promotes war and violence, so since windows 95 if the Windows locale is set to my language, minesweeper becomes “flower field” and you have to find flowers instead of mines

  • FerretyFever0@fedia.io
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    16 days ago

    Here’s something I’ve noticed. Whenever someone describes a group, individual, activity, or anything else with more than 2 negative adjectives in a row, they’re probably saying something deeply unstable. This is one of those times.

    • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
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      16 days ago

      I take offense to this generalization. When I call someone an honorless gormless bitch ass motherfucker I’m relieving stress so when fists start flying I ain’t blinded by my own anger, my instability is only mildly correlated to my verbosity.

      • FerretyFever0@fedia.io
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        15 days ago

        Let me sit you down when I say this… but if you’re getting into fights even after relieving stress… it either doesn’t work, or you’re behaving in an unstable manner.

        • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
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          15 days ago

          Oh no fights are fun. Tis the curse of my kin, seriously damned near every man on the German side of my family treats fights like a fun time waster. Not saying it’s not instability just that my verbosity is perpetual regardless of my mood or actions, well unless I am physically exhausted then I communicate with a handful of words like a caveman.

          Also just cause I’m somewhat calm going into a fight doesn’t mean that the person I hurled insults at is.

  • SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world
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    15 days ago

    I’m sick of religious sex freaks forcing others to adhere to their puritan fetishes

    We need to ban organized religion

      • MrNobody@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        15 days ago

        Sure, but since orgaanised religions can’t help to force others to live by their standards, they need to get out of the way. I’m fine with people needing a comfort measure, even if its in the form of an invisibile friend. Whatever helps people sleep at night. However, when they try to force their ideals down everybody elses throat thats a big no.

        So, since they can’t ‘live and let live’ they need to go the way of the dodo, fuck off, and leave the rest of society alone.

        • Gsus4@mander.xyz
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          15 days ago

          Meh, I consider religions as political movements. When they go crazy fundamentalist and become destructive, sure, shut them down.

          But not just based on their future potential to turn destructive, that can happen to any ideology if the conditions are right.

          • Barrymore@sh.itjust.works
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            15 days ago

            But what undeniable good thing comes from religion? It’s not just that they have the potential for destruction and hate, it’s that those are the only possible outcomes

              • Barrymore@sh.itjust.works
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                15 days ago

                We could get unions, consumer protections, housing and food and other necessities guaranteed. We don’t, but we could. Politics is just trying to solidify how things are run. Obviously easily can be used for abuse, but can be used for good. Religion from the first step is to tell you how bad of a person you are and how to resolve it: join a cult, deny personal responsibility for anything and put that on whatever deity or subject for hate at the time, all your answers should be sought through your religion and not outside sources

      • freddydunningkruger@lemmy.world
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        15 days ago

        A tolerant society can not tolerate intolerance. One side will attempt to “just live”, but the intolerant side is incapable of “letting live”, and they will not stop until they replace tolerance with their system of hate.

      • Warl0k3@lemmy.world
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        15 days ago

        Ew, when did we get reddit’s cringy appeals to the audience talking past the original poster in an ineffectual attempt to throw shade?

      • Honytawk@feddit.nl
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        15 days ago

        The majority of the secular world are atheists. Don’t pretend like it is some small subsection just because you live in a bubble of whatever religion you were born into.

        • stepan@lemmy.ca
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          14 days ago

          Agnostics. Not necessarily atheists. And they sure as hell aren’t sam harris type dickheads about it like this lemmy thread has.

          • REDACTED@infosec.pub
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            14 days ago

            Agnostic sounds like a sub-category of atheism like it is with different beliefs under theism. Ie. It’s Theism vs Atheism, and then everything below the two. If you don’t believe or don’t know if you should believe, then you’re not really a theist, making it atheist.

    • DosDude@retrolemmy.com
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      16 days ago

      Trump doing actual pedo and rape shit and being a convicted felon

      Religious zealot chuds in the US: “there’s no proof”

    • joenforcer@midwest.social
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      15 days ago

      This comment and many like it are a product of only reading the headline. Also shame on the authors for the ragebait headline.

      The tweet the quote comes further classifies that they’re talking about games that include rape, incest, and/or child sex abuse. I’m not sure if people are just knee-jerk reacting to headlines without understanding what’s actually happening, or if they are legitimately upset that rape fantasy games are being removed. In both cases, you’re stating that you are vocally in support of rape media, which is not OK.

      • VoidJuiceConcentrate@midwest.social
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        15 days ago

        Sure, that’s the plausible deniability reasoning. But the end result, whether you agree with the on the surface reasoning or not, is the removal of all adult media whether or not it is offending. This coupled with the lumping in of LGBT issues with Adult media (and often lumping in with egregious media like rape and abuse fantasy) means that the end result is removal of adult games AND games which feature LGBT characters and storylines.

        and uh, if you actually did read my comment, I did say consenting. me saying I enjoy content where clear adults are consentually enjoying sex is not endorsing rape fantasy games, and is a bit of a Twitter ass conclusion to come to.

        • joenforcer@midwest.social
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          15 days ago

          and uh, if you actually did read my comment, I did say consenting. me saying I enjoy content where clear adults are consentually enjoying sex is not endorsing rape fantasy games, and is a bit of a Twitter ass conclusion to come to.

          The article you commented on is explicitly referencing media where consent cannot be given. So, I’m not sure why you commented about consenting adults in the first place, because that had nothing to do with the topic.

  • Bronzebeard@lemmy.zip
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    16 days ago

    Hold up, all this shit because of an extremist group, *in Australia, where half the M games on the market already can’t be sold, is driving global payment processor behavior?!?

    • LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      16 days ago

      Those are pretty well known TERFs in Australia, I’ve not heard of them in the context of anti-porn shite before though that tracks for TERFs generally, but it’s a safe assumption they’re also probably pretty well connected with the worst people in the US gov-corp ecosystem.

  • InfiniteHench@lemmy.world
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    16 days ago

    I like how the language is ‘claims responsibility.’ You know. Like terrorist groups do after an attack

  • A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world
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    16 days ago

    Are we wagering this absurdity is built on projection?

    cause I’m wagering this absurdity is built on them projecting.

    • Salamanderwizard@lemmy.world
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      16 days ago

      It always is. These are the type of folks who have that feeling of shame wash over after they bust a nut to something they “despise.”

      That literally all these types of groups are. They want us to feel the same shame, too. I wish folks could just keep their shit to themselves. Have rules for your own home, sure, but eat shit and rot if you think you should be able to tell me how I should live my life.

        • Salamanderwizard@lemmy.world
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          15 days ago

          Totally. I just mean if you don’t want porn or violence in your home more power to ya, but keep your rules to yourself. Let me live and enjoy my life.

  • Zink@programming.dev
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    16 days ago

    OK now I am not one to lob accusations without evidence, but for any of you kind government agents or AIs reading this, let’s say from anywhere within the Five Eyes since we’re talking about Australia:

    We have another fanatical religious conservative organization here that is publicly labeling opposition groups pedos. You know how this has trended in the past. Keep an eye on these people.

    • mojofrododojo@lemmy.world
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      15 days ago

      We have another fanatical religious conservative organization here that is publicly labeling opposition groups pedos.

      projection. they want a monopoly on skeezing on the kiddos.

      for some reason people will bend themselves into pretzels to give religious people a pass on buggery. here in washington state, we passed a law mandating the reporting of abused children. conservatives and religious types want to keep these children in their abuse.

      https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/07/18/judge-blocks-wa-requirement-for-priests-to-report-child-abuse-disclosed-in-confession/

    • Eugene V. Debs' Ghost@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      16 days ago

      Don’t be silly. Government surveillance isn’t for the protection of the people, it’s for the protection of the government.

      Has the NSA ever caught a terrorist with their massively invasive privacy violating programs, spending the money on that instead of making people better to not become terrorists? Ask the NSA, they’ll tell you they haven’t stopped a single one.

      Government surveillance is in service to these people, why else would they care about the privacy and consent of adults in their free time?

  • palordrolap@fedia.io
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    16 days ago

    This whole thing smacks of the “anyone who has a sexual proclivity I claim not to share must have all sexual proclivities I claim not to share” logic. i.e. the logic that got gay people flagged as child molesters back in the bad old days. And occasionally still today.

    Such logic might actually be rooted in projection, which is a deeply disturbing thought. Deeply closeted people desperately clinging to heteronormativity and traditional gender roles because they think that if they don’t they they’ll do something abhorrent. Maybe even to someone who can’t consent. Or they already have and they desperately want to hide away from it.

    Yes, for the love of all that’s holy and secular too, ban the games with apparent child sexual abuse. Children can’t consent. Leave everything else the hell alone.

    I don’t even play video games with sexual themes, but I do play ones that contain 18+ violence. I assume those will be next on the chopping block.

      • youmaynotknow@lemmy.zip
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        16 days ago

        Sponsored by Visa 🤔

        Thanks for saying it. What kind of fucking parent puts their kids on display in an event that will invite actual pedophiles to start actual concoctions that would cause permanent harm on them? Ah, but fictitious media that may actually help keep those urges in check needs to be removed.

        And then there’s the bullshit thought that a service that serves as a replacement for cash transactions can decide what I buy?

        I need to get off of this fucking world.

  • Cocopanda@lemmy.world
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    16 days ago

    Really goes to show people. It doesn’t matter the religion. They all are bullshit machines for people to act superior than others. Fuck these twat waffles.

  • dan@upvote.au
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    16 days ago

    There’s a few groups like this in Australia, unfortunately.

    Australia didn’t even have an R18+ rating for games until 2013 (R18+ is similar to AO or NC-17 in the USA). Before then, all games with a higher rating than MA15+ were illegal in Australia. Many games had an Australia-specific version with blood/gore reduced, some things edited out, etc. to reduce the rating. The original release of GTA4 in Australia was heavily censored.

  • FerretyFever0@fedia.io
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    16 days ago

    Oml, trying to ban Eminem and Snoop Dogg from Australia? Really? Fuck did Eminem actually do in the last 15 years? Snoop, never really listened to him, can’t think of anything he did (in relation to women). They managed to stop Tyler, the Creator from touring in 2015? They’re doing the dumbest shit. Going after sexualization of women isn’t going to help any actual problems. Pathetic.

    • real_squids@sopuli.xyz
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      16 days ago

      Judging from their description (“pro-life feminists”) I bet they’re using objectification as a cover to push their regressive ideals. When it comes to rap there’s a disproportionate amount of hate towards it from these people, could be as simple as that.

      • FerretyFever0@fedia.io
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        16 days ago

        Of course. I’ve listened to quite a bit of Eminem, more than is reasonable. There’s like 5 songs that I’d say were actually that crazy, mostly about his wife, and mostly 20+ years ago. I’d say it’s probably something to do with racism, actually hating rap usually does.