Just emerged from the dungeon unscathed, but much better informed. I was however disappointed to see that there was no account of the influence of pornography upon the classification of fallacious reasoning. As Anthony Flew once said, you can shit on us, but no true scatsman would deign to do so.

"But what is *the* sex myth?"

"As far as sex is concerned, I am better informed and sussed and so much more cool than all the other deluded fools."

Well, it works for me.

Lots of important myths debunked, then. Are there any truths revealed?

Yes, you are absolutely right. The most basic form of squeamishness is physical, and for very good biological reasons.

Mind you, I'm AB Negative, so I might be in a minority here....

"As Rowan Williams and Whyeaxe have demonstrated there are only superstitious 'yuk factor' worries about blood and money raised against the notion. "

Rowan, maybe. Me, no. But don't let repeated clarifications get in the way of your misunderstanding!

It's my pleasure to provide clarifications for you, WML, but your claim to have understood is, sadly, unsupported by the evidence.

I do mean that I like the UK system because it encourages me to act ethically. Again, it would be an interesting exercise for you to show me the evidence that I didn't mean it.

"I am not offended by your opinion as it is too silly to take seriously."

Why then are you using terms like "silly", "comedy value", "tortuous insinuations", and stating that I am wrong, etc? You might consider that you have misunderstood what I was trying to say. Just try it as a thought experiment. I have done you the courtesy of being polite. I am not arguing with you; you are arguing with me.

" So in your own words, so you can't accuse me of misrepresenting you, kindly attempt to explain why you think self-interest is unethical."

I don't. Self-interest per se is ethically neutral.

"tell me what it is exactly about the UK system you think is 'ethical' compared to the US."

I don't think it is, nor have I said that it is. I said that I liked the system, because it gave me an opportunity to act ethically.

"From the context it seemed clear..."

Ah! D'you see that "seemed"?

"Is money evil or is it not evil?"

Again, and again, verily and again, I say to you that I do not think it is.

"If it is not evil then why does getting money make donating blood less ethical."

Well, it is not, but getting money does not make donation with money less ethical. The ethical status of the donation is dependent upon the intention or the character of the person who makes it. I like the UK system (steady, steady! I make no claim about the ethical status of the system!) because it allows me to practice the virtue of generosity.

Please note that Fuir, above, gets it.

"That didn't stop you before when you said clearly and simply that accepting money was unethical."

I didn't say it simply, I didn't say it clearly, I didn't say it at all. In fact, when you asked the question "What is unethical about being paid to do good", my answer began with "Nothing". It would be an interesting exercise for you to locate where you think I said it, and let me know by quoting it.

"Clearly you now realise you were wrong."

It's not clear to me, as I don't see how I am wrong. Had I said what you say I said (i.e. that accepting money would be unethical) I might be wrong, but.....

"You haven't thought this through, obviously because you have a knee-jerk reaction that money is bad and being paid is bad. "

Again, it might be obvious to you, WML, but not to me. I don't think money is bad and being paid is bad. I haven't said anything like that on this site. But again, please go ahead and quote me...

"Consider a billionaire who incompetently tries to cure sick people with quack remedies. In your world the billionaire is more ethical and moral than Mrs WML who is paid to save lives because he does it for free"

Again, this does not follow from what I said. How wealthy people are has little to do with my view on the moral status of their actions or character.

And, again, I am not fixated on "money is evil". Never have been. Never said anything that could lead one to believe that I have such a fixation. I'll tell you again in the next post, if it helps. Might even get a tattoo done for you.

Can you see a pattern developing here? I'll give you a clue. It has something to do with you getting offended by what you think other people are saying, whether or not they have actually said it.

It doesn't diminish the utility of the outcome, nor can it diminish the goodness of the will to help others if she had not hitherto done it for free. Those who cure the sick for no reward whatsoever are more morally noteworthy than those who do it for pay , probably because we can at least be sure that they are treating the beneficiaries as ends in themselves rather than as a means to an end. But I'm afraid I can't pass judgement on your wife's actions, WML, as I do not know her motivations or virtues.

Indeed, and I probably would. My point is about my queasiness about selling my own blood, and although there is nothing immoral about being offered money for blood, or about those who are motivated to sell blood, I would avoid that queasiness by not selling it.