is it like... morally okay to be attracted to an hbhf character? im having a dilemma, they have human intelligence but they are physically fish and i don’t know how to feel about this. is this a sin?
hillbilly handfishin' raises some very important questions about the nature of humanity. what makes a creature human? is it the physical form or the mind? if someone has been turned into an animal, are they still human? how human do you have to be to consent? how narrow is the constraint of being "human"? if there are beings higher than us (like gods), it can be assumed that they can understand the implications of sex and consent. i see no reason why them not being literally human would negate that. but if they're even more powerful than us, would they see us as able to consent? if we can't understand the nature of the universe like they can, would that make us like animals to them? if a god has sex with a human, is that unethical?
if we define "human" as simply a sentient creature with intelligence equal to or above that of a human, then i think we could reasonably say that both god and the characters from hillbilly handfishin' are human. if we define "human" as a homo sapien -- a bipedal creature with an atypically large brain -- then no, neither god nor the characters from hillbilly handfishin' are human. and here is a limitation of the english language -- we need a general term for sapient beings, or anything sentient and intelligent as a human. this is a term that could be vital to discussing consent, especially in the future, if we ever meet alien species. if an alien species is as intelligent as us but shaped entirely different, it would be a disservice to deny them the power to consent. as long as the adults of said species have the ability to conceptualize sex, i think it would not only be disrespectful, but downright dehumanizing to deny them the right to make an informed decision about whether or not to have sex with a human.
of course, the normal rules of consent would still apply. it is unethical to have sex with minors of this species (keep in mind that the age of maturity might be slightly younger or older than it is for humans). if said species has no ability to clearly communicate whether it would like to have sex or not, then it is unethical to assume one way or another. and of course, if the species doesn't demonstrate human-like intelligence -- signs of this would take the form of complex works of art, language or some other highly intricate form of communication, curiosity about the nature of the universe, and the ability to make sense of the natural world around them through science and art -- it is entirely unethical to have sex with them.
granted, it's worth noting that in the case of hillbilly handfishin', the characters are very physically similar to a real-world species that doesn't demonstrate any of said characteristics. this makes the question far murkier. there's a lot more i could discuss in regards to this, but this is already a long post, so i think i'll end it here. i'd suggest seeing whether you can contact some sort of philosopher who specializes in discussions such as this -- on the nature of humanity and how that impacts how we would interact with other intelligent lifeforms. you'll have to do deep soul-searching to determine how you feel about this. follow your own moral compass, listen to your heart, and you'll come to the conclusion that's best for you
🗣️ mod tunny
