SPOILER ALERT
If you haven't yet seen Season 5, Episode 9 of Game of Thrones then let that be your warning. Now, just in case I wasn't clear, let me repeat in more Stannis fashion:
SPOILER(S) ALERT
Let me also get the necessary in the age of the internet disclaimer out of the way that I personally feel that burning an innocent child as sweet and caring as Shireen Barratheon alive at the stake is one of the most awful things you could do. (That's the spoiler btw. Stannis let the red woman burn his daughter at the stake to please the Red God.) Though I am sure the RNC will probably take some things out of context and run a negative ad against me claiming that I am in favor of burning children anyway.
But I love playing the devil's advocate about as much as I love pointing out hypocrisy, so sit back, relax and enjoy the ride as I have fun making the following two claims:
1) Stannis Barratheon did the right thing.
2) Even if Stannis was wrong, there are a hell of a lot of people who have no business getting all worked up about what he did.
What allows me to say this? Well, the vast majority of the people out there who are wailing and gnashing their teeth over what Stannis did on TV last night belong either to one of the Earth's three monotheist traditions or they subscribe to some form of rational utilitarianism ethics. If you fall outside those categories then congratulations, it is possible that you can wag your finger at Stannis hypocrisy free. For the rest of you, prepare to have your hypocrisy exposed.
