Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife. Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him..."
Christian churches, and especially the Catholic Church, are said to be obsessed by sex and to devote far too much time and spiritual energy to dealing with it.
Wow! I don't know about you, but I think it is Hollywood, the entertainment industry and the music industry that is obsessed by sex. To be more specific, I think it is Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and Madonna that are obsessed by sex. Wait...come to think of it, I think it is our entire society and the millions of boys, girls, men and women that are addicted and obsessed by sex!
If the Church appears to be obsessed with sex, it is because it knows perfectly well what it can do to people.
Sex is a huge force within us and can easily take control (possession) of us. It can even reach the point of being a rival to God!
Sex can drive a men (men and women) bonkers!
God created them male and female. We take gender for granted. We shouldn't. God didn't. He spelled it out and made it a significant factor from the very beginning of time.
I find it remarkable at how quickly the Jews opposed nearly all the religious systems of the Ancient Near East and gave no gender to heavenly bodies.
We know that the plant world can easily reproduce without the aid of sexual desire. We also know that the animal kingdom desires sex only to propagate. What we have a difficult time admitting is that, among humans, sex can take on a life of its own, and apart from reproduction.
God created sex. He also created love. "Love has an infinity of expressions. Not only does it make possible evolution through natural selection but, in its higher expressions, it produces perpetual dramas - histories, comedies, tragedies. It combines endless physical possibilities with endless emotional possibilities." (- Paul Johnson, "The Quest for God")
Today is the feast day of the beheading of St. John the Baptist, a prophet sent by God and killed by a weak and decrepit king. We know the story well. King Herod, who was married to his brother's wife, secretly lusted over his wife's daughter and was eventually seduced by her. Over his better judgment, he turned John's head over to her.
King Herod fell into a common trap. Instead of biting his tongue, he bite the head off of God's messenger. Sound familiar? Sex and raging fantasies can do that to a man. Grudges and jealousy can do that to a woman. Herodias is as guilty as Herod.
This morning, I read of an atheist king (without doubt one of the most beloved and feared in his country) who executed his former lover along with twelve performing artists. OMG! Déjà vu!
Apparently, Kim Jong-un's new girlfriend may have been a bit jealous of the ex. Well, when one or two are joined together without morals, then anything can go, including a life.
The news is reporting that they were all executed for making a sex tape. Interesting...I guess when you're above God, then pornography is a more serious crime than mass murder.
I love the picture I chose. It spoke to me. There he is: confident, smiling, and so kingly. And look at all those ladies. See how they cry. I wonder: Is it out of love or fear? Probably a little bit of both, for they know their king has their life in his hands, and they may actually wish they had a hand in his murderous hands.
Today, let's be extra careful not to bite someone's head off, especially out of jealousy or resentment.
We also know that the animal kingdom desires sex only to propagate.
ReplyDeleteReally?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_sexual_behaviour
"Among animals, researchers have observed monogamy, promiscuity, sex between species, sexual arousal from objects or places, sex apparently via duress or coercion, copulation with dead animals, homosexual sexual behaviour, heterosexual, bisexual sexual behaviour, situational sexual behaviour, and a range of other practices."
"In bonobos, the amount of promiscuity is particularly striking because bonobos use sex to alleviate social conflict as well as to reproduce."
"It appears that many animals, both male and female, masturbate, both when partners are available and otherwise"
"Animals of several species are documented as engaging in both autofellatio and oral sex."
Interesting...Wikipedia is not my source of information, sorry. Have they observed them giving each other rings and taking vows?
ReplyDeleteI do not know what you are trying to get at. Animals cannot sin. Do you know that? Human beings can. Are you saying that it would be appropriate for a human beings (another animal, right?) to engage in such behavior as observed in the animal kingdom?
Sex in the animal kingdom is to continue the species. They may take pleasure in many ways, but the ultimate goal of sex is to continue to species.
The same cannot be said with human beings, where sex and gender take on a life of their own and can lead to some incredible drama in human history.
Just because you don't use Wikipedia does not mean it is completely inaccurate. And who cares about animals taking vows, marriage is a human concept.
ReplyDeleteYour statement was "We also know that the animal kingdom desires sex ONLY to propagate." That is demonstrably false. I do not disagree with the notion that sexual activity in humankind can be more than a reproductive function, but the same is obviously true in the animal kingdom.
I would also consider many of those actions to be perfectly acceptable among consenting adults.
You haven't demonstrated anything.
ReplyDelete"We also know that the animal kingdom desires sex ONLY to propagate."
In the animal kingdom, sex is only for propagation, not for intimacy or inner sharing. There exists a mating season for reproduction.
In the human world, sex serves many more purposes other than pleasure and reproduction. There is no mating season.
The fact that you find many of those actions to be perfectly acceptable is not surprising to me. You failed to mention incest and forced sex. You did, however, mention sex with the dead and between species.
Go ahead and pick and choose all you want. But other can as well, and choose differently (and have).
"I would also consider many of those actions to be perfectly acceptable among consenting adults."
ReplyDeleteObviously, others do not. But thank God we are not of the animal kingdom. We have these things called laws. But laws can change.
What have I not demonstrated? Even if you completely discount what wikipedia says, you can go to the references and look there. Links to multiple published research papers. I do not see how you can deny that. Yes, there exists a mating season for reproduction, many species with mating seasons also have sex outside of that time.
ReplyDeleteI said "perfectly acceptable among CONSENTING ADULTS." I think that covers forced sex, the dead, and between species. Incest is a little different. I do not know if there is any actual harm as long as no offspring is produced. It may be a social taboo. I certainly would not participate, I would not deny others as long as it is between CONSENTING ADULTS.
I'm so glad you clarified. Thank you! It is exactly what I was expecting to read.
ReplyDeleteWhy remain anonymous? Be proud of what you believe in.
The story about this North Korean king is so chilling--and so is the picture!! Awful. I do wonder, though, whether they were involved in pornography. I'm suspicious that he just made up charges against them. How can you trust a man like that? If he has no qualms about committing murder, he likely has no qualms about lying either. These women could very well be innocent. Or, maybe they were made to participate in sexual acts by force, who knows? I believe the article stated that some of the dissidents were holding Bibles--not sure if they are referring to the women or not. Poor sisters! I pray that Our Mother Mary will embrace them and lead them to Her Son Jesus. ~Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.~
ReplyDeleteJust like a typical atheist.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous (the weird one, not the one above): What makes you think that "Consent" is the proper criteria? It is obviously your criteria. In the animal kingdom it is strength, not consent, that determines mating. What makes that wrong?
This is what happens when you're an atheist. You have no moral foundation. Hence, you are a moral relativist.
2nd. What makes you think that two consenting adults is always a good thing? It can actually lead to a lot of hurt people: spouses and the children of the "consenting" adults.
*Anonymous (the weird one, not the one above)
ReplyDeleteWhy is he weird just because he posts something you disagree with?
*In the animal kingdom it is strength, not consent, that determines mating.
Not always, it can also be skill, ability to provide food/shelter or some colorful display.
*You have no moral foundation. Hence, you are a moral relativist.
And you would rather believe in a morality subject to the whims of God? Can things be immoral one day and perfectly fine the next just because he says so (see: Leviticus)? Or is morality above even God and he is bound by it?
*It can actually lead to a lot of hurt people: spouses and the children of the "consenting" adults.
This can be true of ANY relationship.
1. "Why is he weird?"
DeleteAh…well… what do you call someone who claims that incest would be fine as long as people were consenting to it?
If that's not weird than what is? Would you consider it weird if a consenting adult sipped on his own urine or gasoline (“My strange addictions”) when there was portable water in the faucet?
As long as their consenting then it's okay, right?
2. ME: *In the animal kingdom it is strength...
YOU SAID: "Not always, it can also be skill, ability to provide food/shelter or some colorful display.
Really? Are you assuming that “strength” refers to only physical strength and not other forms of strength such as the strength of one’s abilities, like a colorful display?
3. YOU SAID: This is true of any relationship.
I agree. So using "consent" among adults as a standard for morality is just as useless as any manmade standard in determining right and wrong, right?
The problem that you can't seem to wrap your mind around is that every sense of right and wrong could easily fall into complete nonsense if the individual man or even a group of men were the standard for standards. Get it?
4. YOU SAID: And you would rather believe in a morality subject to the whims of God? Can things be immoral one day and perfectly fine the next just because he says so (see: Leviticus)? Or is morality above even God and he is bound by it?
ME: Now who said they are the "whims" of a God? I love it how atheists can throw into their argument a completely biased and bigoted opinion and then make it sound like a known fact!
Sorry, but you’re just another pompous, ignorant and immature bigoted atheist.
I should stop right here, but I won’t because I know how this can help others deal with people like you.
Is it the whims of a God that said "love your enemies" and "do good to those who insult you?" Or does it serve a purpose?
It isn't God's opinion that changes from one day to the next. What changes are our abilities to advance from one thing to the other.
Growing up, did your morality come from the whims of your mom? Or did it depend on your age and ability to be responsible? Did she expect you to work in a coal mine at the age of three? Weren't children allowed to work in coal mines once upon a time? So what happened??? Was this the whims of politicians? Or the need for families to have bread on the table?
Let me ask you, Biblical scholar, what is the purpose of the Old Testament? Since you know Leviticus so well, correct? Or are you an authentic atheist that uses bombastic expressions to hide an ignorance that runs deep within your veins.