Why are certain things considered sins (e.g. homosexuality)?

[Jaepheth]

You need hetero sex to make babies. (In the relevant time period)

You need babies to make more soldiers; meat for the grinder as they say.

 

[Sonikku]

Homosexuality is not conductive towards producing more Christians.

 

[Exophase]

I'm not sure why it was seen as a sin to begin with, but I know I've heard the argument about homosexuality being found in nature before. The way the pastor answered that argument was that, when Adam and Eve sinned, the world became corrupted, including animals, so even the animals do things against their original nature. Part of the support for that is a verse in Isaiah (I think) that says the lion and the lamb shall lie down together, which they took to mean they're putting their old nature behind them and returning to what God originally intended.

Note: I'm not saying I believe the arguments I posted, just that that's what I've heard given for an explanation.

Two people eating from that tree of knowledge of good and evil sure had some incredible effects. Not just people becoming bad and dying and stuff, but animals getting all violent and using their bodies perfectly suited for killing to start killing each other, and like, having gay sex and sex outside of animal marriage and so on..

But what really impresses me is that there are people who believe something like that (okay, maybe not the animal marriage part) but also believe in evolution.

 

[poofyhairguy]

We are lay people. You wouldnt ask a question about chemistry to a plumber.

Seems like people come on here a lot and asking about plumbing, electrical work, etc.

 

[Jeff7]

You know how chimps or baboons will start yelling and screaming when they see something really abnormal, like someone with a lighter, or a helicopter landing nearby?

We aren't much different. But we have bigger brains, so some of those behaviors end up getting pretty complicated. We write entire books about these things, and then follow them....religiously. It's all just ancient, ancient superstitious behavioral tendencies, which are linked to basic survival instinct. (Do a thing, and maybe it'll help you survive.) Even pigeons have been observed doing it, though with some dispute. Makes sense to me though, as these behaviors can be seen in many people today.

So quick, go knock on wood, or bless someone who sneezes, or do a rain dance, or keep buying lottery tickets from the same machine that got you a $100 winner last time.
It's definitely going to help! :awe:

Sex has consequences. And in fact sex often has consequences that impact other people.

Knowing this it should be obvious why society has frequently chosen to regulate how/where/with who sexual activity is acceptable. As religion tend to provide a set of rules to live by. It should be obvious why this rulebook extends to sexual activity.

A lot of things we do have consequences that impact other people. Sex just happens to be something that blasts our brains with a damn big dose of specific feel-good neurotransmitters - it briefly puts us into the "bunch of scared screaming chimps" mindset. So we make books about big invisible people who don't want us messing around with that stuff unless it's absolutely necessary.

 

[02ranger]

Two people eating from that tree of knowledge of good and evil sure had some incredible effects. Not just people becoming bad and dying and stuff, but animals getting all violent and using their bodies perfectly suited for killing to start killing each other, and like, having gay sex and sex outside of animal marriage and so on..

But what really impresses me is that there are people who believe something like that (okay, maybe not the animal marriage part) but also believe in evolution.

haha, I want to see an animal marriage. All of a sudden I've got this image of a lion and a gazelle getting married, and the lion parents all pissed off standing to the side, and the gazelle telling her parents "but we're in love! I know he'll never eat me! Well, not like you mean!!" and the lion's got his mane all slicked down, and there's a penguin officiating. Ah, forbidden love.

 

[squarecut1]

The parts of the Bible that ban homosexuality are raised above other Bible taboos (that modern Christians completely ignore) because it makes some people feel icky. They are simply cherry picking parts of the Word of God to legitimize their prejudice against people that make them feel that way.

And honestly it could be much much worse.

I mean, the entire Southern Baptist faith is based on illiterates who made up what they thought should be in the Bible based on their personal icky feelings. That is why the modern Southern Baptist religion is one of the most popular ones in America (the standards were lower so it spread faster). That is also why the have dumb rules like a ban on alcohol even though Jesus turned water into wine.

So at least the modern bigot Christian actually uses real parts of the Bible to backup their beliefs. Maybe eventually all that socialist Jesus stuff will sink in if they keep actually reading the words.

American Christianity in general is too rich and comfortable. Very capitalistic. So yes you are right about that.

But that is just America. Christiaity in South America and Africa is not the same.

But even in America there are many Christians who have a very strong social conscience.

 

[JulesMaximus]

What if I have a child and he turns out to be gay? Have I sinned in my failure to raise him to produce more Christians?

 

[Jaskalas]

You assume it is rooted in logic or reason.

Humans are neither logical nor reasonable. That's a recent evolutionary trait that has a long ways to go towards being firmly established. Even today.

I suspect today's repulsion against gay men is entirely a social stigma, perhaps derived from religious books. If not... if it's a biological repulsion, then that'd be a fine explanation. Otherwise you'll never find a proper answer, because most humans could not read or write back then.

We were too savage to record all the fine details of history 2,000 years ago.

 

[Scotteq]

haha, I want to see an animal marriage. All of a sudden I've got this image of a lion and a gazelle getting married, and the lion parents all pissed off standing to the side, and the gazelle telling her parents "but we're in love! I know he'll never eat me! Well, not like you mean!!" and the lion's got his mane all slicked down, and there's a penguin officiating. Ah, forbidden love.

There *are* animals who mate for life
Species of Swans, albatross, vultures, cranes, voles, antelope, wolves, penguins, (bald) Eagles...

Just saying...

 

[brandonb]

This is the reason (according to my Catholic priest.)

Men were created with millions of sperm. Women were created with millions of eggs.

It was God's will to have us procreate. It's so easy for us to have children that it was his desire for us to have children.

To have sex with the purpose of pleasure and not to procreate means we are doing it for selfish pleasures and going against God's will of procreation. If the only purpose of sex was to find pleasure, we would have such organs that gave orgasms that are not related to reproduction. With homosexuals. The only purpose for sex is for pleasure, not for procreation.

This is the reason why I believe it was in the bible

The old testament says if you support homosexuals you will bring a plague upon yourself. It could be that diseases or STD's of old were noticed among the population and gays transmitted it more easily. Much like today. But since they lacked any modern medicine and microscopes, that was the best way for them to explain it, and their observations were put into the books. Maybe to discourage people from doing it and becoming infected. Much like a shamans of old might try to spread wisdom among their people. Granted modern medicine might explain the why... But in those days, they might believe that God was smiting those people. Picking on homosexuals because he didn't like those actions.

 

[02ranger]

There *are* animals who mate for life
Species of Swans, albatross, vultures, cranes, voles, antelope, wolves, penguins, (bald) Eagles...

Just saying...

Yeah, I know. I just had this crazy image when he said animal marriage and I thought it was funny.

 

[SMOGZINN]

Masturbation is a sin because it harms kittens.

I'm sorry to be the one that has to tell you this, but if you are using kittens it is no longer masturbation.

 

[Jeff7]

...
To have sex with the purpose of pleasure and not to procreate means we are doing it for selfish pleasures and going against God's will of procreation. If the only purpose of sex was to find pleasure, we would have such organs that gave orgasms that are not related to reproduction. With homosexuals. The only purpose for sex is for pleasure, not for procreation.
...

But of course, masturbation is something else that that is possible at all, and it doesn't even require the aid of any artificial means.

So it would seem that this body's design lacks any manner of simple or reasonable safeguards or crosschecks for any "unintended usage," per the original design.
The genitals and brain don't go "....waaaaait a minute, this isn't a suitable partner's genitals! This is just a hand! Your own hand! And you're only thinking about something stimulating! CHEATER!!! ABORT!"

Instead, it's just "Yeah, that's close enough."

 

[SMOGZINN]

There *are* animals who mate for life
Species of Swans, albatross, vultures, cranes, voles, antelope, wolves, penguins, (bald) Eagles...

Just saying...

Did you know that almost all of those have been disproved?

 

[GagHalfrunt]

The idiots who wrote the fake fairy tales that became the bible were all latent homosexuals who became vocal homophobes to hide their leanings.

 

[Scotteq]

Yeah, I know. I just had this crazy image when he said animal marriage and I thought it was funny.

:thumbsup:

Your mother was hamster, etc...

 

[Exophase]

Of course, masturbation is a thing that is possible, and it doesn't even require the aid of any artificial means.

So it would seem that this body's design lacks any manner of reasonable safeguards against this "unintended usage."

You're right, the keying mechanism here is really awful. You'd think God could try a little harder. Maybe he's just not very good at this.

 

[Puppies04]

Masturbation is a sin because it harms kittens.

 

[alzan]

But of course, masturbation is something else that that is possible at all, and it doesn't even require the aid of any artificial means.

So it would seem that this body's design lacks any manner of simple or reasonable safeguards or crosschecks for any "unintended usage," per the original design.
The genitals and brain don't go "....waaaaait a minute, this isn't a suitable partner's genitals! This is just a hand! Your own hand! And you're only thinking about something stimulating! CHEATER!!! ABORT!"

Instead, it's just "Yeah, that's close enough."

Any port in a storm...

 

[nehalem256]

More like he was forced into an arranged marriage by his parents just like she was and he was actually gay himself. So he didn't care if she was clean or not, much less beat her for being dirty.

If some small percentage of the population (4%, or 2% if we are talking strictly gay) acted like this I somehow doubt it would have been considered a problem worth prohibiting.

And of course you are ignoring the numerous historical accounts of supposedly straight men indulging in the gay sex in the past. See Ancient Greece.

After all, she was the maid, cook, nanny, stall cleaner, ecetera, so I doubt spending a day at the spa was something she could take time out to do very often. Unless she was rich, of course. Then she had servants to tend to her feminine needs, even if the husband wasn't interested.

But poor men could afford to go to the spa and have boytoys?:hmm:

 

[Gibsons]

What if I have a child and he turns out to be gay? Have I sinned in my failure to raise him to produce more Christians?

You need to pray the gay away. He might be possessed by some gay demon or spirit, in which case you need an exorcist.

 

[Kadarin]

Reality is that Robert Heinlein got it right: "Sin lies only in hurting others unnecessarily. All other sins are invented nonsense."

 

[Brian Stirling]

Color me suspicious of any post about sexual prohibitions from someone that calls themselves "Apple of Sodom"...


Brian

 

[Jeff7]

You're right, the keying mechanism here is really awful. You'd think God could try a little harder. Maybe he's just not very good at this.

Always a possibility. If God is part of an advanced alien race that's capable of creating Universes for fun, or as portable power sources, there may well be young children here and there, playing with their "Playskool Littlest Universe" kits.

Or middle school science students.

Or scientists that just coasted through undergrad.

Or sociopaths.