Posted on 04/16/2009 5:09:32 PM PDT by ReformationFan
When Judaism demanded that all sexual activity be channeled into marriage, it changed the world. The Torah's prohibition of non-marital sex quite simply made the creation of Western civilization possible.
Societies that did not place boundaries around sexuality were stymied in their development. The subsequent dominance of the Western world can largely be attributed to the sexual revolution initiated by Judaism and later carried forward by Christianity. This revolution consisted of forcing the sexual genie into the marital bottle. It ensured that sex no longer dominated society, heightened male-female love and sexuality (and thereby almost alone created the possibility of love and eroticism within marriage), and began the arduous task of elevating the status of women.
It is probably impossible for us, who live thousands of years after Judaism began this process, to perceive the extent to which undisciplined sex can dominate man's life and the life of society. Throughout the ancient world, and up to the recent past in many parts of the world, sexuality infused virtually all of society.
(Excerpt) Read more at catholiceducation.org ...
Is there a follow up article explaining why Judaism now allows homosexuality?
According to Conserative Jews, “homosexual relationships nevertheless can not be judged to be in accord with halakha (Jewish law).”
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/judaism/FAQ/02-Who-We-Are/section-20.html
The truth is not a "break from prior religions". The truth is the truth and is what always was.
And you can't "desexualize" a God who was never "sexualized" to begin with.
The way this article assumes homosexuality was the norm and that pagan religions were the only thing existent is wrong and disturbing.
Not being a Jew myself(although my Savior is one), I can’t claim any expertise on all the differences between Orthodox, Reform, Conservative Judaism. I must say it does seem strange to me if a Jew thinks same sex sexual acts are OK then why would that same Jew have any problems with someone eating bacon or any other non-kosher foods? For the same reason, I’ve never understood Joseph Lieberman. He refused to campaign on the Sabbath but at the same time has one of the strongest pro-abortion(including late-term, partial-birth abortions I believe) voting records in the Senate. I just can’t wrap my mind around the sort of thinking or logic that results in those kind of contradictions.
God’s prescription for faithful sex within marriage strengthens, ennobles, and preserves mankind.
You are a Christian too, I assume, and all we need think of is the homo episcopal bishop that left his wife and kids for his man, or the Presbyterian USAs funding abortion, or Phelps’ demonstrations at military funerals, etc. Many “churches” today are nothing of the sort. There is a huge diversity among the many denominations. Similarly you have Jews running the gamut from Orthodox Sabbath keeping yarmulke wearing Jews to the Reforms who don’t even believe a particular Messiah is due to arrive one day.
Agreed. I like this quote from the article:
“Judaism cannot make peace with homosexuality because homosexuality denies many of Judaism’s most fundamental principles. It denies life, it denies God’s expressed desire that men and women cohabit, and it denies the root structure that Judaism wishes for all mankind, the family.”
I would say the same applies to Christianity as well.
>Throughout the ancient world, and up to the recent past in many parts of the world, sexuality infused virtually all of society.
Not really, just watch a Hollywood movie.
And Islam
Just saying... :)
DP bump!
Read the “Golden Bough” for an idea just how radical the idea of one man, one woman was for much of the ancient world.
I remember hearing in my Roman history class that a Roman killed his son because he was a homosexual. My understanding was this occurred in the second or first century B.C. I doubt his act of killing his son was motivated by Judaism.
I don’t question that you may have been taught that in a history class. (Speaking for myself, I took a class from a history teacher who I later learned was very inaccurate on many events when I later read other sources.) And an individual Roman father may well have done that in an individual case. But I have been taught that the Ancient Greco-Roman world as a whole was very well known for its tolerance and glorification of male homosexuality and pederasty, often in connection with that culture’s now very non-PC view of seeing men as superior to women.
You are correct in assuming, or actually knowing, that most tribes and cultures had taboos about homosexuality. Pagan religions were in the majority before Christianity came along, history proves that out. Pagan in my definition means any religion that wasn't based on the one true God. Christianity put an end to most pagan religions but not all of them.
These pagan cultures probably came to the conclusion if they wanted their people to survive, have children and continue their lineage, heterosexual acts provided a higher level of success in attaining that goal than homosexual acts did. Of course by my stating what used to be known as common sense I am now guilty of “hate speech.”
Make no mistake, there is the reason queers are being pushed onto America and it is working so far.
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